A few options for the modern minimalist this Christmas.

Via

Via

Via

Check out this strange and interesting furniture by Fabien Cappello (via). It's made out of timber harvested from Christmas trees discarded on the streets of London. He even used the needles to make a compressed board material.

Michigan-based Ghostly International, widely known for its innovative and eclectic beats, has a kick-ass design store whose style is right up our alley.

For instance, check out this great 10-key calculator by IDEA International.

This card-sized speaker, also by IDEA, was recently name-checked by GQ and Slate.com. (Their minimal alarm clock is pretty nice, too)

Or how about a snazzy Vignelli wall calendar?

Happy Holidays!

1. 'Selfish' Giving: Does It Count If You Get In Return?

NPR has a thought-provoking piece that asks us to examine the ethics of why we give.

Is charity ever selfless, or do we always expect some kind of reward for our actions? And if we do expect a return on our investment, is it really charity?

2. Wind Turbine + LED's = Christmas Star

Artist Michael Pendry and Siemens teamed up to create this Christmas installation outside the city of Munich. It contains 9,000 LED lights and, when illuminated, uses only as much energy as a hairdryer.

Read More...

I couldn't resist sharing this panel:

TV trivia: Fort Awesome is the name of News Radio owner Jimmy James's mansion:
"a house just like Xanadu, but without a dorky name".

Design Less Better wishes you and your families a happy holiday today.