A strong contender for my 2010 diary has to be the Russian Diary by Redstone. I
t features illustrations from children’s books from the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 1930s. Children’s books flourished in this era as it was one area that artists and writers could work without censor, making it a fascinating period in design.
The 160 page spiral bound diary costs £14.95 and can be bought directly from Redstone.
As bathroom décor often tends towards aquatic themes, a Yellow Submarine Shower Curtain isn’t an entirely surprising idea.
The curtain has been designed by Dutch designer Jan Habraken rather than using illustrations from the Beatles film, but the design is similar enough for the reference to be obvious. The submarine along with some psychedelic flowers are drawn in white outline against the yellow shower curtain. Perhaps a design featuring an Octopus' Garden will follow?
Priced £14.99, it is available to buy from England at Home.
I’m not sure what period was the inspiration for this Vintage Style Rolling Side Table, but it still has an undeniably old-fashioned look to it.
A sturdy black steel frame is combined with a slated wood table top, which has been given a weathered finish to add to the vintage feel. The table is on wheels and has a practical lower shelf. It could be used in a variety of settings.
It costs $158 from Urban Outfitters, although it is sadly only available for delivery within mainland USA.
If you are looking for an interesting design book for your coffee table or as a gift for someone design conscious, then rather than wading through the hundreds of options on Amazon, the selection of Vintage Books available to buy on the Paul Smith website could be a good option,
The collection includes some interesting publications covering design, photography, fashion and culture, many of which are not readily available elsewhere. The current stock includes “Ron Traeger – New Angles”, the book about the Sixties photographer published to coincide with the 1999 V&A exhibition (£70), a vintage copy from 1981 of “Knoll Design” (£250) and “The Velvet Years 1965-67 Warhol’s Factory” a book of photographs by Stephen Shore (£55).
Browse the whole collection online at Paul Smith.
Yellow Owl Workshop is a San Francisco based design outfit that makes delightful prints, cards and ceramics. The item that particularly catch my eye was this set of Analog Postcards.
Each of the four postcards features a different piece of equipment from the pre-digital days, namely a film camera, typewriter, cassette type and dial telephone. All of the image are screen printed by hand in black on white recycled card and are presented in a matchbook style cover with a pencil. The cards cost $10 per set with international shipping available for a further $9.50.
Visit the Yellow Owl Workshop to buy.
If you were tempted by the Noguchi Dining Table highlighted earlier in the week, then you should also consider the Noguchi Rocking Stools, which are the obvious choice of accompanying seating.
Like the table, the stool was designed in 1954 and has the same chrome wire base, but its other distinguishing feature is the cambered base that allows the stool to rock gently. The stool is available in a choice of heights and in a choice of walnut or maple finished.
The low stools (250mm high) cost £507 and the high stools (425mm high) cost an extra £10 from Nest.
