He might be in his 70s and still shifting a number of his design classics, but Eero Aarnio is still producing interesting and eye-catching items for your home – including the recently-launched Swan Lamp.
No prizes for guessing where the name came from – those swan-like curves made from a moulded plastic body that ‘scatters light’ around the room, the light coming from an energy-saving compact fluorescent bulb.
Take your pick from white, yellow and black, all available for 239 Euros each.
From tomorrow (July 4th), you can pick up two vintage arcade classics for your Nintendo DS – Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid DS.
Both are released by Taito and updated for the modern era. Space Invaders Extreme claims to combine the essence of the original game with ‘a stunning alliance of futuristic graphic design and cutting-edge audio’, as well as offering multiplayer challenges via Wi-Fi connection. Arkanoid DS offers 80s-style block-busting action over 140 levels, again offering multiplayer action over Wi-Fi.
You can find out more about Space Invaders Extreme here and Arkanoid DS here. Official pricing is around £19.99.
Smoking isn’t as socially acceptable as it once was, but there are other uses for matches – and when you find one, you’ll be glad you had these French Allumettes to hand.
Take your pick from eight vintage French boxes, dating from between 1910 and 1950, each containing 100 long matches, with a sleeve that should catch the eye and inspire a few modern-day designers.
Each box costs £1.50.
Find out more at the Colloco website
Not everyone can afford an Artichoke light fitting, but you can get the look on a budget with the Ikea Knappa pendant light.
Obviously taking inspiration from the Poul Henningsen classic, this Brylle/Jacobsen-designed fitting consists of polypropylene plastic leaves that combine to offer ‘soft mood light’ for your living room.
Complete with cabling (but not ceiling hook – as always with Ikea), you can pick it up for just £12.99.
Find out more at the Ikea website
Perfect for lovers of board games – or indeed anyone who wants something interesting to stick over their heads when the rain comes – are these Monopoly-themed umbrellas from Brollies of London.
Two available – a mini umbrella with three-section folding frame, taffeta fabric and carbon-plated frame or the Deluxe Walker, which has the same fabric and frame, but also offers an overall span of 49 inches and branded wooden handle.
The design is in keeping with the original game, but if you were more of a Cluedo player, don’t despair – they make those too. No news of a price, you’ll have to drop them a line.
Another pair of heritage trainers hits the market – the New Balance M420 Vintage trainers.
Originally launched back in 1980, the M420 Vintage have been relaunched straight from the archive – with features taken from a pair of originals sat in the shoe museum in Boston – for better or worse.
Sold in a navy and blue colourway, they also come with a custom-built box and shoe bag. Yours for £49.
