Cool home gadgets and stuff

Maybe I don't get out enough, or maybe it's the altitude, but when I'm in an airplane and I pick up Sky Mall magazine, I get excited about home gadgets and stuff. Here's a taste, clockwise from above left:

Pet chair — Where I live, the other human on the premises (a.k.a. my husband) doesn't like the idea of the dog on the furniture. But if my dog had his own chair, well, now, that would be different. This chair has a hardwood frame and microfiber upholstery with cushion covers that remove for machine washing. Chair is 19 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 21 inches high. $169

Hardwood privacy screens — What appeals to me about these are the aluminum stakes that anchor them into the ground, which means you can move them at will. No posts set into concrete necessary. These could add a sense of boundary to a patio area, or shield the views of trash cans or other not-so-pretty sights. And if you find a better use, just move them. They are 44 inches high and 22 inches wide, and come in a set of four. $199.99

Peel-and-stick crown molding — Let me apologize right now to the great finish carpenters I know. This is an abomination! Yet it's a compelling idea. The website says, "When it's 8 feet above your head, who can tell if it's wood or not?" So I'm thinking the shorter you are, the better it looks. The kit includes 16 pre-mitered, 6-foot, 3 inch-long plastic molding pieces with self-adhesive backs and four outside corners, or enough for a room 16 feet, 10 inches square. Not for textured walls. $69.99

Brick hangers — These spring steel brick hangers allow you to hang almost anything on brick, up to 25 pounds, without drilling or hammering, and no damage to the brick or mortar. Teeth grip standard brick 2 1/8 inches to 2 1/2 inches tall, and 1/8-inch minimum mortar recess needed. Pack of four hangers in zinc or antique brass. $9.99

Pet crate end table — I'm not one to crate animals, but plenty of people I respect do so. And it doesn't have to be a big plastic contraption in the corner. This slat side end table is wood and wood composites with a chestnut finish, protective floor pads, floor tray, and a pivoting block that keeps pet confined. Crate is 22 inches wide, 36 deep and 27 1/4 inches tall. $229

Palm-frond fan blades — These create, the website states, a more uniform air flow throughout the room and evenly distribute air from the ends of the blades, rather than directly down, so there's no downdraft. Use them to distribute cooled or warmed air. To install, slide each frond onto an existing fan blade and tighten the thumbscrews. Made of wipe-clean resin. You get five blades, each 15 inches wide, 23 inches long, for fan blades up to 6 inches wide, in natural, burl, oak, ivory or sand. Set of five. $139