Category: Design and Interiors

Looking like a cross between the Ikea Fado light and the Flying Saucer light fitting we featured some time back is this Retro Glass Pendant fitting.

We’re talking serious 1970s here, not least with the shade of brown used in the glass. Aside from that, this has a fitting almost identical to the Fado in chrome and those distinctive clear circles that are sure to create a strange light effect in your living room.

Available online, this can be yours for £32.40.

Find out more at the Direct Light website

Ideal for an office – especially one that uses a lot of pencils – is this Pencil Bench from Boex.

It’s a bench that was created as an experiment, to see if it was possible to turn an everyday office object into a piece of furniture. And it was – although it took 1600 pencils, each individually sprung for your seating comfort. And if you’re short of a pencil, it’s not a problem, as each can be removed and used. Oh yes – and it has a smart dark wood frame too.

The Pencil Bench has won various design awards over the last year, but hasn’t yet gone into commercial production. Although I’m sure they will make you one if you ask nicely.

Find out more at the Boex website

We have a Cifra 5 clock in the living room – a really smart piece of 1950s design by Gino Valle. This retro chrome flip down clock isn’t in that league, but it follows a similar principle.

It uses similar flip down technology, but rather than the usual boxed-in look, this new clock from ChinaVision has the numbers hanging from a chrome stand. If it’s anything like the Cifra 5, it could be slightly noisy, but that’s a small price to pay for something that looks so good.

No price as yet, keep checking the ChinaVision website for an update.

Find out more at the ChinaVision website

Via Tech Chee

Something a little different from Rothschild & Bickers – these Victorian-style Tassel lights.

Apparently ‘inspired by Victorian decadence’, the lights mix the modern with the vintage and indeed, vintage working methods as all the glass in the lights is hand-blown.

A choice of colours are available, all with matching tassel and with a choice if shapes, including the longer one above and a more flat design if you haven’t got a particularly high ceiling. Prices start at £230.

Find out more at the Rothschild & Bickers website

Rather than re-tiling your kitchen or bathroom, you could give your old tiles a makeover with these Tile Tattoos from Mibo.

You simply stick these retro designs over your old tiles – in a matter of minutes, you have transformed the room. And these heavy-duty, four-inch stickers are also resistant to water and moisture and don’t leave a sticky mess when you grow tired of them.

Six designs in total, including the two above, they sell for $16 (£8) for a set of six. You can pre-order now for January 2008 delivery.

Find out more at the 2 Jane website