The concept of nestling some tasty filling inside a few pieces of breads is nearly universal, present among cultures found all over the globe. So, to pay homage to those indigenous, unique portable edibles and the cultures that love them,Bon Appetit created this fun slideshow showcasing the iconic sandwiches from around the world. Many you've heard of before - the Cuban, the Panini, the Bahn Mi - but how about the open-faced Roti John from Malaysia and Singapore, or the french fry-laden Mitraillette from Belgium, or the Dutch Broodje Krocket - sandwich inside a sandwich: 

"For a sandwich to make the cut, it had to be either endemic to its homeland or strongly identified (panini, for instance, are everywhere, but they're clearly Italian), and had to be made with bread, sliced in some manner. Pockets were avoided where possible, but for some parts of the world, bread pockets are the main form of food folder, making some exceptions inevitable." The amount of carbs on carbs - potatoes, noodles, and the like stuffed into bread - is quite curious. Don't knock it til you've tried it, I guess.

The Iconic Sandwiches of the World, from Banh Mi to Zapiekanka [BADaily]

I have a new goal on my life list: visit every U.S. National Park. As of now...I've been to exactly: two. I don't really live near too many, and as a kid, my family tended to travel to the same few places every year. But, I'm legit serious about this one, and I'ma get started this year on my next vacation: a trip to all five National Parks in Utah in late summer/early fall 2013.    To keep track of my adventures, I'm seriously considering this National Parks checklist map print from ElloThere, a husband and wife team from Brooklyn. It's a playful, Futura-filled map of the U.S., with a happy little trees to mark the location of each park. When you visit the park, you can add a little sticker to each shape to mark your travels.

I especially like that there are a few options, from a quite affordable and frame-ready 11x17" archival print to a mounted canvas piece, ready to be hung, with stickers included. I'm sure by the time I actually complete it, it might look at little 2013-ish, but who cares? It'll provide plenty of motivation for the next few years.

National Parks Checklist Print - ElloThere on Etsy.com 

Several years ago, a fascinating, and perhaps compelling, post appeared on San Francisco's Craigslist titled, "Advice to Young Men from an Old Man."   Michael from A Continuous Lean saved the text, and recently published it on his site. 

I, too, offer it without comment, except to say - I don't agree with everything here, but it does make me think. A lot. It makes me think about the content, but also about the guy who sat down to write this. About how he thought Craigslist was the right place to publish it (if that was indeed its original appearance). About the nature of advice, about email forward-style philosophy, and about publishing anonymously. 

Check it out. I'd be curious to know how you react. 

Advice to Young Men from an Old Man[A Continuous Lean]

[top photo by Arby Reed, CC 2.0]

Last summer, I shared this cool photo from Sonoma winery Medlock Ames, which featured an old picnic table, into which a recess had been cut to accept a cooler to keep drinks cold. A great idea, but know what's even cooler? 

Building the table from scratch without a bunch of fancy woodworking tools, and incorporating the built-in cooler from the beginning.    Sarah and Alex were inspired by the same photo, and figured out a cool way to build a custom table from easy-to-find dimensional lumber from the home center, and nothing but a drill, a palm sander, and some specialty bits.

Total cost was around $200, which is less than a pre-made table most places - certainly one this big. I really like the farmhouse/breadboard style and choice of spruce, and appreciate the ability to cover the coolers when not necessary without losing much integrity to the table top.

See the full build process and learn how to make your own at Domesticated Engineer: DIY Patio Table with Built-In Beer/Wine Coolers  

I love spring as much as the next guy, but I'm trying to write this post without sneezing my brains out. Are you too popping antihistamines as we speak? Don't worry - I feel ya. Spring might be your friends' favorite season to stop and smell the roses, but for some of us, spring means a whole lotta pain. And tissues.

Well, today's your lucky day...except for that whole income tax thing. We've found a recipe for a tea mix that - as mentioned by Gardenista - it's the ultimate "miracle cure for spring allergies."

This miraculous tea promises to cast away any evil symptoms caused by pollen and any other spring-related allergens that may currently be harassing your nostrils. 

To make your own concoction you'll need: tea mix (Google Herbal shops in your area to find the best supplier), a tea pot, hot water, and a mug. Easy!

I'm not sure if you're a "I'll try anything" kinda guy, but if you aren't, just give it a go. Seriously. Worst-case scenario, you use the mix as compost and you go back to stuffing tissues up your nose.

Miracle Cure for Spring Allergies | Photograph by Erin Boyle

Attention, ManMakers! For your fun fact of the day: beards are good for you! A recent scientific study from the University of Southern Queensland says that beards are better for your skin, and can help prevent asthma and allergy attacks.

The World Observer reports,

A study from the University of Southern Queensland, published in the Radiation Protection Dosimetry journal, found that beards block 90 to 95 percent of UV rays, thereby slowing the aging process and reducing the risk of skin cancer. Got asthma? Pollens and dust simply get stuck in that lustrous facial hair. Additionally, all that hair retains moisture and protects against the wind, keeping you looking young and fresh-faced. What’s more, shaving is usually the cause of ingrown hairs and bacterial infections that lead to acne.

Of course, this hits upon a certain degree of obviousness. There's a reason men have beards in the first place, and nature isn't known to do things frivolously. But, this causes me to reconsider my beard-in-the-winter/clean-shaven-in-the-summer approach I've taken over the last few years, especially since I spend so much time outside in the warmer months. Cut back on skin-aging UV rays and prevent allergy attacks? Win-win for me. 

Beards Keep You Young, Healthy & Handsome, Says Science [The World Observer]

(Thanks, Capree!) 

The Konkret lamp by Danish designer Jonas Edvard has some serious potential to add that missing cool/Scandinavian factor to your space.

Made with simple, natural elements - gradient wood veneer and a leather handle - Konkret delivers perfect warm lighting that will surely make you feel like you're living in a top-notch Danish cabin.

If you'd like to try something similar, this project has lots of potential for a DIY effort. Wood veneer is very affordable and available at a variety of places, such as a local shop catering to woodworkers, or online. Leather scraps are pretty easy to come by at fabric and speciality shops, and you could create a light kit from lamp parts from the home center, or use the HEMMA cord set from IKEA.

Because the wood veneer is so thin, it can be cut with a craft knife. You could use variously sized brass rings from the craft store and use a cone template, or experiment with different shapes and armatures.

Konkret Lamp by Jonas Edvard [via iGnant]

Some anthropologists argue that just one dominant feature separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom: we use fire and heat to cook our food. Like salt, smoking has long been a means of preserving food, and over time, we've learned that it also tastes pretty awesome as well. Those flavors are why we're still willing to use the grill and light fires when we have access to electric heating elements: the taste just can't be matched.

Many drinks and spirits come with smoky qualities - lots of teas, coffee, beer, and whiskeys. But you can also smoke entire cocktails or mixed drinks to add a whole other level of flavor and complexity. As my friend Mike remarked after trying one of my smoked Old Fashioneds, "I don't know if I can ever drink a regular one again."   

The smokedown. So, here's the deal: to smoke a cocktail you don't start with smoky spirits or ingredients, but you actually mix the whole cocktail or one of its components with actual smoke. To make it happen, you just need some means of generating smoke; that is, something to light on fire. Fortunately, since the time is so short, you don't have to worry about whether you're hot smoking (which flavors and cooks the food, like barbecue) or cold smoking (which just adds flavor, such as bacon or smoked cheeses). Perhaps with extended exposure to heat, you could destroy some flavor properties of the drink, but here, it's for such a short period of time, nearly anything will work. Don't worry about the temperature, just the smoke.

Some ideas for generating smoke:

• Place a very small pile of wood chips or hardwood sawdust/shavings in a foil pan or packet and light. When they start to smoke, hold a mason jar over the pile, and capture the smoke, then put on the lid immediately.
• Use loose leaf black tea and a small sauce or cast iron pan
• Use a stove top smoking pan
• Use your gas or charcoal grill: add some wood chips to the heat, and capture the smoke in a sealed, heatproof container (tongs will help.)
• Use a cold-smoking gun: 

Yes, this is specialized tool, but it's amazing: The PolyScience Smoking Gun. I received one as a gift, and I've fallen in love with it. I use it all the time, and it's a great way to turn a simple weeknight meal constructed from what I can find in the fridge into something really special. It's basically an electric fan that blows the smoke created from a very small amount of wood shavings through a tube into whatever container you're using. I use it to smoke leafy greens, for cheeses, and on meats and proteins cooked indoors. If something happened to this one, I'd certainly miss it, and replace it immediately. At $100, it's not inexpensive, but for the ease and control, it's money very well spent. If you want, you could try to rig something up yourself. There are lots of "DIY cold smoke generators" projects out there on YouTube and Instructables, so give it a search. If you're interested in food crafts, you'll love having one around.

The process. Once you've figured out how to generate smoke, you need to mix it with your cocktail or ingredients. 

As an example, I'm smoking our classic Old Fashioned recipe, which you can find here. Since I'm making the effort, I like to mix and smoke two drinks at once: one for me, and one for a friend. (My wife loves these, too.) So, I begin by combining all liquid ingredients together - here, bourbon, bitters, and 2:1 simple syrup.

Next, pour the mix into some sort of airtight container with a lid. I'm using a flip top glass bottle, but a wide mouth mason jar or a glass food container with a tight seal would work well. These especially make sense if you're capturing smoke from a small pile of chips or your grill. Just collect the smoke and lid it, then immediately (and quickly) add the liquids and re-seal. 

If you're using a cold smoking system, light a very small amount of wood chips or sawdust. You're only smoking 4 oz of liquid here, so there's no need to waste fuel. You can buy wood chips at any place that sells grilling equipment or charcoal, like the home improvement center or even the grocery store. Whenever I can, I actually like to save my own from woodworking projects. The lathe turns out perfectly coarse sawdust that I can easily capture, and I know that the only thing that goes into there is 100% hardwood. (You wouldn't want to do this with softwood construction lumber like pine or fir, and certainly not wood that has been treated).

Whatever your method, you want to seal the liquids and the smoke inside the container. Then, just give it a few swirls to allow the smoke to flavor your drink:

There's no need to shake hard or for any extended period of time. Just mix it around in there for 10-15 seconds, and let the smoke work its magic.

When you're done, just pour the drink into some iced glasses, and garnish as usual, and stir to chill the drink. If you've only smoked one component of your drink or are serving it "up," you can build it with the other ingredients in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker, and prepare as usual. 

Cheers!

Each Wednesday, I post some of my favorite can't-miss links, images, and otherwise mindblowing goodies from across the web.

Remember Dippin' Dots? They're kinda fun, but also taste mostly icky. In which case, we introduce DIY Alcoholic Dippin' Dots: The Hangover from the Future.   Gizmodo breaks down the process in a video here. A novelty? Sure. But so are most frozen treats and plenty of cocktails in the first place. Embrace it. 

The Evolution of Video Game Controllers by Pop Chart Labs 

The New Yorker created this amazing interactive infographic on income inequality as seen through the New York City subway system 

Cocktail blog DoubleNeat created 10 new drinks inspired by Game of Thrones characters. I like that they're all pretty basic and made with common ingredients, and don't require a bunch of unlikely spirits and liqueurs you don't already have. 

This hyper-lapse Google Street video is one serious ride. Before you press play, make sure to put away any sharps objects near you (just in case you pass out).

In all seriousness, I would get rid of any distractions (dim the lights, close the door) and will turn up the volume to enjoy this experience to the max (kinda makes you feel like you're on a space simulator of sorts).

Created by Teehan+Lax as a project for their Labs (a small independent unit within their rad digital design agency), this video is packed with images that are both, trippy and beautiful. All in "60 frames per animation".

I would definitely avoid eating a heavy meal before the show, but if you already did, well, just have a brown paper bag handy.

The awesomeness of the grilled cheese sandwich is not only confirmed internationally, as nearly every culture that eats bread and cheese has a version in their tradition, but also scientifically. University of Wisconsin food science professor Scott Rankin says,   

"The chemistry that’s generated is going to induce our appetite. And from that you get this trifecta of flavoring — it’s so attractive from a sensory perspective. With the protein and then the starch, it produces some compounds that are very pleasing to us on multiple levels. We’re asking, “Why do roses smell good?” and the answer is, “We don’t know for sure.” But chemistry shows that when you take a grilled cheese, it makes sense that your appetite would respond to it."

Read more about Dr. Rankin's findings at Esquire, but then grab and egg and quickly head over to Buzzfeed, where they're sharing chef Daniel Humm's (of Eleven Madison Park) recipe for grilled ham and egg sandwich. It comes from Humm's  new book I ♥ NY, which features the chefs take on the basics and the classics.

Check it out: How a Genius Makes an Egg Sandwich 

I got married a few months ago, err...sorta. You can read the full story here, but the point is: my life has changed quite a bit since starting ManMade, and I'm steadily evolving into what - when I look back on it in a few years - will be remembers as the beginning of a new chapter. And in this new season, we're having some very serious discussions about going on an adventure and moving to a totally new city. I'm fortunate enough that I can work anywhere, and she's so smart and talented, I know she'll find meaningful work no matter where we aim. Of course, we have some different ideas of what aspects this new place should have, but most of our hopes are shared, and we're excited to talk about making a new home together in an environment that we really love, rather than one where inertia has placed us right now.

Of course, we're well aware that it can be pretty tough to make new friends as an adult. This New York Times pieces details why it can be so hard to make friends after thirty: "As external conditions change, it becomes tougher to meet the three conditions that sociologists since the 1950s have considered crucial to making close friends: proximity; repeated, unplanned interactions; and a setting that encourages people to let their guard down and confide in each other... This is why so many people meet their lifelong friends in college." 

Jeremy from The Art of Manliness takes these basic conditions - proximity, repeated interactions, and vulnerability - and provides some interesting suggestions. Some of it's a bit abstract, but it's a solid list of what to keep in mind if you're making a transition, or if you're in a new city and haven't built the community you desire quite yet. This stuff can be tough, especially if you're an introvert, so give a onceover.

How to Make Friends in a New City [The Art of Manliness]

Do you have any tips or success stories of creating community in a new setting? Let us know how it went in the comments below.

For any DIY enthusiast, the clearance bin at the DIY store is a regular stop. This project, the Oddstock Floored Wardrobe was designed and built to take advantage of that bin. Brazilian teak prefinished hardwood flooring was found on clearance for an irresistible price. The box had apparently been returned from a large flooring job.

To make use of all the boards, they were cut to short, mitered pieces and arranged in a chevron pattern. Metal tile flooring dividers were used to hide the board edges, trimming out the doors. A simple box deep enough to house clothes on hangers was placed on Queen Anne legs for a romantic look. After many searches for the right door handles, utilitarian garage door handles were chosen because of their large size and casual appearance. A coat hook and mirror were added to the inside of the door for accessories.

You can change the look to be more modern by using straight legs instead. Fill the bottom with shoes or boxes and add shelves if you like, or try other types of wood flooring and experiment with different patterns. This project comes from the excellent book DIY Furniture: A Step-by-Step Guide by Christopher Stuart. Thanks to Laurence King and Chronicle Books for sharing it with us. If you'd like to win a free copy of the book, check out the giveaway info at the bottom of the post! 

Materials and Tools

• Two sheets of 3/4" plywood x 48 x 96in. Here cabinet-grade birch is used.
• Sheet of 1/4" plywood  x 48 x 96in. Here cabinet-grade birch is used.
• Sheet of 1/2" MDF  x 48 x 96in
• Box of tongue-and-groove hardwood flooring (here Brazilian teak), 3/8 x 3 x at least 10in
• Metal clothes rail, 1 ¼ in diameter, at least 38 ½ in long (part L)
• Set of brass clothes rail holders, ¼ in diameter (part M)
• Four wooden Queen Anne style legs (part I), length 28in
• Four metal tile flooring dividers, 3/8 in profile x 1/16 in metal thickness x 75 in long (part J). (The profile hides the flooring edges. Match the profile height to your flooring thickness.)
• Two brass utility door handles, 6 ½ in long (part O)
• Four pairs of brass ball catches (part N)
• Screws 1/2–1 ¼ in long
• Small nails
• Four corner plates and mounting hardware for table legs (part K)
• Two brass piano hinges, 1 ½ in wide when open, 72 in long (part P)
• Wood glue and gel super glue with activator
• Screwdriver
• Drill
• Hacksaw
• Hammer
• Small nail gun or headless pin nailer
• Countersink bit
• Plug cutter

ManMade has two free copies of DIY Furniture: A Step-By-Step Guide to give away to two readers. Just leave a comment in this post below, saying hello or telling us about a project you'd like to tackle. We'll except comments through Monday, April 29th at 11:59 CST. 

Thanks!

There comes a time in every man's life when, offering a rum and coke to your guests simply doesn't cut it. You may be able to fake your bar knowledge with a few recipes from Google, but that can only last so long. Like a scout needs a map to wander the world , a true modern connoisseur needs some solid cocktail books to guide his journey.

This roundup will take your bar skills to a whole 'notha level. Let's get to it!

1: The Craft of the Cocktail. This crazy-acclaimed book has 500 of the best cocktail recipes of our time. It is written by one of the most prominent mixologists in America, Dale DeGroff (better known as the "King of Cocktails"). If you're looking to purchase one mighty guide, make it this one. It's the affordable Britannica of drinks (only $24, yes!), and as the cover says: "You'll be ready to host legendary cocktail parties" (hello adulthood).

2: A Gentleman's Guide to Cocktails.  "A definitive catalog of the most suave cocktails" - that pretty much sums it all up. Let's just say that if James Bond came to your house and saw this book - he'd be impressed. With a price tag of $15, this is yet another affordable guide that should not be missed. It contains 150 retro/cool hand-picked recipes by Alfred Tong (who, by the way, also wrote this great list of cocktail principles for Mr. Porter). Best of all, it covers the classics (Bloody Mary anyone?) which is the best way to get started on your new - more dapper- party attitude. If you're into the whole Mad Men vibe, this is your book.

3: Vintage Cocktails. I know what you're thinking "Pink sugar on the rim? K, peace" but don't be deceived! This book is seriously cool (and a babe magnet, no joke). It is the priciest choice in this roundup ($50 ish), but for one good reason (or two): it was named the Best Cocktail Book in the World by the Gourmand World Cookbooks Award and, the presentation and design in each recipe are pretty amazing (a must-have for photographers and foodies alike). It serves as the perfect guide to prepare vintage cocktails, but it also works great as a coffee table book. Win-win!

So, are you going for dapper and mod? Vintage and design-y? Or modern and timeless? Whatever you choose, make sure to call us over to test your new creations.

Salud!

Why anyone would pay for a bottle of vinegar and oil-based salad dressing is beyond me. Homemade vinaigrettes should be a staple in every kitchen, and they're super easy to make. It's simply a matter of memorizing one easy recipe, then adding and adjusting seasoning to fit any meal.

So, the anatomy of a vinaigrette... and some other nerdy facts that will leave you feeling like a true gourmand.

What's a vinaigrette?

Without getting too geeky, a vinaigrette is a temporary emulsion that's made out of oil, vinegar, and a seasoning (usually salt and pepper). Different from a true salad dressing, which has more ingredients and may be a permanent emulsion, like mayo, vinaigrettes are very easy to make and can be served with nearly any veggie on planet earth. They even work great as marinades for your summer BBQs (the acid in the vinaigrette tenderizes the meat and, the oil helps in the cooking process).

Since they only require three main ingredients, you can pretty much make any combination you can think of with any ingredient available in your kitchen cabinet.

Once you have the correct ratio of oil to vinegar, then you can go wild and creative.

What's the perfect vinaigrette ratio?

The perfect ratio is 3:1 - 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. That's your secret weapon. Once you've tried a few times, you'll be able to eye the ingredients without using any measuring tools, and you can whip these up in no time.

HOW TO MAKE A VINAIGRETTE:

Step 1: Measure 1 part of vinegar.

Step 2: Measure 3 parts of oil.

Step 3: Add seasoning.

Step 4: Shake it like a polaroid picture!

Step 5: Serve and enjoy.

Now that you know the basics, let's get adventurous and start mixing and matching different ingredients. Here are a few ideas to get your started:

OILS:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: the all-in-one choice. You can get a good quality EVOO for $37 over at Williams-Sonoma, or for less at your grocery store. TIP: Make sure the bottle is dark green - light bottles expose the oil to daylight, which could potentially change the flavor. (Fun fact:this bottle of EVOO costs $15,000 - holy shiza!)
• Avocado Oil: Rich in vitamins D, E and A - a tasty alternative to EVOO, available at most natural/organic grocers.
• Flaxseed Oil: Perfect for all of you Omega-3 fans. Make sure you always keep in the fridge and use it within 3 months of opening, otherwise it will go funky.
• Sesame Oil: A tasty asian twist. I wouldn't use the full oil ratio with this one, as it tends to be quite strong. I say you mix it with something like canola or EVOO to tame it down. 

VINEGARS:

• Balsamic: The go-to vinegar for a quick and easy vinaigrette. The real Balsamic can be quite costly (because it's aged for years and all that jazz). Nevertheless, there are tons of affordable, "Balsamic variations", with added flavors available at most markets.
• Apple Cider: Chosen by many for its health benefits - apple cider vinegar goes well with most everyday salads. Fun Fact: According to this article, "it's supposed to kill head lice, reverse aging, ease digestion, and wash toxins from the body". Intense, right?
• Champagne: if you want to get all fancy pants, go for this option. To be honest, it's worth the extra bucks - especially when you're using high quality ingredients (not for everyday use, but you should definitely have it in your pantry).

SEASONINGS:

This is my favorite part; you can have the same oil and vinegars, but by mixing them with different seasonings you can create a bunch of different recipes. You can even make your own artisan salts or you can use any herbs in your pantry. Here are a few ideas:

• Seasoning Salts: Same stuff you use for roasted potatoes! A total no-brainer, just sprinkle, mix, and go.
• Chipotle Rub: Yep. It's not only for BBQs. Add it to your mix for a spicy kick.
• Herbs: Thyme, Oregano, Basil, you name it. Mix your favorite herb (fresh of dry) with a pinch of salt and voila!

What did I tell you? Vinaigrettes are the easiest thing to make. I suggest you start by making small batches, then once you are a pro, bottle your own mix! This way you'll save time and money.

Got any recipes of your own? Share them in the comments!

The Human Printer is nothing like your average office machine. This one - as the name says it - consists of a group of artists that "prints" images in CMYK and B&W by hand!

Each hand-coloured image is unique and follows the same rules as mechanical printers, injecting colors in set layers. In a way, the artist becomes a living machine. There are two versions of this project:

• HP 1.1 which focuses on the printing process and techniques of a single hand-printed digital image.
• HP 1.2 looks at the mass production of several images, making note of the unique details found in each one of them.

If you visit their site and click on "the printers" you can actually see all the artists involved. They look like they mean business!

One great perk about this project is that you can actually order a print! How cool would it be to have one of those at home?

The Human Printer

Whether you make handmade goods to sell online, want to take great images of your creations to pitch to publishers and media, or just want to document your own creative life online, you simply can't get away with crummy photos anymore. In the age of visual-driven social bookmarking and publishing, artists and creatives must not only be comfortable with their own materials and media, but develop basic photography skills to capture their good work to share with the world.   With that in mind, Etsy created this helpful introduction to the craft of great product photography for beginners. Though targeted at Etsy sellers, this quick video has lots of great tips for using what you have - a camera, natural light, found backdrops - to create great photos of whatever you make. 

Learning how to take great photos is one of the most important things you can do to improve your Etsy shop. Since prospective customers can’t see or touch your item in person, photos communicate an item’s beauty and important qualities. Beautiful photos will also help your items to be featured both on and off of Etsy.

Luckily, taking great photos is a skill that you can learn! If you look at the early sold items of many sellers with wonderful pictures, you’ll see that they started just where you are now.

Check out the full post here, and watch the video below!  

Comedian Louis C.K. is known for his form-breaking television show, his inventive audience-to-artist direct payment release method, and for his consistent, tireless stage performances. One of the constant, overarching themes to his jokes is not mere observation, but a philosophical edict towards morality: he's trying to figure out what it takes to be a good person.   Writer Jake Woolf sums it up this way:

What defines [C.K.'s] genius is that all of his jokes are in pursuit of the mystery of "The Good Life", in a surprisingly similar vein as philosophers Socrates and Immanuel Kant. The only difference is that C.K. is way less of a dick about it by shamelessly owning up to being just that, a dick. He makes us examine our own morals... while simultaneous putting us in stitches. Clearly, it's infinitely better to be fed philosophical musings in this format...

Louie's latest hour special, Oh My God, explores the nuances and broad strokes of morality, but in the middle there's a lot men can learn in terms of being a good guy in general. 

Woolf applies C.K.'s jokes to the sorts of issues that modern guys face: learning from your elders, practicing gratitude, competition with your peers, etc. It's an interesting exercise, and while the beginning is a little gruff, there are some good gems towards the end. Worth checking out, certainly.

The Louis C.K. Guide to Being a Gentleman in 2013[Four Pins] 

How lucky are these kids? Their cool parents got them a great library space with a built-in slide...now they have no excuses to avoid doing their homework!

This multi-functional space, designed by Korean Architect Moon Hoon, is a family-fun oasis that acts as a home cinema, reading space, slide, staircase, and central of all things awesome. It's simple and smart, especially if you have a bunch of kids running around the house with nothing to do!

The rest of the house is as modern and functional as this multi-use space.

Uncluttered rooms, minimal aesthetics, and plenty of natural light are all part of the design. Even though there's lots of white space, it doesn't feel cold or empty - the ambiance is perfectly balanced by all the wood flooring and furniture.

As real estate in our cities becomes increasingly over-priced (and small), smart home design like this one, will definitely come in handy to help us make the most out of our square footage.

Panorama House by Moon Hoon [Via: Contemporist]

The ManMade approach to style and men's clothing has always been to invest in a few timeless pieces that work well for your look and personality. For some proof that it works, check out these awesome photos of actor and philanthropist Paul Newman. Though many of the images were shot during the 60s and 70s, they don't come across as vintage or retro. They just look amazing. The basic tenets of men's style has remained relatively unchanged for the last 100 years - take advantage of it.   

Check out the rest of the collection at Unabashedly Prep. There are lots of images with Newman with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. For some reason, he's one of the few people that actually look kinda cool when smoking instead of completely ridiculous, but don't forget - Paul died of lung cancer in 2008.

Icons of Style: Paul Newman [Unabashedly Prep]