Remember that vaulting horse you had to clear on numerous occasions at school? Well, you can get one for your living room – the Pig Bench.
Ok, it’s not quite the same, it’s a lot lower for a start (even the dog or cat could clear it) and has much firmer padding, which means it can be used as a bench, footstool or a coffee table.
The legs are oiled oak, while the upholstery is suede leather. If you want one, it retails for £895.
Find out more at the Benchmark website
Via Switched On Set
A shining example of modernist style, the Louis Poulsen PH lamp is back, this time with a new finish.
That new finish is with a black chrome-plate for both the table and pendant version. Everything else is the same – the three shades are made from mouth-blown opal glass, polished on the outside and matt on the inside, just as they were when introduced in 1926 by Poul Henningsen
The table version is 472mm high and retails for £369, while the pendant is sized at 242mm and sells for £335.
The cat to the right is not made from Lego, but is an example of the Pantonaef Modular Toys from the 1970s.
Verner Panton created the Pantonaef series for the Swiss company Nael in 1975. Comprising of just three types of pieces, they can be clamped together in various ways to create a limitless range of shapes. Instructions were available for creating abstract forms and animal shapes.
Not to doubt their entertainment value, but you wouldn’t want to give a child the Pantaef Modular Toys to play with as they are rather rare these days. 20th Century Marks currently has four sets available to buy that have already been put together in the shapes of a rabbit, cat, camel or cow. They do not give a price (which is always a warning sign) but they are likely to be expensive for what is now a very much a collectors item.
Visit 20th Century Marks for further information.
Two new variations on a classic from Anglepoise – the Type 1227 and Type 1228 table lamps.
The Type 1227 is an update by Kenneth Grange, featuring a new shade shape, classic square base and a black colour scheme. The Type 1228 goes for a silver frame and green shade (intended to mimic an old banker’s light), along with a rounded base.
The 1227 sells for £106.38, with the 1228 selling for £127.23.
There are plenty of budget white shades available at the moment have been obviously influenced by this classic, the Turbo Lamp Shade.
Designed by Louis Weisdorf in 1965, it was re-issued in 2005 in its two original sizes, Turbo36 and Turbo62 (the number referring to the shade’s diameter in centimetres). The Turbo consists of twelve identical segments of aluminium, sprayed white, that follow the curve of a globe.
Designer Lights have both sizes available to buy, starting at just under £500 for the smaller one. This probably puts it out of most people’s budget but at least if you do settle for a high street copy, you’ll know where the inspiration came from!
Anyone with an interest in post-war British furniture will want to check out The G-Plan Revolution: 1952 – 1970 by Basil Hyman and Steven Braggs, which is available to buy in hardback.
The book is a celebration of British mass market furniture of the period (not just G-Plan), taking a light (rather than academic) look at the subject, mixing history, nostalgia, period advertisements and of course, images of the furniture itself – making it ideal as a reference guide, as well as a cool book to have on your (G-Plan) coffee table. It even has a great retro cover, designed to look like an old catalogue – in fact, there’s also a couple of old catalogues included in the book.
It’s an area that’s certainly on the up – we highlighted G-Plan some time back as something to invest in and if you need anymore convincing, pick up a copy of this – available at Amazon for £21.
