Sure, a LEGO greenhouse is cool, but what about a playful room inside the home? Something a little more kid-centric? Artist Melissa Marks and interface designer Vicente Caride gave their young son Archie just that: a wild wall and staircase made completely of LEGOs. The New York Magazine piece calls this “The 20,000-Brick Apartment,” and seeing is believing. Check out this primary-colored palace.

The family enlisted the help of LEGO-licensed artist Sean Kenney to complete the construction, and it took two weeks of fourteen-hour days for Kenney and two assistants to “complete” it — though Archie and his friends keep building on to the staircase. I love the creativity of the concept (cooked up with Suzan Wines, co-founder of I-Beam Design), and the execution looks so cool. The geometric patterns are thoroughly modern against the white backdrop. The future is plastics, indeed.

I have positive associations with lily pads for some reason. (I looked at a lot of Monet paintings as a kid?) All I know is that when I saw Blu Dot’s Lily Pad Coffee Table, it seemed right somehow.

The three surfaces at different heights would be ideal for entertaining, I’d think — just imagine that artful spread of napkins and nibbles! And it may even keep clutter at bay in everyday use. If one “pad” is for magazines or glossy hardcover books, one is for remotes and coasters, and one is for flowers or other decorative items, you’d certainly have an easier time editing and arranging. As it is now, my long Danish modern model is less a “coffee table” and more an “old New York Magazine graveyard.” Maybe three really is a magic number.

There’s a kind of beauty in everyday items and simple pleasures, isn’t there? A perfect bouquet of flowers, a treasured book’s cover, a stylish scarf draped just so. That’s what makes these Framed Objects by the. so brilliant.

It’s a bit like the concept of Duchamp’s “readymades,” where an ordinary object becomes art simply because the artist selected it, arranged it and placed it in the right context. (Of course, Duchamp’s work was intended to be satirical, so it’s not entirely the same. But who wants a signed urinal on their wall?) I particularly love the framed vase — it would certainly elevate your average Valentine’s Day arrangement, wouldn’t it?

There are some things you shouldn’t buy from a thrift store. While we all love a good deal, I recommend you skip the following:

Mattresses

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One thing I love about Pinterest is how it can be your own personal Internet time machine, unearthing forgotten gems from blogs you follow that you may have missed. I hadn’t seen this twinkle board DIY on Design*Sponge at the time, but it bubbled up again on some pin boards and won me over. (Also, how perfect that it is quite literally a “delight” spelled out in lights! It called out to me.)

It would be sweet over a headboard in a kids’ room, and it’s like a sophisticated Lite-Brite placed here over a couch. And since it essentially uses Christmas lights, I think it’d make a nice holiday decoration. It’s so customizable — you could swap in different colored lights, and of course, try spelling out another word or a name. “OMG” or “Ooh la la” might be my choices. Click through for the rest of the DIY instructions if you’re feeling inspired!

What word or name would you choose for this craft?

Many of you knew exactly what this week’s mystery object is: a hot plate. The Cooka electric cooking pad’s portability makes it a must-have in any small kitchen or for any camping trip. Maurizio Maiorana’s design includes three silver burner plates that are surrounded by tiny holes that emit a stream of hot air so no excess heat is lost during cooking. And when you’re done cooking, simply wipe it and fold it to stow away. Its simplicity makes cooking easy for even the most amateur of cooks – that’s probably why I’m so in love with it!

Check back next week to guess at a new item!

I find a lot of great things on Pinterest these days*, but you just can’t ignore the pleasure of kicking back with a glossy design magazine** and taking in all the goodies. For instance, I found Tony Duquette’s Magic Forest Lamp by Remains Lighting whilst browsing the new issue of Elle Decor and thank goodness for that, because what if I didn’t know that such kooky glam pieces still existed?

If it looks a little bit retro, that’s because it is. Duquette designed these torchiere-trees for MGM’s 1952 musical, Lovely to Look At. As soon as I saw it, I instinctively knew something so dramatic had to have some tie to Hollywood. Fair warning that this is not very affordable (it’s $5,325 — sigh), but how striking would this be in a dining room or even a bedroom? The soft glow of the bulbs, combined with the fanciful leaves and twinkling crystal balls is indeed lovely to look at.

*Please follow me on Pinterest. Pretty please?

**Speaking of magazines, have you subscribed to HGTV Magazine yet?

Chalkboard walls are all the rage, but I knew I wanted something different in our kitchen. And yet, I can’t fight the notion that a message wall is just so darn convenient when tracking schedules, making grocery lists, leaving welcome messages (or, as you’ll see in a few images, professing your never-ending love to your favorite TV network).

The giant before.

You may think this object transports extraterrestrials from one planet to another. However, it would be a great addition to any small home. What do you think it is? Here’s a hint: It’s flexibility makes it easily portable.

Give us your best guess, and we’ll reveal the answer tomorrow.

Did You Know: Today is Boy Scout Day. The Boy Scouts of America, or BSA, was founded on February 8, 1910 — that’s 102 years ago today. I was never a Girl Scout, but I did always like the movie Troop Beverly Hills and my beau was an Eagle Scout (la di da!), so I hold a certain fondness for these organizations. To celebrate, I’ve rounded up these retro chic Boy Scout-inspired finds.

Top row, left to right: Arrows, Boy Scout/Webelos/Cub Scout Vintage Book Set, Straw Target, Fire Kit Lamp.  Middle row, left to right: 1969 Boy Scout NATIONAL JAMBOREE IDAHO Souvenir Coffee Cup, Scout Soap Dish, Scout Soap Set, Camp Hinds Boy Scouts Coffee Mug. Bottom row, left to right: Boy Scout Vintage First Aid Tin Box, Colossus Axe, Vintage Coleman Gas Lantern, Scout Print Shower Curtain.

Retro scout stuff always seems to have a quaint, Norman Rockwell vibe to it that I like. And though these picks have a healthy dash of wholesome, the ruggedness of the designs makes them natural fits for boys’ rooms and bathrooms or even a cabin or lake house. Now, where’s my merit badge for design scouting?!