Fashion designer Manish Arora usually designs clothes that combine contemporary shapes with traditional Indian crafts but his Auto Rickshaw Rug, designed for The Conran Shop, is a truly psychedelic piece.
A blaze of vibrant colours, oversized flowers and shooting stars, the rug makes quite a statement and wouldn’t have looked out of place in Sixties’ Swinging London.
It costs £495 and can be bought online from The Conran Shop.
Jieldé lamps are fully deserving of their iconic status as they excel in both form and function. It can be rotated by 360 degrees without damaging the cable but it still looks pretty good.
Designed by the French engineer Jean-Louis Domecq in 1958 when he became frustrated with the inflexible light on his desk, it has been acclaimed ever since. It is available as a floor-standing or desk lamp and is available in chrome, brushed steel or a choice of 16 vibrant colours.
Luna currently has a few in stock, starting at £165. Alternatively Espacio has a good selection of colours and finishes to choose from, starting at £205.
This may seem expensive for a lamp, but not when it’s a near enough indestructible lamp.
Le Creuset certainly has a reputation for its cookware, but for me, the Le Creuset Kone kettle is the most eye-catching item in the range.
Available in a choice of colours including the two above, this is a stove-based kettle that’s good for all heat sources (including ceramic hobs and an Aga) with a 1.6-litre capacity and of course, a whistle for when it hits boiling, not to mention those modernist-styled looks.
If you have the right kitchen, this is a very cool item for a reasonable price – around £29.
Find out more at the La Cookshop website
I’m not sure if this lamp is based on the work of a particular designer but it is simply called the Art Deco Side Table Light.
This name describes its style perfectly as it incorporates several key art deco features. Zigzags were much used in art deco design, as was chrome which was a brand new material at the time. The overall product has a style and glamour that epitomises the Art Deco movement.
It costs £199 and is available immediately from Mojo Interiors.
More clocks, but this time for your bedside – these retro wind-up bird clocks.
Two available, the bird in a house or the owl. The first one has an extra loud alarm, adjustable alarm length and a moving bird as the clock ticks. The owl clock has the same alarm functions, but this time, the owl’s eyes move as the clock ticks.
Both are available online, priced at $24.99 (around £13).
Not two items, but two-in-one – the Bengt Ek retro kitchen scales and clock.
On the one side, some rather smart polished aluminium scales, with weight shown in grams. And when you don’t need to do any weighing, just spin it round and you get a cool retro clock for your kitchen.
Sold in a gift box (which makes it a Christmas gift possibility), you can pick it up online for £96.64.
