This ashtray belongs to Arne Jacobsen’s Cylinda Line, a group of products based on a simple cylindrical form rumoured to have been drawn on the back of napkin.
Created in 1967, it is still in production for Stelton over 40 years later and whilst smoking has since fallen out of fashion, this ashtray still looks pretty good. Its revolving function allows you to hide unsightly ash from view. It is made from matt polished stainless steel.
It is available to buy from TwentyTwentyOne for £39.
The Real Good Folding Chair by Blu Dot reminded me of Noguchi’s Prismatic Table which had similarly been inspired by the art of paper folding.
The Real Good Chair is provided flat, and you then have to fold along the laser-cut lines to construct your own chair.
It costs $99 (approximately £50) and is available in grey/ivory, red, black or aqua/blue from Velocity Art and Design.
Desk Sets these days barely go beyond a plastic pen holder, but in the past things were done so much more elegantly. Netherlands based, Design For Delight, have a small stock of vintage Rustioni Desk Sets.
Dating from the 1940s to the 1970s, the desk sets comprise of between 10 and 14 items each, including pen holder, paper knife, ashtray and wastepaper basket. The materials vary with the period and include snake leather, black slate stone and walnut.
They don’t come cheaply – the sets all cost 325 Euros. Visit Design For Delight to view the whole range.
Enzo Mari designed the “In Attesa” Wastebasket for Italian manufacturer Danese Milano in 1971 and since then it has become a recognised design classic.
Its name means “in waiting” as the basket is leaning to one side, waiting for paper and rubbish to be thrown into it. Made from polypropylene, the In Attesa is available in either glossy white or glossy black.
It available to buy from SCP priced £24.99.
With plain black upholstery, the Horizon Armchair isn’t really that interesting, just another leather club-style chair. But opt for the two-tone coverings and suddenly it is transformed into a very retro piece of furniture.
It is pictured here in a Seventies style combination of orange and brown, but it could work well in black and white too.
It costs just under £1,150 from Home Temptations.
Droog Design specialise in reusing materials in a new way and involving the user in the product to create something unique. This ethos is especially apparent in the Droog Rag Chair, which is made using 15 bags of unwanted rags.
No two designs are the same but to make it even more interesting, your own old clothes can be incorporated into the chair. So rather than throw out something that is no longer wearable, you can recycle it into your furniture!
The Droog Rag Chair costs 3199 Euros (approximately £2,500), which if you wanted to be cynical, you could say is a lot of money for a pile of rags. However, if you look at it as a bespoke piece of furniture, the price seems more reasonable. Visit the Droog Design website to order.
