Categories / Homeware

Recycled Newspaper Magazine Rack

41hrvu6epl__sx280_sh35_sx280_sh35_2A storage rack made from the very things it stores? That is idea behind this Recycled Newspaper Magazine Rack from none other than Marks and Spencer.

Part of their growing Greener Living range, the magazine rack has been fashioned from recycled newspapers. It is predominantly black and white, but with the occasional hint of colour. It costs £19.50 and is part of a collection of storage items that includes boxes and a waste paper bin that has similarly been made from waste papers!

View the whole range online at the Marks and Spencer website.

Categories / Design and Interiors, Homeware

Sebastian Wrong’s Font Clocks

FontclockSebastian Wrong’s range of Font Clocks celebrate the joys of that specialised field of design, typography.

The clock uses twelve different fonts within the mechanism to provide a random mix on display. Eleven of the fonts are twentieth century design, with one 18th century English script thrown in for good measure. Once during the annual time cycle, all of the fonts will run together for 5 minutes.

So these clocks look good and have an interesting design feature, but there is a downside which inevitably is the price. The smallest clock in the range costs £195 and for that price you just get the time. Just over £550 and £800 will buy you a larger clock that includes the date as well as the time.

The full range can be bought from Thorsten Van Elten.

Categories / Women's Fashion

Debbi Little Parachute Silk Dress

ParachutedressStill looking for a show-stopping dress for the party season ahead? They don’t come much more impressive than this Parachute Silk Dress designed by Debbi Little.

Using parachute silk from the 1950s, each dress is unique with the exact style being dictated by the nature of the material. They can be made to order in several colours.  As well as the striking design, these dresses have the benefit of being environmentally friendly too!

The dress costs £240 which isn’t really such a bad price for something individual. They can be ordered from Equa Clothing which specialises in organic and fairtrade clothes.

Categories / Kids, Toys and Games

Mountain Railway

Train_2In the days before video games, every boy wanted a train set for Christmas. And whilst some replica steam engines may fail to excite, this Mountain Railway still has a charm that is sure to appeal to some children as well as anyone who hasn’t grown out of toy trains.

Produced by Czech company Kovap, it is made from traditional tin and has a wind up operation. Track complete with alpine scenery is supplied.

It is available to buy from Luxeville priced just under £50.

Categories / Christmas

Upside Down House Retro Christmas Cards

0c15_1With Christmas only a few weeks away, there isn’t much time left to post Christmas cards, especially if you are sending any overseas. If you still haven’t bought yours yet, you may be interested in these Retro Christmas Cards from The Upside Down House.

There are four designs available, each with a kitsch 1950’s style to them. They cost £1.95 each or £5.95 for a pack with all four designs. Pictured here is my favourite, Santa on a Scooter.

View the whole range online at The Upside Down House.

Categories / Homeware

Flannel Hot Water Bottle Covers

FlannelhottieBritish-born designer Allison Jones moved herself and her business Lark to Australia last year but her range of accessories is still very much inspired by life in the UK. Her range of Vintage Flannel Hot Water Bottle Covers, for example, I don’t think will find so many takers down under, but here in December, they look like a very good idea.

Made from a choice of vintage and retro fabrics, including Fifties Snowflake and Vintage Roses, they fit a standard sized hot water bottle. They cost £15 each and ship anywhere worldwide for £3.95.

The last order date for delivery before Christmas is 7th December so visit the Lark website to order yours.