Mailboxes
Dear Dwell,
I've searched all over for an interesting mailbox—something other than a large-mouthed bass with a fin for a flag. Are there any modern mailboxes out there?
The dearth of modern mailboxes perplexed us until we read 39 CFR Part III: Standards Governing the Design of Curbside Mailboxes, which states that a postal worker may return mail sent to incompliant receptacies. Here are a few modern options that will likely please you and keep your post person from "going postal."
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TK 01
Our lament at the lack of beautiful wood mailboxes was heard all the way in Seattle, where fledgling design firm Barbanc answered our call, nearly overnight. The handcrafted TK 01 is available in teak, cedar, and ipe, creating a variety of tones, weights, and of course, prices. A key lock is optional.- Made by: Barbanc
- Price: $835
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SLV Galvanized Rural Mailbox
You might ask why we included a design that hasn't changed since it was standardized in 1915. A) It looks not unlike a Quonset hut. B) It's included in Phaidon Design Classics. C) The price. Take your pick.- Made by: The Solar Group
- Price: $6.69
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Urban Letterbox
"Have a shuftie" at New Zealand's take on a standard box. Although it has the ever-urban lock option, we can just as easily see this in a cul-de-sac of Usonian-style homes. It has an industrial shape, but the nine color options allow for a more personalized look.- Made by: Heartlands Outdoor Living
- Price: $145
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Cadrona Letterbox
As the Kiwis say, we were "dead chuffed" to showcase such a beaut. New Zealand's Heartlands Outdoor Living is, as far as we can tell, the only company to have created a whole line of modern styles. This flip-top design thinks outside the mailbox and provides a half dome to house your newspaper.- Made by: Heartlands Outdoor Living
- Price: $110
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No. 10 Letterbox
Form following function need not be formulaic. When HouseArt recently acquired Mark Naden's No. 10 from Pure Design, we rejoiced not only in its reissue, but also in the new color options like chartreuse, bougainvillea pink, and Miami mango. The die-cut shapes mimic the bar code of processed No. 10 envelopes, allowing you to see if mail is waiting.- Made by: HouseArt
- Price: $180
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