Here’s what the family handyman (or woman) really needs in the toolbox: Color choice. After all, if iMac computers, turtleneck sweaters and Volkswagen Beetles come in all the colors of a roll of Lifesavers, why not stud finders? The Zircon iSensor battery-powered stud finder can be had in red, purple, blue, amber, turquoise and green, as well as boring old safety yellow. It’s lightweight, easy to hold and easy to read, with a display that indicates the stud edge. Find it for $9.99 at Home Depot and select Ace Hardware storesand tuck one in someone’s stocking.
— Beth Botts
HOW TO BE LOVED FOREVER
Give your sweetie this gorgeous bed tray by British interior designer Kelly Hoppen. Made of walnut finished to resemble wenge wood, the 15-by-30-by-4-inch tray features the graceful lines and allusions to Asian culture seen in Hoppen’s interiors. It’s $185 (includes shipping and handling) from Turiya, a luxury home furnishings mail-order catalog; call 800-245-1044. And don’t forget to make breakfast.
— Elaine Matsushita
HAIL TO THE CHEF
We were first captivated by this TV because it takes up no counter space and little air space, swivels around for your viewing pleasure when you go from sink to stove to countertop, and flips up to virtually disappear when not in use. Pretty cool, eh? Then we learned that this is the TV’s secondary role. Turns out, Audiovox’s 5-inch color TV with 1-inch flat-panel screen was designed primarily to be a monitor; it works with a wireless remote videocamera (sold separately by Audiovox, 800-290-6650). Cameras can be placed in a baby’s room or at your front door. Still, we love it for its space-saving, old-fashioned entertainment capabilities. The white TV comes cable-ready and costs $399.95 at Hammacher Schlemmer, 445 N. Michigan Ave., 312-527-9100, or call 800-473-5881 or order on-line at www.hammacher.com.
— Elaine Matsushita
HERE’S TO GOOD HEALTH
Helen Chen, chief executive officer of Joyce Chen, maker of cookware for Asian cuisine, designed this cast-iron tetsubin teapot to herald not only the millennium, but also the Year of the Dragonwhich is what the year 2000 is under the Chinese calendar. The black 16-ounce teapot has a porcelain enamel finish on the inside to prevent rusting and comes with an infuser. It’s $79.99 at the Great Ace, 2647 N. Elston Ave., 773-342-0300.
— Elaine Matsushita
