I Call B.S.: $220 wooden box

Let me preface this by saying that I understand that part of the price of an expensive piece of well-designed furniture goes to pay for the maker’s expertise and creativity. This does not, however, explain why a plain, unfinished wooden box should be considered one of these items and cost $220 in a chichi home accessories store. And I don’t think it’s because I’m just too darn provincial to understand. I mean, I love some of Jasper Morrison’s other work, and I love Matter, one of the main retailers of this “objet”. But, come on, people. It's like broke-college-student improvisation repackaged with a designer price tag. I’m just not buying it. Would you?

[spotted via Remodelista]





To read another critique of gimmicky-concept-as-"good"-design, check out Dwell’s post on the the Maarten Baas wooden lawn chair.

And to see some possibly-overpriced items that we do think might be worth the splurge—completely subjectively, of course—check out this French fainting chair and this eco-friendly "chandelier."