Category: Homeware

While you probably aren’t spending much time in the garden at the moment (not if you are reading this in the Northern Hemisphere anyway), spare a thought for those who have no choice but to brave the cold – the birds.

Now is just the time to give nature a helping hand with a birdhouse and this Vintage Radio Birdhouse is an unusual spin on the average birdhouse. Made from wood, it has been fashioned to look just like a 1930s radio complete with speakers and tuning knobs.

Its costs $30 (approximately £16) from Uncommongoods although you can expect to pay about another $20 on top of that for international shipping.

Dating back to 1979, but with inspiration going back to the modernist era, it’s the Richard Sapper Espresso Coffee Maker.

Made by Alessi, this classic design is represented in the Museum of Modern Art collection, as well as being available for sale through the museum’s shop. It’s a stainless steel stovetop espresso maker, good for making six cups of espresso as well as for adding a touch of class to any kitchen.

It retails online for $165, which is around £85.

Find out more at the MoMA website

Lots of places sell cushions decorated with the union jack motif, but these cushions are the first I’ve seen to celebrate this specific bit of English heritage, the cockney tradition of the Pearly King and Queen.

The Pearly King Cushions from Re-Found Objects are black square cushions decorated with hand-sewn pearl buttons. Available in two designs, Anchor or Good Luck, both are inspired by popular Pearly King costume designs.

Put aside memories of Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins and buy your own piece of East End tradition. They cost £55 each and can be bought online from Re-Found Objects.

Back in October of last year, we featured the Electra retro fridge freezer range as an affordable option to the more commonly featured Smeg fridges. And Electra has now added to that range with the pink E7316 fridge freezer.

Feature-wise, it’s identical to the previous models, offering an A* energy rating, glass shelving, salad crispers, a chrome wine rack, an anti-bacterial lining and a considerable capacity in both fridge and freezer.

Price is around £499.

Find out more at the Electra UK website

A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Erika Wakerly specialises in surface design for interiors which in laymen’s terms means wallpapers and fabric. Browsing her website, the Spiral Wallpaper caught my attention as it has a retro look to it, especially in the brown on cream or black and white options.

The wallpaper has been designed so it can be hung ever horizontally or vertically to create different looks. The same design is also available as a fabric too so you could make matching cushions or upholster a chair!

It costs £45 per roll and can be bought from directly from the designer’s website.