Category: Design and Interiors

A space age chair suitably named after a futuristic city – the Zanotta Brasilia lounge chair.

The looks are pure 1970s (think Space 1999 or UFO), but the design is actually fairly modern, the work of Ross Lovegrove in 2003. It’s moulded in hard polyurethane and finished with embossed scratch-resistant paint, the choice of which is up to you (although white and orange keep that retro vibe strong).

The only downside if this award-winning chair is the price tag of £1,773 – and that doesn’t include the footstool.

Find out more at the Nest website

We have featured the Quasar range of inflatable furniture previously – but we’ve just discovered this newly-added Quasar Relax recliner, which is worthy of a mention in its own right.

For the uninitiated, the Quasar range is something of a 60s classic, the work of Quasar Khanh and a hit in the swinging decade amongst the counter-culture crowd. The new versions are light and strong – small strips of strengthening material give it support against the biggest of weights, maintaining the shape and solidity.

The clear recliner is good for both indoors and outdoors and has a metal ring-supported headrest, good posture support and in case of any accidents, a repair kit (as well as a pump). You can pick one up for £142.

Find out more at the Made In Design website

There’s nothing wrong with acting like a big kid – and with these Crayon Pens, it just got a whole lot easier.

Yes, designed and shaped like the Crayola crayons you used to use (and eat) as a child, these are actually ballpoint pens – just twist the top to reveal the nib. Sadly, they don’t all write in the same coloured ink as the body (blue ink only) but they do add a touch of retro-styled novelty to your desk.

Available now, you can pick one up for £5.99.

Find out more at the IWOOT website

His last book was a must-buy for any budding collector of West German ceramics and now Mark Hill is looking at glass – Czech glass to be precise.

Hi Sklo Lo Sklo coincides with a Norfolk-based exhibition of Czech glass. If you can’t make it there, the book offers you pretty much everything you need to know about this seriously undervalued area, offering up a background to the industry, identifying key designs and indeed the manufacturers to look out for, including the Sklo Union group, Exbor, Borské Sklo, Harrachov, Skrdlovice, Moser and Zelezny Brod.

It also looks at the designers responsible for these mid-century gems (including Emanuel and Jan Beranek, Josef Hospodka, Vladimir Jelinek, Rudolf Jurnikl, Milan Metelak, Josef Svarc, Jirí Suhajek, Frantisek Vizner, Karel Wunsch, Vladimir Zahour and Frantisek Zemek) and highlights 200 classic pieces in full colour. A must-have for any fan of vintage glass, you can buy a copy directly from the author online for £20.

Find out more at the Sklo website