Mugs, cups and plates are a staple here but we’ve not, to my knowledge, featured cutlery before. To rectify that may I suggest this Gingham Cutlery Set from Debenhams.
It is a 16 piece set (4 each of knives, forks, spoons, and teaspoons) with a delightful gingham print on the handle. Available in red or blue gingham pattern, it will suit a kitchen with a 1950s style.
Sets cost a very reasonable £15 from the Debenhams’ website.
Nice design as well as being a useful item – the Scooter wooden cutting board.
As a cutting board, it is made of acacia wood, which is very durable, so it should see you through many meal preparation times. But the design is what really stands out, with a laser engraved illustration hand positioned for each board, so the design actually interacts with the natural grain of the wood, creating a little scene. Not to mention a unique item.
You can pick one up online, priced at $38, which is around £19.
Even the most modern of items are available with a retro twist – like this retro webcam and tripod.
Yes, just like an old camera, except, of course, this one works with your very modern PC or laptop, either standing on that tripod or without it, resting on your screen. The 1.4 megapixel camera packs a high resolution glass lens and microphone for online chats and for taking still images, with various settings to improve the image and power from your USB socket.
For Windows machines only, it retails for £24.95.
Find out more at the Boys Stuff website
Zeha is a company with a heritage dating back to 1897, but has only recently become available worldwide.
The company was based in East Germany, making sportswear for the GDR Olympic team on the 1960s and indeed, the Soviet Union football team in the same decade. The label died after the Berlin Wall fell, but was rediscovered in 2002 by two Berlin designers (Alexander Barré and Torsten Heine), who turned the company into a modern-day sports label.
And the results are both retro and stylish, headed up by the awfully-named Streetwear collection, which includes this 4010 model in a light blue suede (other colours are available), thin sole and traditional Zeha branding. No retailers in the UK, so prices aren’t clear – I’m guessing around £70.
Remember the Panini football stickers? As a kid, you bought packet after packet to fill an album – constantly buying the same ones in the hope of finding that elusive missing player. I sense that the Desktop Designer Chairs are the design equivalent.
The chairs are miniatures (1/12 scale) of mid-century and vintage classics but each one is boxed in a way that you cannot tell what’s inside. So you can order one from a certain series, but you’ll never be sure which ones will arrive through the post.
You might not be able to afford a modernist home, but you can afford to buy one for your dog with the Architectura.
And it’s a pretty cool place for your four-legged friend to hang out. Inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, it has slatted walls on two sides for ventilation and room to relax both indoors and outdoors on the roof, both fitted with carpet. Alternatively, there’s a larger version finished for the outdoors.
Available in a choice of natural and orange finishes, prices start at $349 (around £175). Oh yes – and cats can use it too.
Find out more at the Pre-Fab-Pets website
