Category: Design and Interiors

Remember the Ikea Frosta? It was a budget-priced stool 'influenced' by the classic Alvar Aalto Stool 60. And available for just £10. Well, now the same company has done something similar for the outdoors – the Ikea Blanko outdoor stool.

It has that same Aalto look, but this time it's designed for the outdoors and made of steel rather than wood, a polyester powder coating protecting it from the elements. Aside from that, the Blanko has plastic 'feet', a hole in the centre for draining off rainwater and is designed to stack and stand steady at all times – even on a lawn.

Choose from black or white, priced at £6.99. Yes, you did read that right.

Find out more at the Ikea website

Art deco doesn't have to mean dusty old antiques, you can get a modern take on the theme with this Armani Casa Baloon armchair.

It's almost like a cartoon version of the art deco theme – big and bold, with the chair sat on a black nickel-plated iron base, which supports those oversized bielastic fabric curves in beige or dark brown.

It doesn't come cheap though – around £4,100 for either colour option.

Find out more at the Armani Casa website

Via Switched On Set

Is it too early to start classifying the 1990s as retro? Possibly yes. However the messages contained in these Nineties Britain Souvenir Badge Pack manage to say something in these cash strapped times and will probably resonate with Retro To Go readers who have never given up on jumble sales.

The badges are some of the work of Mark Pawson, who is a badge maker extraordinaire and has hundreds of designs up for sale on his website. This set costs £3. Not quite 50p but sadly those days have long gone…

See them online at the website