We know they come in a few shapes and sizes, but rarely do we stop to look at (let alone think to start collecting) the myriad unique covers that accompany our favorite hot morning beverages.

Louise Harpman works in the realms of architecture and urban design, and has developed a taste for this unsung type of everyday object. She has gathered over 500 different examples to date, constituting the world’s largest collection of its kind.

Kept in museum-worthy conditions, these covers represent different things to different people — they are symbols of capitalism and modern to-go culture. They also highlight a design evolution that has been anything but linear. Why, for instance, after all these years, have we not settled on a single solution?

There are simple ones with a hole for drinking, but there are variants with covers too, including one that pushes down into the cup to prevent splashing (shown above). And some of the complex ones make one wonder: why do they have all these little mountains and valleys? Sometimes it’s structural, but sometimes it’s just expressive.

Harpman has a larger point to make as well, about the design of everyday things. Showcasing her collection is a way to encourage people to look more closely at objects we pick up and throw away without a second thought. So before you buy and discard your next pumpkin-spice latte, take a moment to appreciate the lid sitting discreetly between you and your drink.

Its shape inspired by goats, the creatures that helped humans discovered coffee, this modern-day drinking horn is curved to make drinking easier and capped to let you take your java on the road.

Designed by desnahemisfera in cooperation with Equa, the Goat Story drinking device comes equipped with a leather holder to act as a heat barrier while walking or a stand while sitting.

The travel-ready cup also comes with a short and long leather carrying strap, which can also be combined to form an even longer version.

From its creators: “As easy as 1-2-3, your GOAT STORY coffee mug will be able to stand on your office desk and it will be at a hand´s reach all the time. Just take the handle off, turn it around, place the mug in it. Voila! The ergonomic shape will help you drink your coffee. Have we mentioned that it won’t fall over?”

“It comes with a cross body strap, which lets you carry your business case in one hand while replying e-mails on your phone, in between sips. Also, you can use the shorter strap to attach it to your bag or carry it around your wrist and keep your hands free.”

A 400-year-old ceramics studio in Japan has completely remodeled their store with a most remarkable addition: a walkable surface constructed from a stack of tens of thousands of scrapped pieces of crockery.

Yusuke Seki (photos by Takumi Ota) collected plates, saucers, bowls and cups for this creative endeavor, all to create a display platform for Maruhiro Ceramics in Hasami, Nagasaki.

To facilitate a more intimate experience, a pair of stairs is placed by the display platform, allowing visitors to walk up and peruse wares, all while enjoying a sense of wonder from the layers of history right beneath their feet.

Traditionally, flawed ceramics are simply thrown into dedicated landfills, while this rethought application brings pieces of history back up to the surface.

Since the discards are eliminated before the coloring and glazing process, there is an aesthetic consistency to the materials reused in this creative context.

Individually fragile, the tableware was turned into modular bricks by being filled with concrete, but their individual shapes and sizes still made this a daunting endeavor to actually deploy. Still, the result is compelling and interactive – not so much of a crackpot idea after all, as it turns out.

A hot black cuppa bean-infused water was only the beginning, but beyond Espressos, Americanos, Cappuccinos, Latte art and creative coffee mugs lies a world of stimulating design ideas for the caffeine-dedicated aficionado. Some are a bit green yet and perhaps worth roasting a while longer, but others are already rich with promise.

Wall-Mounted Coffee Maker with Integrated Cup

Not enough space on your kitchen counter? No worries: Song Ah Lee is developing a wall-mounted coffee maker for one (custom cup included) that blends into the background but remains handy for refills.

Handspresso Portable Car-Ready Espresso Machine

No time to wait around while your morning roasts warms up? Consider brewing coffee right on your commute, instead, with Handspresso, sold as the world’s first car-worthy espresso machine – just stick to using it at stop signs and lights, please.

Coffee-Warming Stir Stick Keeps Beverages Hot

All of these are well and good for getting your caffeinated brew going in the morning, but what happens when the heat starts to dissipate? An obvious but elegant solution when you cannot refresh is to rewarm, with something like this mobile reheating stick by Hyewon Lee.

Lockable Coffee Cup to Keep Coworker Hands Off

Now you have made your coffee, kept it hot, and are at the office … where suddenly you cannot find your workday mug. Clearly you forgot to pick up the Lock Mug with a hole specially keyed so that only you can use it!

Dissolving Coffee Stick Makes Instant Even Easier

State fairs are known for putting just about anything on a stick, but coffee sounds a bit far-fetched … at first. Heo Jeong Im took up the challenge, though, and combined instant coffee packets with stir spoons to invent what he has dubbed the Cappuccino Coffee Stick. As you stir to mix your brew, the mass of coffee crystals dissolves, leaving only your stirrer behind.

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Brewed Fresh 10 Hot Coffee Centric Designs Prototypes

The ultimate goal of most sports championships may be to win, but the symbolism of victory is just as important, especially as time goes by and the Big Game fades into history. These 10 sports championship trophies are indeed historically significant, in many cases being far older than the teams that compete for them.

America’s Cup – Yachting

(images via: Sailing Team USA, 2space and Sailing.org)

Arguably the oldest current championship trophy, the America’s Cup is a silver ewer crafted by Great Britain’s Garrard & Co. in 1848. Originally named the “R.Y.S. £100 Cup” (RYS standing for Royal Yacht Squadron), the cup was first awarded on August 22, 1851 to the owners of the schooner America after its victory in the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 1851 Annual Regatta around the Isle of Wight.

(images via: XS Racing and Ecaptain)

Following America’s victory, the trophy was renamed the America’s Cup and was held at the New York Yacht Club for the next 132 years as NYYC-sponsored yachts successfully defeated every challenge. Finally in 1983, the yacht Australia II, owned by the Royal Perth Yacht Club, ended the longest winning streak in professional sports history. Affectionately known as “the Auld Mug”, the original silver ewer has been modified several times by having its base extended to accommodate the names of race winners.

Stanley Cup – NHL Ice Hockey

(images via: FacilityBlog, The North End Zone and Syracuse.com)

The Stanley Cup is awarded to the National Hockey League’s playoff champions at the climax of each season. The original trophy was donated in 1892 by Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada, to the country’s top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. As such, the NHL’s most prestigious trophy predates by several decades the establishment of the NHL itself.

(image via: Deadspin)

The Stanley Cup has been modified many times over the past century due to the requirement that the names of the players, coaches and staff from each year’s champions be engraved. The current version of the silver and nickel-alloy trophy is 35.25 inches (89.54 cm) tall and weighs 34.5 lbs. or 15.5 kilograms. It’s also waterproof… luckily.

Claret Jug – PGA Golf

(images via: About.com/Golf, Sports Poster Decorations and Sportsblink)

The Claret Jug, formally known as The Golf Champion Trophy, dates from 1872 and is awarded to the winner of each year’s British Open, one of professional golf’s four major annual tournaments. The winner’s name is engraved on the original silver trophy immediately before presentation, and the winner is allowed to keep the trophy for a full year – it must be returned before the next year’s British Open begins, upon which the previous year’s winner is presented with an engraved replica.

(image via: Sportsnet.ca)

The original Claret Jug is housed in a glass display cabinet in the clubhouse of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews since 1928. The silver claret jug is inscribed ‘The Golf Champion Trophy’, and was made by Mackay Cunningham & Company of Edinburgh, Scotland for a mere £30. The trophy replaced the previous award, the Champion’s Belt, which was a red leather belt with a silver buckle. Good thing too, if you’ve ever tried drinking champagne out of a belt!

Vince Lombardi Trophy – NFL Football

(images via: LIFE, NorthJersey.com and PeopleQuiz)

The Vince Lombardi Trophy has been awarded to the winner of pro football’s Super Bowl since January 15, 1967, when the NFL’s Green Bay Packers defeated the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 35-10. The trophy received its current name in 1970 as a tribute to Lombardi following his tragic death from cancer. Unlike other professional sports trophies like the Stanley Cup, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is crafted each year and presented to the Super Bowl winning team, after which it is theirs to keep in perpetuity.

(image via: LIFE)

The Vince Lombardi Trophy carries significant intrinsic value as it is made by Tiffany & Co. entirely from sterling silver. The trophy is 22 inches (56 cm) tall, weighs 7 pounds (3.2 kg), and is made over a period of approximately four months requiring 72 man-hours of labor. At today’s current precious metal prices, the trophy is valued at upwards of $50,000.

Commissioner’s Trophy – Major League Baseball

(images via: Sportsmemorabilia.com and New York Daily News)

Ask the average sports fan what the Commissioner’s Trophy is and often as not your reply will be a blank stare. Show them a photo, however, and “the World Series Trophy” registers immediately. The trophy, which is awarded annually to the victors of Major League Baseball’s World Series, is presented by the Commissioner of Baseball (currently Bud Selig) and is the only one of the four major North American sports championship trophies not to be named after an actual person.

(image via: Boston.com)

The Commissioner’s Trophy, like pro football’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, is made by Tiffany & Co. and has an estimated value of $15,000. It has been awarded 42 times since the St. Louis Cardinals won the World series in 1967 and again, like the Vince Lombardi Trophy, is made from scratch each year as the winners get to keep the one they’re awarded with.

Grey Cup – CFL Football

(images via: LIFE, Bonesville and Lone Pine Publishing)

The Grey Cup is awarded to the winners of the annual Grey Cup Game, the penultimate game in every Canadian Football League season. First awarded in 1909, the Grey Cup has grown from a silver loving cup to a much taller trophy decorated with engraved plates bearing the winning team’s name and those players who suited up for the championship game. As these plates will be completely filled in 2012, the Grey Cup will need to be enlarged or redesigned for the 2013 CFL season.

(image via: CBC)

The Grey Cup is reused from year to year and must be returned by the winning team each year. Over its nearly century long history, the Grey Cup has endured more than a few breakages. One notorious example occurred in 1987 when a player from the Edmonton Eskimos sat on it during post-game celebrations. In 1969, the Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28 to 9 to win the Grey Cup, which was subsequently stolen and held for ransom. The CFL refused to pay and an anonymous tip led to police recovering the Grey Cup from a hotel locker.

Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy – NBA Basketball

(images via: Associated Content, Chicago Breaking News, NBA.com and Hoopedia)

The Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, named for late NBA commissioner Larry O’Brien in 1984, has been awarded to the winner’s of the National Basketball Association’s championship game since 1977. The trophy may be young in years but already certain traditions have sprung up around it, including it’s appearance in the annual NBA champions’ celebratory parade. The trophy’s 9-inch wide upper portion is meant to resemble a basketball and is hollow with a hinged lid. Winning teams often fill the trophy with dip and enjoy “dunking” tortilla chips during post-victory celebrations. No telling if any double-dipping controversies have arisen.

(image via: Adam Fagen)

Tiffany & Co. creates a new Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy every year from 14.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil overlaid with 24 karat gold. The trophy is currently valued at $13,500… now that’s Dorito-dipping in style! The 22-inch (55 cm) tall trophy is the permanent property of the winning team and the Los Angeles Lakers have the largest collection so far: eight!

FIFA World Cup Trophy – Soccer/Futball

(images via: Trophies Trophy News, Unprofessional Foul and Solar Navigator)

The FIFA World Cup Trophy was first introduced in 1974 and is awarded to the victors of soccer’s quadrennial World Cup match. The trophy stands 14.4 inches (36.5 cm) tall and is made of 11 lbs. (5 kg) of 18 carat gold. First awarded in 1974 to World Cup hosts and champions West Germany, the World Cup Trophy features the names of the winning teams on its underside, and after 2038 all the available space will be filled.

(image via: Monsters and Critics)

The World Cup Trophy replaces the Jules Rimet Trophy, which was won by Brazil in 1970: as it was their third time winning the World Cup, Brazil also won the right to keep the trophy. New rules instituted by FIFA state that the solid gold World Cup Trophy cannot be won outright – winners are presented with a gold-plated replica instead.

Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy – Tennis

(images via: Corned Beef Hash, Way 2 Health ‘n Beauty and Wimbledon Open Tennis)

The most prestigious trophy in professional tennis is the Gentlemen’s Singles champion’s trophy, an 18.5 inch (47 cm) tall and 7.5 inch (19 cm) wide gilt silver cup awarded at Wimbledon each year. Though Women’s and Doubles champions are also awarded trophies, the Gentlemen’s Singles champion’s trophy takes precedence having been awarded since 1887.

(image via: Corned Beef Hash)

The Gentlemen’s Singles champion’s trophy has remained unchanged and unmodified since 1887 and winners spend mere moments with their prize following its presentation – after which the cup is returned to its secured display case at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Don’t feel too bad for the champs, though, current price money for the Gentlemen’s Singles winner is £850,000 plus (since 1949) they receive a miniature (8.5 inches high) replica of the trophy. American Pete Sampras has 7 of them in his own personal secured display cabinet.

Borg-Warner Trophy

(images via: ViperClub Forums and CBS Sports)

Perhaps the largest trophy in pro sports is the Borg-Warner Trophy, on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum in Speedway, Indiana. The trophy symbolizes victory in the Indianapolis 500 automobile race first held in 1911. The trophy itself was first presented at a celebratory dinner in 1936 and exudes Art Deco elegance and style. It stands 5 feet, 4 inches (162.5 cm) tall and weighs 153 pounds (45 kg). Commissioned at a cost of $10,000 – big money in the depths of the Great Depression – the Borg-Warner Trophy is estimated today to have a value of more than $1.3 million.

(image via: Auto Racing One)

The Borg-Warner Trophy’s unusual design features the embossed faces of each Indianapolis 500 winner rendered in a checkerboard pattern. Since 1988, Indy 500 winners have received a downsized replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy that stands 18 inches (46 cm) tall. The current trophy replaces the 24 inch (61 cm) tall replica that was mounted on a walnut plaque.

(image via: The Donovan)

If you’re wondering about the trophy above… don’t ask, don’t tell! Just kidding, it’s the 3rd place trophy awarded at the Army National Guard’s annual Combatives Tournament. Said by some to be the worst-designed trophy EVAR, at least it gives competitors a little extra incentive to win 2nd or 1st place – not that there’s anything wrong with that.