Categories / Travel

Retro Retreat: Cala Del Bove in Tuscany

Cala

Fancy some sixties style in Europe this summer? Well, you could try the Cala Del Bove near Porto Santo Stefano, Tuscany…if you have the cash.

It’s a summer seaside retreat, set right on the water’s edge and with an open plan and big stone walls – just right for a Bond villain! And the sixties vibe continues with the interior design – sixties-style furniture, globular floor lamps and big, chunky staircases. Add to that a private pool, views over the west coast of the Monte Argentario and a floodlit tennis court and you just know it’s unlikely to be cheap.

And that’s about right – it sleeps 14 and prices run from £13,000 per week. Yes, you read that right. But think about it – that’s under £1,000 per person per week for real luxury.

More pictures and details at the Global Artichoke website

Categories / Design and Interiors

Next Sputnik-style pendant light

Next_sputnik
Next
isn’t the first place I would look for interior design, but this season they have some great lighting at cheap prices – including this Sputnik-style pendant light.

Very much in the style of the original Sputnik, this light fitting is claimed to be easy to fit and with plenty of chrome on display, including chrome-plated plastic balls.

Operating with a 100w bulb, it’s available for a bargain £15.

Find out more at the Next website

Categories / Homeware

Lakeland retro kitchen scales

Lakelandscales
It’s hard to get excited over kitchen scales – they’re not exactly the sexiest of kitchen appliances, But we all use them, and if you’re going to buy some, you might as well get some good-looking ones – like these Lakeland retro kitchen scales.

A mix of polished and beige metal, they’re compact, but with everything you need, including a deep off-set, pear-shaped bowl and an easy-to-read scale with weights up to 2kg in 10g denominations or 4lb in half ounce breaks.

You can pick them up online for £24.99.

Find out more at the Lakeland website

Categories / Books

Teenage: The Creation Of Youth 1875 – 1945

Teenage
From early in my life (or to be exact, from reading Absolute Beginners for the first time), I always thought the teenager was a product of the late 1950s – I think there’s a piece in the book describing how you previously jumped straight from childhood to adulthood. Well, according to Teenage: The Creation Of Youth 1875 – 1945, that’s certainly not the case.

Author Jon Savage (yes, he of the excellent pop culture books, including England’s Dreaming) goes back to 1875 (when the first teenage memoir appeared and the first teenage mass murderer was tried), taking in locations like London, New York, Paris and Berlin, with individuals, street gangs and organised youth groups covered all the way through to 1945. Everything from the hooligans to the boy scouts and Hitler Youth, not to mention music and fashion crazes, including flappers, ragtime and swing. And indeed, how the "adult" world has always sought to profit from the teenager.

Out now in paperback, with a hardback to follow in two weeks, you can pick it up for around £14.

Find out more at Amazon.co.uk

Categories / Design and Interiors

Kiwi unikko plastic range

Kiwiunikko
We have covered the Marimekko unikko range in the past, but as it’s coming up for summer, we thought we would mention this range of plastic unikko plates and bowls by Zak! available at Debenhams.

They feature the great unikko flower design in a summery kiwi colour, but because they are plastic they would be great for picnics and outdoor use – and for the same reason, they are also fairly cheap. The large square plate pictured here costs £5.50, but you can also get a small square plate or bowl for just £4.50 each.

Find out more on the Debenhams website.

Categories / Design and Interiors

Off The Wall Paisley Flower range by Andrew Tanner

Andrewtannerpaisley
We have featured Cole & Sons distinctive wallpaper on this site before, and now we have found this great Paisley Flower china range by Andrew Tanner which uses their wallpaper design as inspiration.

Paisley Flower is one of three different patterns which can all be seen in the Cole & Sons New Contemporary and Waldorf Collections. Andrew’s pieces combine surface pattern with minimal form. The result is a collection which is functional and affordable and reflects British design and manufacture, and also the importnat thing for us, features a cool retro pattern.

The large vase is available for £71, the small vase £57, the large bowl £82, and the beakers are the most affordable at £18 each.

You can find out more on the Andrew Tanner website.