Category: Design and Interiors

Categories / Art and Photography, Design and Interiors

Jim Flora hand-printed calendars

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Flora_calendars

We're very find of Jim Flora's midcentury artwork, so one of these Jim Flora hand-printed calendars is almost certain to be on the Retro To Go wall in January 2010.

The official Jim Flora website is offering the calendars in three designs (Swingin' Sax, Boogie-Beat Drummer and Stardust Moon), all originally dating from the mid-1950s.

The calendars, which feature 12 pull-off pages were hand-printed by Yee-Haw Industrial Letterpress, of Knoxville, and are packaged in clear sleeves, selling for $12.50 (+ shipping) each. If you like the images, but don't need a calendar, the artwork is also available on notecards and as matted letterpress prints.

Find out more at the Jim Flora website

Categories / Design and Interiors

15 per cent off everything at Heals

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Wales

We often feature Heals on this site, not least because it offers up design classics and new items with retro twist (like the Slice chest and side table by Wales & Wales pictured above for example). If the prices are usually a little rich for your blood, now is a good time to buy – as there's 15 per cent off everything as part of a Christmas shopping promotion.

When we say 'everything', we mean  Christmas gifts, furniture, lighting and home accessories, which pretty much is everything. All you have to do is buy whatever you want online, then at the online checkout, enter the promotion code PD1411. the discount will then be subtracted from your total.

You'll have to be quick though – it only runs until the 22nd November 2009.

Heals website

Categories / Design and Interiors

Verner Panton VP5 FlowerPot garden lamp

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Verner_garden

No sooner had we recovered from the oversized FlowerPot lamp than we discover that there's now an outdoor version of the 60s classic – the Verner Panton VP5 FlowerPot garden lamp.

Yes a version of the '68 classic for the great outdoors, standing around 120cm tall and with that famous FlowerPor shade at the end of a long metallic stem.

Take your pick from several colours for the shade, all retailing for around 412 Euros.

Find out more at the Scandinavian Design Center website

Categories / Design and Interiors, Homeware

Vintage stamps wallpaper by Catherine Hammerton

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Stamps wallpaper

Here's something to appeal to any hidden philatelists: a vintage stamps wallpaper. The wallpaper, made by Catherine Hammerton, is printed with images of vintage stamps from around the world. 

Receiving letters is an increasing rarity and this design is a reminder of just how appealing old stamps can be. The muted colours of the photographic print makes for an attractive pattern, whether or not you choose to study the stamps in detail. The paper will set you back quite a bit more than the price of a first class stamp however with a 10 metre roll costing £179. 

Buy it from the Hidden Art Shop

Categories / Books, Design and Interiors

Redstone’s Russian Diary

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Diary_2010_Shop_large

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.

Categories / Books, Design and Interiors

New Retro: Classic Graphics, Today’s Design book

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New retro

As the title of New Retro: Classic Graphics, Today's Designs would suggest, this new book shows how contemporary graphics are inspired by classic twentieth century designs. Written by Brenda Demody and Teresa Breathnach, one of its main selling points is a time line of influential figures, movements and pieces of design from the last century. The authors put this in the context of today and include a portfolio of retro-inspired designs that have been produced in recent years. 

Although the book seems mainly aimed at designers and students there's still lots of lovely illustrations for the general reader to drool over. And at £16.07 on Amazon for 240 pages, it seems like a pretty risk free purchase. 

Buy it online