There are a lot of objects out there, and occasionally they stump even us.

This, for instance, is a Kuro Cube. We aren’t sure how it works, but it’s supposed to sit ominously in your refrigerator and soak up odors. Occasionally, you put it out in the sun to recharge and get rid of the accumulated apple smells, but it pretty much just sits there being monolithic.

The word “object” has never been more appropriate. It has no moving parts, and you don’t use it to do anything. It just sits there and scares the hell out of your maid.

And there’s nothing pretty about baking soda.

Precision has always been a popular look among the design crowd, so it was only a matter of time before scientific glassware caught on…

This beaker-style tumbler is from the ruckl’s Engineering Collection (via acquire), and the numbers etched on the side aren’t just for show. Those are the exact measurements and specs of the item itself, which should come in handy when you get around to making that bespoke coaster.

At the very least, your mixology will get a lot more precise.

Some might say that a $1900 beanbag chair is out of step with the times, but not necessarily…

We’d guess right now there are a lot of bankers that want nothing more than an enormous pillow to collapse on.

Dressers haven’t changed much in the past few decades, which may explain why most prefer antiques to newer designs…but there’s something to be said for the occasional new idea. Even if we have to ship it in from Britain.

This floating cabinet lets each drawer hover a few inches in the air, giving them a sense of weightlessness. Of course, it means each one needs its own slideable lid, but it’s a small price to pay for progress.

And it should fit perfectly into that empty circle near the closet…

Maison Martin Margiela has specialized in snow-white minimalism for a couple decades now, but they just now applied the idea to home décor. As you might guess, the result is every bit as weirdly playful as what we’re used to seeing on the runway.

The first collection of home goods just debuted at the Salon del Mobile in Milan (via My Fashion Life) with items like wine bottle lamps, wallpaper, carpeting and bookshelves, all in MMM’s trademark white. Our personal favorites were the paneled doors, mostly for the sheer cheek involved in applying high fashion principles to one of the least glamorous items in the house.

The collection should hit stores and showrooms in 2010.

See the doors up close»

People throw around the phrase “design revolution” so often, it’s easy to forget what it actually means: Every object you own, no matter how uninspiring, is going to be recast into a more round and brightly colored form. Get ready, because it’s happening.

These fire extinguishers (via NotCot) come from France’s Fire Design studio, which churns out 99 EU models in checkerboard silver, Holstein spots and pixilated pink and purple, among others. They’re all tested and certified for use…but we hate to think what the Fire Department will make of them.

Building a better band-aid may be a lost cause at this point, but the packaging can always use a little sprucing up. And a better name…

Help Remedies makes two minor but crucial improvements over the drugstore brands. First, they change the color from a sickly beige to a medically pristine white. Then, they wrap the whole thing in a tastefully embossed pocket-size package, in case you pick up any nicks on the go.

As popular as skate culture has been in the past 20 years, for one reason or another its influence has yet to reach the interior design world. But the nesting skater is finally getting his due, thanks to this clock, now available through its very own Paypal-fueled webshop.

It’s a ragtag outfit, make no mistake, but we’re actually a little charmed by this one. It might be the hub-and-spoke design, or the junk-shop vibe of the skate wheels, but we’d actually be pretty pleased to have this on our wall. Especially now that we’re open and have to be places on time…

Between the Kindle, the iPad, and Going Rogue, the book’s been having a pretty rough year. But even if you’re not much for lugging the things around with you, we recommend keeping your collection around for one very simple reason: the bookshelf.

Allow us to explain»