Categories / Design and Interiors

Alessi 1970s Spirale ashtray

Spirale

Yes, we know smoking isn’t particularly socially acceptable these days – but we also know a lot of people do still smoke. So something as stylish as the Alessi Spirale ashtray will still have a considerable appeal.

Designed by Achille Castiglioni for Alessi in 1970, it would still look like a cool ornament whether you were a smoker or not, thanks to the mirrored stainless steel body and that spring detailing – which actually holds cigarettes in place.

Available in two sizes, with prices starting at £36.

Find out more at the Nest website

Categories / Retro Women's Fashion

1920s look dress by DAY Birger et Mikkelson

20s_tunic

There seems to be something of an undercurrent of 1920s influence creeping up among the fashion crowd at the moment, which is no bad thing for retro lovers.

This tunic dress by DAY Birger et Mikkelson may require a little more bravery than many retro looks, but it captures the decade’s flapper style perfectly. Unfortunately, this one may be limited to ladies with a more waif-like figure, as popular at the time.

Made from silk blend velvet, this quality styling and fabric will set you back £230 from Net-a-Porter.

Find out more from the website

Categories / Design and Interiors

Jean-Marie Massaud Heaven table range – inspired by Warren Platner 1960s classics

Heaven

What goes around comes around – and it certainly looks like the Warren Platner designs from the 1960s have returned in the form of the Heaven range of tables from Jean-Marie Massaud.

I’ve done a quick compare and contrast and aside from the size and the way the wire frame is knitted together, there’s not a lot of difference – except that the Heaven range comes out cheaper.

Good for indoor and outdoor use, the tables are available in various shapes, with matching stools and chairs too, all made from toughened glass and pre-galvanised tubular steel. The one here has a diameter of 80cm and a height of 75cm, selling for around £447.

Find out more at the Made In Design website

Categories / Cars and Bikes, Gadgets and Tech

Vintage Mini USB drives – with working headlights

Austin_mini_usb_drive

Looking for an excuse to keep a toy car on your desk? Well, if you pick up a vintage Mini USB drive, you can use it for saving your computer files.

And there’s not just one drive either, but a range, including the new Mini and plenty of variations of the old Mini, headed up by a rally version and a vintage police Mini. Obviously, they connect to your PC, but they also pack a couple of tricks. Firstly, the USB connector retracts inside the boot when you don’t need it and secondly, when it’s connected to your PC, the headlights light up.

The cars go on sale in August from Vavolo – no news of a price as yet.

Vavolo website

Via Technabob

Categories / Design and Interiors

Eero Aarnio Swan Lamp

Aarnio_swan

He might be in his 70s and still shifting a number of his design classics, but Eero Aarnio is still producing interesting and eye-catching items for your home – including the recently-launched Swan Lamp.

No prizes for guessing where the name came from – those swan-like curves made from a moulded plastic body that ‘scatters light’ around the room, the light coming from an energy-saving compact fluorescent bulb.

Take your pick from white, yellow and black, all available for 239 Euros each.

Find out more at the Design Eero Aarnio website