House Industries objects are thoroughly modern while exuding a savvy familiarity with history and they are brought to you by the talented cross-disciplinary team that mans this esteemed Delaware-based type foundry. As their off-the-beaten path postal address suggests, the 13-person staff tends to keep off the beaten path when it comes to design convention, as well. They work the old-fashioned way—with pen and paper—and then integrate the results into digital media. From Eames blocks to slab blocks and Casa puppets to pillows, these products are full of humor: the Koi sculpture, for instance, was “raised” in local waters of the Grand River on “aniline dyes, varnish, reclaimed wood, pickle juice, bandsaw chatter and heat from a drum sander.” They made their Neutraface Slab Blocks because, they insist, “children need to understand the important nuances that define fine alphabets long before they learn how to spell cat, dog, mom, dad...” And we think you should think so too.