Categories / Design and Interiors

ILVA Curve wooden armchair

Ilva_curve
You can pick up just about anything for your living room in wood, from record decks, TVs and radios through to sideboards and wood-effect sofas and. And you can now add armchairs to that list – or more specifically, the ILVA Curve wooden armchair.

Built to fit into your designer living room rather than for comfort, the Curve armchair is in a walnut veneer that should match your expensive vintage sideboard, with a chrome frame for matching most room accessories.

The chair is actually in the sale, retailing for £198. If you want something that offers a little more comfort, there’s also a black leather version for £250.

Find out more at the ILVA website

Categories / Design and Interiors

Vintage Royal Court Theatre mugs

Royalcourt_mug
Art Meets Matter is celebrating the 50th anniversary of London’s Royal Court Theatre with a range of mugs featuring some of the theatre’s most talked-about productions.

There’s a diverse selection available, but the most obvious one to pick up is the play that opened the theatre all those years ago – Look Back In Anger by John Osborne, arguable the play that marks the starting point of modern British drama.

Not badly priced at £8.95 each.

Find out more at the Art Meets Matter website

Categories / Architecture, Design and Interiors

Alvar Aalto Exhibition at the Barbican

Aalto Finnish architect/designer Alvar Aalto is one of the leading lights of modernism – a fact that’s being recognised by London’s Barbican Gallery, which is hosting his first UK retrospective, curated by contemporary Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.

The exhibition primarily focuses on Aalto’s architectural style, featuring models, drawings, photographs and artefacts from 14 key projects across six decades, including Paimio Tuberculosis Sanatorium (1929-33), Villa Mairea (1938-39), AA-System Houses (1937-1945), Experimental House (1952-53), North Jutland Art Museum (1958-72) and the development of the urban centre for Seinäjoki (1952-87).

But Aalto is probably just as well known for his interiors, which are also featured. Items on display include his famous stacking stool and other furniture, as well as glassware, light fittings and textiles, many of which are still manufactured today by Artek. Also featured are works by the exhibition curator, heavily influenced by Aalto’s past work.

The exhibition runs from 22nd February – 13th May 2007, with tickets priced between £6 and £8. The gallery is open daily from 11am – 8pm, excluding Tue & Thu (11am – 6pm).

Find out more a the Barbican website

Categories / Design and Interiors, Gadgets and Tech

Lava Lamp Night Light

Lava_nightlight If you feel the need for some light during the night, you might as well get one that’s interesting – like this Lava Lamp Night Light.

It works in just the same way as the original 60s version (hot wax rising through the oil), but all in miniature, just plugging into your socket. There’s a choice of two coloured waxes (red or yellow) and the whole things costs just $9.99 (around £6).

Note that this is a US product – if you’re buying on another country, probably best to check if it works there before purchasing.

Find out more from the ThinkGeek website

Categories / Design and Interiors

Chrome space age alarm clock

Chrome_retro_alarm_clock
If you’re on the look out for a clock for your 70s-style home, look no further than this chrome space age alarm clock, which ticks all the boxes at a bargain price.

It stands at 8 inches tall, with a tulip-style base and round bulbous clock face. Features include alarm, light and snooze, all of which is run on a single AA battery.

And the best part is the price. It sells for $28 (around £15), which is a bargain in anyone’s book.

Find out more at the Little Clock Shop

Categories / Art and Photography, Design and Interiors

Vintage London Transport greetings cards

Londontransport
Some more quirky cards from Umpen Editions, this time vintage London Transport greetings cards, going under the name Mind The Gap and based on vintage poster art used by London Transport from the 1934 to the 1976.

The mid-century era was the golden age of poster art and London Transport wasn’t afraid to give commissions to avant-garde designers, with the likes of Abram Games and Tom Eckersley getting work with the company. In fact, the image to your right is by Abram Games, titled Sightsee London and dated from 1968.

You can download a pdf document on the Umpen site with all the card designs featured. And while you’re there, you can check out the list of stockists.

Find out more at the Umpen Editions website