Silverball: Re-Purposed Vintage Pinball Machines As Furniture And Home Decor

Furniture maker Michael Maxwell of Virginia is the man behind Silverball, a company which re-purposes vintage pinball machines as coffee tables, side tables, bars, consoles, wall mirrors and more. Using the back glasses and playing fields from old pinball machines, and combining them with his woodworking and crafting skills, he creates one of a kind collectibles.



above: Michael Thomas Maxwell of Silverball and the M.T. Maxwell Furniture Company

His website does not do the products justice. Poor design and tiny pictures, some of which are blurry make it hard to see the work and finished products - but I will do my best because they are really cool.

Coffee Tables:
His unique Pinball Coffee Tables typically measure 22"W x 44"L x 16"H and can be framed in cherry, walnut, oak or maple. Maple and oak can be dyed to match playfield colors, if desired. Legs are stainless steel. The playfields are restored to original condition before they become one of our tables. Glass is typically not included to avoid breakage in shipping. Everything flat packs in a box.




Bar Cabinets:
The Backglasses are used for Bar Cabinets, made from the vintage head and backglass. Each includes a drawer that opens and closes, and rings a bell. They measure 60"H x 20"D x 28"W and come with stainless legs. These must be crated for shipping.






End Table:


Superman Bar Cart:


Wall Mounted Martini Bar Cabinet:


Churchill Downs Console Table:



After a decade of designing and hand-crafting award-winning furniture in New York, Philadelphia and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Michael has come full circle by returning, together with a skilled team of artists and craftsmen, to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Coney Island Mirror:



Wall Mirrors:




In the tradition of his great, great grandfather, Michael Thomas Maxwell also founded M.T. Maxwell Furniture Company, in Bedford, Virginia. The company was formed with a commitment to creating high-quality, affordable furniture that will endure for generations.

Silverball also sells vintage pinball machine parts as well as custom furniture.



Pinball Martini Bar, Coney Island Mirror and Churchill Downs Console are all available through Custom Made

images courtesy of silverball, additional images courtesy of Pinball Clicks and custom made

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Arek coffee tables, custom furniture, fun furniture, furniture design, hand crafted wood furniture, handcrafted wood furniture, unusual furniture, vintage, wall mirrors, woodworking

Beautiful Handmade Slingshots From Split Fork Tree Branches by Adam Gray

Certain toys never go out of style, but instead simply get more stylish. This is what Adam Gray has done with the ol' classic slingshot. Adam, who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and presently works at Bicycle Bolts, has become a new millenial favorite with his Hella Slingshots.



Handcrafting different slingshots from forked tree branches in San Francisco and carefully airbrushing them with acrylic paint, he has raised the classic toy to a level of functional art.



From higher-end versions made from polished woods to sporty colorful versions and even adorable folk-art animal versions, each is outfitted with a leather appointed projectile using natural latex tubing.





Featured on Fab.com and with Wired magazine choosing them as one of the best 20 gifts under $50, they are becoming a hip gift for adults and kids alike.


above: Hella Slingshots featured in Wired magazine

While I'm not encouraging people to knock out squirrels or worse, an eye, these can serve as the ultimate CEO desk accoutrement as well as a great stocking stuffer for the child (or juvenile adult) who wants to aim at inanimate objects.

Ammo (shown below) is available in felt, wood, iron, or eco-friendly seedbombs.



The Slingshots vary in price from $15 to $41 on his site and here on Scout Mob.


individual images courtesy of Adam Gray and Hella Slingshots, composite images by If t's Hip, It's Here.

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Arek handcrafted wood furniture, luxury toys, sports, toys, wood, woodworking

A Look At The Pitt Pollaro Collection. Contemporary Furniture Designed by Brad Pitt, Built by Frank Pollaro.

Given his passion for architecture and design, it was only a matter of time before actor/hunk/celebhubby and family man Brad Pitt began a product line of his own. Introducing Pitt Pollaro: a collection of hand crafted pieces designed by Brad Pitt and built by Frank Pollaro. The Pitt-Pollaro collection made its world premiere in November 2012 in New York City, after four years in development. Featured in Architectural Digest, news of the upcoming collection spread like wildfire.


above: Frank Pollaro and Brad Pitt of Pitt-Pollaro

Below are the current pieces in the collection. They will be adding new pieces as they become available on their website as well as at private exhibitions.











Each Pitt-Pollaro piece of furniture is made in limited edition and is signed and numbered. The piece bears the mark of the makers and their signatures, along with the edition number guaranteeing that the piece is original. The mark may be branded into the wood, stamped into the metal, or fixed as a bronze plate.



Every piece is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity which outlines all details associated with the piece including year of original design, year of creation, materials, and edition number. In some cases the editions may be limited to a specific set of materials and colors. Some pieces are unique because of the rarity of the materials.

From their website:
"In 2008, Brad Pitt commissioned a custom desk from Pollaro Custom Furniture. Frank Pollaro personally delivered the desk to Brad’s chateau in the south of France. During the installation, Brad and Frank found that they had a common passion for furniture and fine details. They discussed design history and their appreciation of materials, old and new. Most importantly, they shared a commitment to perfection.

During their discussion, Frank noticed a design sketch book on a nearby table. Intrigued by the hundreds of sketches that Brad had created over a ten-year period, Frank encouraged Brad to allow Pollaro to transform his drawings into three-dimensions. Brad enthusiastically agreed to move forward. In reviewing the sketches, they selected what would become the initial pieces of the Pitt-Pollaro collection. In Pollaro’s design department, the furniture was engineered, and the sketches were translated into shop drawings and photorealistic renderings. Brad visited Pollaro’s shop frequently to review the design engineering process, make revisions, and select materials from Pollaro’s museum of rare materials.

Over a four-year development period, driven by their common vision of unequalled quality, Brad and Frank created the Pitt-Pollaro collection. Designed by Pitt, built by Pollaro. They dedicated hundreds of hours to meetings where Brad’s vision of design was balanced with Pollaro’s legendary craftsmanship. Prototypes were created, revised and recreated until Brad was satisfied with every detail of the design, and Pollaro was confident of the comfort and integrity of each piece.

Every piece in the Pitt-Pollaro collection is hand crafted. All are limited editions and are numbered and signed by both Pitt & Pollaro. Since all of these pieces are custom made, the client may have input as to the materials and finishes that fit their decorative taste and complement the remaining furniture in the room. As you peruse these 21st Century designs, notice the fluid lines, pleasing proportions, and unequalled material selection."

Pitt Pollaro

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Arek bathtub, celebrity, furniture, hand crafted wood furniture, handcrafted wood furniture, modern furniture, modern furniture collections, modern furniture design, tables

Handcrafted Nintendo NES Controller Coffee Tables - And They Actually Work!

There was such a positive response to the wooden coffee table that was shaped like a cassette, I simply had to share with you these two different versions of Nintendo NES Controller Coffee Tables by Charles Lushear of Venice, California's Bohemian Workbench.

The tables, which can actually function as your game controller, come in two versions. A beautiful handcrafted version in maple, mahogany and walnut with dovetail joinery and mid century modern legs ($3700):






And it's available in a less expensive painted wood version ($1300):





The made to order tables can fully function as a Nintendo NES controller and can be used to play games with the glass removed. The cord is retractable from underneath. They are also available as non-functioning coffee tables.

Dimensions: 42" length x 18.25" width x 18" height


images and video courtesy of Charles Lushear
Buy them from their etsy store.

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Arek artist designed nintendo wii, coffee tables, handcrafted wood furniture, modern furniture, modern wood furniture, retro art