Category: Design and Interiors

Bombus specialises in re-designing products using the Victorian decoupage technique with vintage maps, comics and magazines. The items, including chairs and coffee tables, are covered in layers of cuttings and glazed to give a glossy, durable finish.

Whilst the furniture pieces might not fit with the aesthetics of your home, you could buy a smaller example of this technique, such as this A5 lined Notebook. This one has been hand-covered in clippings from 1960’s interior design magazines, but they can be made to your specifications from their stock of old magazines, which includes vintage car & motorcycle magazines.

Buy online for £12.50 or contact Bombus with your commissions via Not on the High Street.

Another modern piece that looks like a period furnishing, this time from Tom Dixon (who we have featured before) and his Link Easy Chair.

Looking like some bold example of 60s outdoor furniture, the Link Easy Chair is made of welded steel, with a white powder coated finish and the addition of upholstery either fitted or removable.

Expect to pay from £950, which isn’t cheap, but should give you plenty of use over the years.

Find out more at the Tom Dixon website

More forward-thinking design, this time from the hand of Michael Lax and his Lytegem Lamp from 1965.

It’s back out as a commemorative edition from Lightolier, still offering a telescopic neck that adjusts from 6.5 inches to 15 inches and a lamp head swivel of 360°. Which means you get the light exactly where you want it, as well as that heavy cube base to make sure it stays in place after all that movement.

Sold in a choice of colours and with the lamp’s unique original packaging and bulb, it sells for $125 online, which is around £70. Sadly, I’ve not been able to find a UK retailer as yet.

Find out more at the Design Within Reach website

An ironing board cover isn’t often used as a style statement – but we all have, so we might as well make the most of it. And one way of making it look hip is with one of these Blip retro ironing board covers.

Blip is a fairly new company, selling everyday household items, including oven gloves, peg bags, aprons, shopping bags and of course, these ironing board covers. Some really smart bright and retro designs available in a range of sizes, all made from 100 per cent cotton with a felt backing and drawstring.

Prices are between £10 and £15.

Find out more at the Blip website

Well, with the rain showing no sign on disappearing in the UK (at least, not aornd here), it might be a good time to feature an umbrella or two – starting off with this Marilyn by Warhol umbrella.

The business end of the umbrella features the Marilyn Monroe image by Andy Warhol – in fact, lots of them in different shades, as well as the odd image of the man himself hidden in there too. It’s all printed on rain-resistant material, with the umbrella auto opening and with a black coloured metal handle.

Available online, you can pick one up for £22.99.

Find out more and see an image close-up at the Umbrella Art website