Big news. To celebrate the launch of DwellStudio’s new table collection we’re giving away FIVE excellent prizes to FIVE of our most excellent readers. You’ve got FIVE days to enter (see a pattern here?) but you’ve got to be in it to win it. Prizes will be awarded at random.

The Goods (i.e. Things You Can Win)

Prize #1: Set of 4 Color Field placemats in Ink

Prize #2: Set of 4 Woodblock napkins in Ink

Prize #3: Mosaic Runner in Sun

Prize #4: Set of 4 Gate coasters & set of 4 Gate cocktail napkins, all in Java

Prize #5: Woodblock apron in Lake

How To Enter

Simply take a looksee a the new DwellStudio Table collection and tell us your favorite in the comments below! Couldn’t be easier.

Entries will be accepted up until midnight PST on Saturday, July 18th and the five winners will be chosen at random and announced on Monday the 20th. Have fun and good luck.

N.B. Winners will be chosen at random and contacted via email (read: make sure we can contact you at the email address provided.) Prizes will be awarded randomly so unfortunately we cannot accomodate preferences…but doesn’t that make it more fun anyway?

Check out all of the inspiring submissions to the GOOD magazine “Design a Livable Street” Contest. Here are two of the many wonderful candidates:

By Chris Malloy:

BEFORE

AFTER

By Shaun Smakal:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Go check out the rest of the entries here.

All images courtesy of GOOD magazine. Winners will be announced on May 18th.

Athens GA has always been a cool town – not only the birthplace of great bands, but also a place where visual arts and architecture are celebrated. For example, right now they are in the middle of You, Me, and the Bus phase II. After phase one, four artist-designed bus shelters were constructed around town. The competition for the eight additional shelters is wrapping up as I write this. This is a perfect combination of public art form applied to an everyday function. Such shelters are usually banal and uninspired.

Has your town had its version of the Cincinnati pigs, the Chicago cows, the Outer Banks dolphins, what have you? I’m hard-pressed to find a city that hasn’t had some version of that project. Isn’t this shelter project a much better and original use of public art funds? What types of public art do you have in your neck of the woods? Would these shelters make you a little more likely to want to take the bus?

photo one by Trevor Frey for Athens Online

photo two by John W. English for the AJC

Yesterday I received this email from Dwell magazine and thought I’d share it with you all:

Dwell is pleased to announce an exciting new product “re”design contest and competition.

Innovate it!
Sponsored by the all-new Volkswagen CC
Phase I – Feb 11-March 31, 2009

From toothbrushes to towel racks to transit vehicles, we often live with inefficiency, inconvenience, and downright discomfort simply because we accept dated and subpar designs as a part of the daily grind. It’s time to put your foot down.

Our Spring 2009 design contest and competition is set up in two phases. First, simply send in suggestions for everyday objects that you think need a rework. Either they don’t function well, are poorly designed or just downright useless for the task they were designed to perform. Dwell editors will select the items for redesign. Then the competition phase launches where you are invited to submit design proposals for recreating one (or all) of the three most tragically troublesome objects. You may participate in one or both phases of this contest and there is no limit to the number of entries.

Phase I: Submit Your Product
Feb 11-March 31, 2009

Dwell editors will vet the submissions and choose the three best (or worst!) products for redesign. The people who entered the winning submissions will receive credit on the Dwell.com blog and a free ticket to Dwell on Design Los Angeles, June 26-28, 2009.

Submit your ideas today!
http://www.dwell.com/services/contests/innovate_it.html

Good Luck.
The Dwell Team

The time has come to announce our randomly selected book winners! Lisa Alrick and “bluebird” will each receive copies of A Year of Mornings

and To Each His Home…

Congrats to the winners and thanks to all of you who commented. It is always fascinating to hear what components stand out in making your home “you.”

Lisa and bluebird, please e-mail ali [ @ ] designpublic [ . ] com with your address information and I’ll get the books out to you asap.