Friday Furnishings: A Whiff of Whimsy

As much as the DCGF love the clean lines of a minimalist, modern interior decor, no one needs to be all serious, all the time. Any apartment or house can use a touch of whimsy in the most unexpected places. And one not need spend too much money to achieve a look that will make guests stop and stare in amazement. Let's go!

For the entryway, there are coat hangers, then there are giant stainless steel dart-in-the wall coat hangers. I happen to prefer the latter. Having purchased a set of these myself (they come in threes), I can attest to their awesomeness.

With some simple installation, you have coat hooks that look like your game of darts got a little out of control. Every one does a double take when they realize what they're tossing their hat onto. They're available at ELSEWHERES for just $34. And if you live in D.C., you can pick up a package at RCKNDY on U Street for around that price. And mad props to anyone who buys multiple sets and paints a giant dart board on their wall!

For the bathroom, you could have one of those boring plastic tissue box covers, or you could embrace the subtle beauty of the Tiki Head Tissue Box Cover. Very, um, historical and whatnot.

It comes in a sort of greenish color with a faux-rock finish and black plastic base. I've had mine for about four years now and it still looks brand new. And at only $19.99 from target.com it's a completely affordable way to get overnight guests chuckling or to serve as a pick-me-upper when you have a cold.

This thing just makes me happy.

For the office, you could have the same black computer speakers as everyone else, or you could snag a set of 500XL GIANT Earbud Speakers from Fred Flare. At $60, they're not exactly cheap, but a little searching showed that you can get them from X-treme Geek for only $39.99. I totally want these for my cubicle at work.

As you can see, they're basically massively scaled replicas of iPod earbuds designed to plug into your computer, mp3 or CD player via a USB cable or AAA batteries. (Kudos to anyone who has the nerve to plug these into a CD player!) I have no idea if the sound quality is equal to the tiny version, but look is definitely whimsical.

What's so hilarious about these speakers, though, is that they're ironically spoofing a technology (the iPod) designed to revolutionize the way we listen to music by being so compact and portable. What's next, a giant, wall-mountable iTouch? Hmm...that's not a half-bad idea, come to think of it.

For the bedroom, you could go with those sheets you've had since high school, or you could upgrade to some super chic Eighties Eyes pillowcases from urbanoutfitters.com.

Don't you love the idea of somebody staring at your room the whole time you're gone? It's $28 for the set and they are available in select stores. I think they'd look really cool with purple sheets and comforter, to offset the green eyes.

Finally, I have to share with you one of my favorite whimsical products, dear readers, even though - from what I can tell - it's no longer available. Do I have one? Of course I do. It's the Push Pin Lamp and it's just about the coolest thing in my apartment.

And get this - it only costs $20.

Last I can tell, it was available online via Hot Gadget (that's the link above), although I picked mine up in white at Home Rule on 14th Street, NW. I wish they were available because they're so fun. You just push down on the top of the pin and the light comes on, the push again to turn the light off. And the bottom is actually cork. Awesome.

Well I hope these whimsical items inspire you this weekend and beyond, dear readers. Don't be afraid to have some fun!