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2011 Year in Review: WTF

Every now and then, products, rooms and installations catch our eye, and we find ourselves thinking, “WTF?” We’ve rounded up eleven of our favorite “What were they thinking?” items for an end-of-year WTF extravaganza.

Ghost Urns
Yes, these are what they seem: ghoulish ghost-shaped urns for ashes — actual ashes. Designed by Anna Marinenko, they’re fitted with a glass test tube compartment for the ashes, and the interior walls are done in pretty pastel hues. Definitely for those with a morbid (healthy?) sense of humor.

Hair Clip On Hair
Created by Stockholm-based studio Humans Since 1982, this simple hair clip offers a slice of life, that is, the part of a woman’s face still visible while wearing a niqab veil. Definitely off-putting when viewed from behind.

Spermatozoi Collection by Dea Luce
Dea Luce looks at elements in nature with a new perspective. We’re guessing this table lamp will be a conversation starter once guests clue in to what the form represents.

What Did You Say?
Hear ring, designed by Gina Hsu for Chi ha paura…? offers whimsy for an all too common problem. There, that’s better.

Pirate Ship Bedroom by Kuhl Design Build
Minneapolis area firm Kuhl Design Build came up with this one of a kind pirate bedroom for a 6-year-old. The theme was chosen after considering spaceship, race car, and castle concepts. Ahoy mateys!

Hoods by Elizabeth Moran
RISD senior Elizabeth Moran used polystyrene to fashion these hoods, which seem to be blowing in the breeze.

Ostrich Nap Pillow
This absolutely odd Ostrich pillow, created by Kawamura-Ganjavian, is perfect for napping just about anywhere. Imagine the possibilities on a plane, in your office, or outside in the park.

Bacon Ipsum
Sick of Lorem Ipsum? Give the Bacon Ipsum generator a try!

Phalanstery Module
Derived from the idea that all surfaces — including ceilings and walls — can be used functionally, this hamster wheel of a structure, designed by Bureau Spectacular / Jimenez Lai, rotates ninety-degrees, once per hour.

All You Can Get by Ryan Yoon for Virgine Magazine
Photographer Ryan Yoon used everyday objects, including Tide laundry detergent containers, teddy bears, and Diet Coke cans, to create high-fashion photographs for the premiere issue of Virgine Magazine.

Fly Wing Flapper

Fly Wing Flapper
The Fly Wing Flapper by Dutch industrial designer Ramon Middelkoop is a the prettiest plastic fly swatter we’ve seen (the design echoes the natural pattern of the annoying insects’ wings), though its gaps seem slightly too wide to actually capture the little buggers.

Marni Elyse Katz is a Contributing Editor at Design Milk. She lives in Boston where she contributes regularly to local publications and writes her own interior design blog, StyleCarrot.