When I stay with loved ones, I like to hide little presents for them to find after my departure. Some they'll find as soon as they open the fridge, and some might remain hidden for weeks. Either way, they'll know I'm thinking of them, and looking forward to our next visit. I'm sorely tempted to install a HingeHead on the sly sometime, if I can find the perfect one for the perfect host …
HingeHeads were featured last week on Design*Sponge, and I love the point Grace Bonney makes about how "they're the sorts of wacky details that appear in older New York homes". As someone who grew up in a very old house, in a city full of very old buildings (Chicago), my new-ish, very bland apartment building makes me long for quirky old details. And wood, and metal. These little handmade metal finials are exactly the sort of thing that I would expect to find in my parents' 120-year old house.
I love hiding presents, for Valentine's Day or any day, so what's exciting about the HingeHeads is that since they're tiny and attach to door hinges magnetically, you could easily & secretly install one in a friend's home. They might notice it right away, or it might take months! And they might instantly know it was from you, or they might wonder if it's been there all along. Now, tiny pewter swans are not everybody's cup of tea, but this is where knowing your friend comes in handy. There are people who would be thrilled to find a teeny fleur-de-lis in their home, and there are people who definitely would not, so you have to know which type of person your friend is. I have a host in mind who I think would appreciate stumbling upon one of these, but I can't find animal I'm looking for, at least not yet…
Would you be excited to find a little present hidden on your door's hardware? Or just a bottle of Champagne in the fridge, please?!
Image: HingeHeads, via Design*Sponge
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this is awesome. i had no idea hinge heads even existed. thanks for the post.
I would love to be left one (or more) of these little house candies as I call mini accessories for the home :) Adorable. Thank you for the post.
i absolutely love them! just bought my 1st house. will def get a few once i move in. and what a delightful gift they make.
I thought you had to take the pin out to use these but on the site they are magnetic so they are totally removable! I ordered two, one for my best friend and one for me and I'm definitly hiding it in her bedroom next weekend!
What a cute idea is this!!
oooh I want! but my apartment is what I can only call a "chronic rental" with about 100 coats of paint of the walls AND HARDWARE.
Do you think they would stick?
Oh wow! I have never heard of these before! I'd be thrilled to find one in my house. Thanks for the great story.
Ohhhh!!! This is so awesome!!
This very weekend I'm invited to a friend's house... It's the perfect excuse to leave small tokens of love and care, that he'll find in due time.
I just absolutely love this idea.... I'm not the talkie or romantic type, so this works perfectly for me.
My house is so 1980's builder grade, these would really take it up a notch!
Very cool! I thought you had to take out the hinge pin at first too, hooray for magnets!
@apocalipstick_now
Just see if a regular magnet sticks first, I guess?
Kai here, one of the hingeheads :)
Looks like our door charms are getting a lot of web love these days. Glad to hear you enjoy them.
@apocalipstick_now most hinges are magnetic, but there are some pure brass hinges that are not magnetic. Use a small magnet to find out if the door/hinge you have in mind has magnetic hinges.
The good news is that almost every building/apartment has some hinges that will work.
I've been tagging hinges for quite a while. I often leave HingeHeads in my local Yoga studio. Sometimes they last for a long time, and sometimes they disappear right away.
Either way, I would like to think they bring delight to whoever finds them. It's one of the spots in a home you never look at.
These are awesome!
But a minimum order of $40 for international shipping is unfortunately a bit too much for me, especially with anything above $16 being subject to a toll. I'll have to be content with dreaming about them... That doesn't make them any less awesome, however. :)
Super adorable! I just bought the bear to put on my bedroom door! I will definitely be buying more for friends! These would be perfect during the holidays as a secret hostess gift :)
tttooo cute!
http://statementpiece.blogspot.com/
@sofie, sorry about the minimum order size for overseas orders. But look at it this way... we can either have people just pay the extra shipping, or ask them to order a few extra and not bother with extra shipping costs. In the later case you pay roughly the same money amount but get more in return. It's a better deal for you.
Cute but what I really love is leaving little gifts behind for your host! I'm totally doing this for my mil and sil when we visit them in a few weeks. Thanks for the idea.
the most unnecessary impulse buy ever... i had to have two!