Barbara Couple specialises in vintage-inspired cushions and textiles. For the “Sorry Not in Service” Cushion, her inspiration has come from vintage destination blinds from buses.
The cushion is black linen/cotton mix with the words embroidered on the front in cream, to accurately recreate that most frustrating of bus signs. A tad pricey, the cushion costs £85 which includes a feather pad for UK customers, but doesn’t for overseas buyers.
Buy it online at Barbara Coupe’s website.
You can't beat the Art Deco style for added instant glamour to your home. It's that era that informs these Normandie chairs from Benchmark.
The clue is in their name. Designed by Terence Conran, he's drawn inspiration from the famous Deco liner SS Normandie which entered service in 1935. This translates into the sleek lines of the chair which are available with either an oak or upholstered back and in natural oak, or a 'mocha stained' colour. The chairs don't come with the striking geometric fabric pictured (though you can ring the company and ask about it) and instead they're upholstered in the customer's own fabric, allowing you to make your own interpretation of the look.
This glamorous look comes with a price tag of £595.
See it online
Add a touch of 50s panache to a sofa with this Day at the Races cushion from John Lewis.
The feather-filled cushion is decorated with an appliqued scene of spectators – dressed in their elegant period fashions – watching a horse race. Though firmly situated within the Fifties, this design was actually apparently inspired by an original piece in the John Lewis archive dating back to the 1700s.
This piece of timeless style costs £28.
Buy it online
I think it is safe to say that this is the first time that we have featured a toilet set here and it will probably be the last time too. And whilst I’m by no means suggesting that this item is the most tasteful or something that every home should have, if you are a huge fan of exploitation movies, then you this Reefer Madness Toilet Seat might be be of interest to you, At the very least it is a good excuse to mention a cult classic film.
Filmed in the 1930s, originally intended as a cautionary tale funded by a church group, the film was recut for the exploitation film market and found cult fame when it was rediscovered in the 1970s. The toilet seat has been decoupaged with the poster for the film and decorated with red glass stones and a black ball fringe. You’ll be pleased to know that it has also been finished with an acrylic coating to prevent any water damage.
Should you wish to purchase the Reefer Madness Toilet Seat, it costs around $79.99 (around £52) plus shipping from Toiluxe on Etsy.
We've featured Lisa Stickley's retro inspired goods for the home previously and now her designs are available on a much wider scale with her new range for Debenhams.
Sometimes referred to as the new Cath Kidston (you can compare and contrast the cake tin above with Cath's tins here), her products are also inspired by vintage florals. Add in a dash of old-fashioned typography, and contrast with black and other bright colours and the results are the finishing touch for a retro kitchen. The range includes everything from milk jugs and cake stands to aprons and oven gloves.
Prices for the range start at £3.50 for an egg cup with this cake tin costing £12.
Buy it online
Remember the Pet Sounds wallpaper we featured a little while back? Well, if you liked that pattern but weren't quite brave enough to cover your walls with it, thankfully Mini Moderns have reproduced the same design on the Pet Sounds tea towel.
It's the same folky, weird wonderfulness, just on a much smaller scale, meaning you can now dry your designs, inspired by the apparent musical talents of the animal kingdom.
And, of course, it's much cheaper too. This tea towel costs only £8.
Buy it from To Dry For
