Made-Good

BEST OF BRITISH AND DANISH DESIGN - FRANCE & SON - DAVERKOSEN

2012-01-09T07:04:00.001-08:00

Reading this months Homes and Antiques there was a feature on a James France's home. It transpired that James France was Mr France's son who had set up the business. I tried to contact James to ask him if he would tell his fathers story but am afraid he declined. What we can transpire is that this is a great DANISH AND BRITISH achievement.

France & Son, where one of Denmark's greatest makers of furniture. Originally the company was called France and Daverkosen, after Mr. France moved from the UK to Denmark and met his business partner, cabinet maker Mr. Daverkosen. Later on the company became France and Son as Julian France joined in his fathers footsteps. The company was sold to Poul Cadovious in 1964 and existed under the name CADO.

France and son, made some of Denmarks most enduring furniture by some of Denmark's leading designers and I believe might have been one of Denmark's first to supply Mass Market furniture. What they achieved was that you could have the best designers, best designs and mass produce. It seems to have been set-up in 1950. The first recorded furniture I could find was by Peter Hvidt and Ole Wanscher, they got the big guns rolling straight away, followed by Sigvard Bernadotte, Grete Jalk, Arne Vodder, Edvard Kindt Larsen and Finn Juhl. To name a few. It seems around 1956 the company changed names to France and Son, not sure what happened to Mr Daverkosen. If anyone else has any info on the company would be greatly appreciated.

Most pics from furniture index Denmark

XMAS WISH LIST - WHITE LOG BASKET

2011-12-14T00:11:00.001-08:00

I really really want this for xmas even though it is a little too large for my fireplace... maybe with some jigging I could get it to fit... Its from Graham and Green priced at £95.. click on title for link to their site... here's wishing!

It reminds me of this magazine rack which www.city-furniture.be had a while ago.. now why didn't I think of it as a log holder!!!

TRULY INSPIRATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND PLACES - SPOMENIK by Jan Kempenaers

2011-11-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

Book by Jan Kempenaers
called SPOMENIK

These structures were commissioned by former Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito in the 1960s and 70s to commemorate sites where WWII battles took place (like Tjentište, Kozara and Kadinjača), or where concentration camps stood (like Jasenovac and Niš). They were designed by different sculptors (Dušan Džamonja, Vojin Bakić, Miodrag Živković, Jordan and Iskra Grabul, to name a few) and architects (Bogdan Bogdanović, Gradimir Medaković...), conveying powerful visual impact to show the confidence and strength of the Socialist Republic. In the 1980s, these monuments attracted millions of visitors per year, especially young pioneers for their "patriotic education." After the Republic dissolved in early 1990s, they were completely abandoned, and their symbolic meanings were forever lost.

From 2006 to 2009, Kempenaers toured around the ex-Yugoslavia region (now Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, etc.) with the help of a 1975 map of memorials, bringing before our eyes a series of melancholy yet striking images. His photos raise a question: can these former monuments continue to exist as pure sculptures? On one hand, their physical dilapidated condition and institutional neglect reflect a more general social historical fracturing. And on the other hand, they are still of stunning beauty without any symbolic significances.

as found here

http://www.cracktwo.com/2011/04/25-abandoned-soviet-monuments-that-look.html

HOUSE TOUR!

2011-11-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

OK here is my home!
Enter House Tour
Survey:
My Style: mid-century modern danish and british with a quirky splattering of surrealism.
Inspiration: Art, books, magazines, other people's homes!
Favorite Element: Art.
Biggest Challenge: I don't own it.
What Friends Say: That is is just me.
Biggest Embarrassment: cheap flooring.
Proudest DIY: new doors from B&Q.. love love DIY.
Biggest Indulgence: Probably the penguin donkey bookcase in the living room and the prints.
Best Advice: From my lecturer at college on lateral thinking :Lateral thinking is solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic.".. it just made sense.!

Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
• white, grey, french grey, baby sick colour spare room, vintage green in hallway

ENTRY
• soholm plaque
• B&Q chrome light

LIVING ROOM
• mogens hansen sofa, conran beep light, balzac chair, penguin donkey, various op artists, moller desk, kaiser idell light, fornasetti vase, habitat catherin gray memento vase,

Kitchen
• sarineen marble table, eames chairs, cathrine holm

main bedroom
• Hans wegner bed, stag chest, vintage papa chair

spare bedroom
• Sanderson curtains and duvet

THINGS IN MY HOME - BALZAC CHAIR - SCP - MATTHEW HILTON

2011-10-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Hi been a long time since I posted anything on my home and need to do some up-dating!. I have wanted one of these chairs and stool for along time and finally found one on ebay and managed to buy it. It's in the right colour too as they do not produce black anymore. Yipeee.. Its very comfortable and not as big as you would think.

BALZAC CHAIR

SCP Balzac Armchair by Matthew Hilton. A seminal piece of furniture designed by Matthew Hilton. Solid beech frame with steel springs and elasticated webbing, covered in multi-density foam with feather cushions gives medium to soft support. American Oak legs. A contemporary piece with organic form, upholstered in beautifully soft, full-aniline leather.

"1991 SCP make their first upholstery piece, the Balzac armchair by Matthew Hilton. The chair initially receives mixed reviews, but goes on to become the biggest selling SCP chair of all time, something of an icon, included in the well known Taschen book “1000 Chairs” and a permanent resident at the Geffrye Museum, the Museum of the English domestic interior. Other design of the year at the Auberon table by Matthew Hilton and the Bishop table by Konstantin Grcic." Taken from SCP's History on their website.

Matthew Hilton (1957- ) is a British furniture designer of modern furniture.
Hilton attended Portsmouth College of Art and then Kingston Polytechnic. After graduation he was an industrial designer and model maker until 1984. In 1991, he designed the "Balzac Armchair"[1] for SCP Limited a company started by Sheridan Coakley in 1984 and now based in Shoreditch, London. His furniture is held in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Geffrye Museum, London and the Manchester City Art Gallery. He was elected a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in 2005. In 2007 Matthew launched his company Matthew Hilton Limited.

BEST OF BRITISH & DANISH - IB KOFOD LARSEN ROSEWOOD SIDEBOARD

2011-08-16T01:18:00.000-07:00

I don't think you can get any better than this in the most beautiful mix of Danish design and English Craftmanship.

Furniture desginer Ib Kofod-Larsen's furniture from the 1950's and 60's are today more desirable than ever before. Danish Kofod-Larsen designed storage and seating for the Swedish market in the 60's but did not really reach any commercial success. Maybe his organic design was to extreme for the Swedish taste at the time. In Denmark, on the contrary, his sideboards produced by Faarup won immediate recognition. Today his creations are sold at higher and higher prices, as his clean designs, often in beautiful rosewood or palisander, have become highly appreciated by a global community of design enthusiasts.

The success of G-Plan led to E Gomme becoming one of the UK's largest furniture manufacturers, with profits increasing sixfold between 1952 and 1958 when it was floated.
Another part of the direct marketing was the showrooms where the public could see the furniture. There were small centres over the country, and "The G-Plan Gallery" in Vogue House, St George Street, Hanover Square in London.
Donald Gomme left the company in 1958, perhaps the peak of the company's success. In the early 1960s the government introduced restrictions on hire purchase (the most common method of purchasing furniture), and in response to competition from Danish furniture the company introduced a Danish Modern range (designed by Ib Kofod-Larsen), which made the rest of the range seem dated, and Gomme lost their market-leading position, though they continued to be a major manufacturer making innovative designs with a very well known brand name.

BEST OF DANISH - STOUBY, MOGENS HANSEN, ERIC JORGENSEN, THAMS, FREDERICA - the danish style sofa

2011-05-22T01:47:00.000-07:00

The story of the Danish Style Sofa.

KAARE KLINT - MODEL 4035 - 1929 - Rud Rasmussen

An example is owned by the Danish Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen. The grandaddy of most danish design. One can see the influence he had on many designer after.

OLE WANSCHER - 1960 - A.J. Iversen

Not far behind Klint, they were friends and Wanscher studied under him.

ARNE VODDER - 1959 - Nielaus

BORGE MOGENSEN - FREDERICA SERIES 2213 - SOFA SET

What we would term the classic danish sofa design was by Borge Mogensen for Frederica. It was designed in 1963 for Frederica 2213 series who still produce them at a price of £7500. This my seem an awful lot for a sofa, but they use the best quality leather, down filled cushion and solid mahogany frame. It is true quality. Vintage would still set you back around £3000.

GEORGE THAMS - Vejen Polstermøbelfabrik - 1970

STOUBY - EVA, HANNE, MIA SOFA

The closest to the Borge Mogensen design, they are hand made, using again the best material, aniline leather, goose filled cushions. Retails at £3000 or vintage around £1000. Hard to say when they started producing theirs.

Erik Jørgensen Møbelfabrik - EJ 260 - EJ315-2

Denmark has been the home of a good number of top furniture designers like Erik Jørgensen. He founded his family business in 1954 and still produces furniture designs which are true to Erik Jørgensen designs. These days the Erik Jørgensen furniture company is considered to be one of the top providers of designer sofa's & chairs. The company also has an annual EJ design award to help the new generation of furniture designers integrate into the trade.

MOGENS HANSEN

Slight variations on the design - but still of high quality and design.

There are some classic designs used in furniture building that have become very well known. Among some of the classic styles you will find the danish couch. This particular design is made in a very rectangular shape with square seat cushions. The Danish have been praised for their modern designs in furniture as well as for their sturdy construction. You can find many pieces of Danish furniture in museums that showcase some of the more originally designed pieces. Their couch design is created in either a traditional two arm style or with one arm rest and one open end.
The frame used in creating a danish style sofa is often made of wood. In some of the more elegant or formal designs the wood will be covered with fabric that is padded on the back section. The fabric coverings are available in assorted materials as well as in various colors and prints. A very contemporary style uses a sleek wood base sanded to a smooth finish. The backrest section is covered in black leather with a filling placed between the wood and the leather material. The seat cushions are created as separate items that are also covered in leather. This particular couch works well when used in today’s modern designed rooms.
In the category of the Danish sofas you will also see some variations on their modern couch that have the item made as a chaise style of couch. This item will also have the wood frame, but will have the back section placed along one end with the arm extending part way along the elongated side. The modern design has the wood in strips or rails so the back is formed by using spindles to create a rail style of back section. This chaise uses a separate cushion to provide comfort for sitting on the hard wood base.
In addition to the classic designs there are also several fun styles of the Danish piece. The covering can come in a interesting animal print that can be used to enhance the décor of a rustically themed room or a cabin. Some of the newer styles are made as sofa beds that easily convert to create additional sleeping space. The new styles can also be found in the new synthetic materials used to imitate the look and feel of genuine suede or leather. Some Danish style sofas are made to coordinate with similarly designed chairs so you can purchase both items to create a professionally designed room. If you are looking for some interesting modern furniture pieces you might like the styles found in the Danish lines.

CREDITS: IMAGES: furniture indeX

ERCOL - BEST OF BRITISH - the story continues

2011-04-13T03:49:00.000-07:00

Hi I wanted to do an up-date on ercol. It seems that the company is going from strength to strength, which is so good and promising to see in Britain. They have always made beautiful and high quality furniture and it seems now us Brits are finally realising it. They also have a great team of management there, who seems to be forward thinking, not only in reissuing key pieces from their midcentury catalogue, which had become design classics to commisioning new designers and being on trend now with their pilgrim range. There has always been a new england Quaker vibe to their designs, and it's good to see them continue this.

Also I received an email from Ian Cater who was Art Director for Ercol in the late 80's. He has kindly allowed me to print his email, which gives an insight into how very quickly and how hard it is for Furniture manufactures and designers to survive in the UK. Denmark has long celebrated and cherished its cabinet makers/designer and manufactures and finally I think we are.

"Just found your blog while looking for Lucienne Day fabrics and the name of Ercol caught my eye. I worked as an art director on the Ercol advertising account in the late 1980's and through most of the nineties in a period when many the old Windsor designs were being consigned to the scrapheap due to non-existent sales. With their spindly legs and fifties curves they did look like throwbacks in furniture showrooms of the day and in our market research people hammered them mercilessly. Unfortunately they didn't take much to Ercol's newer ranges either which, being incredibly well made by people who really cared from solid wood, joined and crafted with modern techniques based on traditional skills, were more expensive than most of the 'mass market' competition.
Lucien Ercolani, the then managing director and son of the founder took this very personally. He was a fantastic man, very principled and correct, generous and modestly self-effacing despite his achievements. He referred to the classic Windsor designs as 'our old friends' and was obviously upset as they were consigned to the scrapheap. Many had been kept on in the range simply out of respect for his father, as had many other processes at the factory. I think Lucien died last year and I haven't been involved with Ercol since the late 90's, but I think he would have been very pleased at the resurgence of interest in Ercol Windsor, insisting that good design would always be recognised.
There is an excellent store in Newbury called Octopus (worth checking out) selling 50's/60's Ercol and contemporary brands, I was in there last year and it reminded me that I have a fascinating film on VHS video made in the old Ercol factory in about 1988 and watching it again, it's all there, the good and the bad and the things that made Ercol totally unique even then. Things, I guess, are very different now, but as Don Pedel, the chief designer used to say to me, "what you do is here today-gone tomorrow. This chair will still be here in a hundred years time." And, of course, he was right." Ian Cater

PLEASE CLICK ON TITLE - to take you to ercol website or

visit JOHN LEWIS -

http://www.johnlewis.com/Home+_26+Garden/All+Furniture/Designer+Furniture+/Ercol/15910/ProductCategory.aspx

MODERN HOLIDAY LET - BOURNEMOUTH

2011-03-04T01:58:00.000-08:00

OK, I know its very cheeky, but this is my holiday let and as it is its first season I need all the help on the advertising front as possible. I have just totally redecorated it, its not as wild as I would have it myself as I have to tone it down to appeal to more markets but it still has some mid-century gems thrown in.! Prices are on the website please click on the title and it will take you there. Thanks.

http://www.bournemouthholidaylet.com/index.html

NEW HIGH STREET FURNITURE

2011-02-18T01:38:00.000-08:00

Sorry its been a while I have been converting my flat in Bournemouth to a holiday let. Still has not prevented me checking out whats new in the high street world of furniture design. There is definitely a mid-century feel coming in. Here's an example of a few from.

House of Frazer (who is rocking it at the moment with affordable designs)!
http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Linea+Adelphi+chair+lime/137992394,default,pd.html?cgid=122

Marks & Spencers
http://www.marksandspencer.com/Medium-Sofas-Sofas-Armchairs-Furniture-Home-Furniture/b/435652031

laura ashley
http://mto.lauraashley.com/upholstery-and-furniture/upholstery/shapes/100402/belgrave-upholstered

Next
http://www.next.co.uk/shopping/sofas/armchairs/7/

AWARD TIME - THE HOMIES

2011-01-21T01:49:00.000-08:00

Hi its blogging award time and I have just nominated a few of my favourites. Please do the same as it really boosts those bloggers who put a lot of time and effort into it.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/the-homies-best-home-design-blog-of-2011-submit-your-nominations-137078

or click on the title it will take your there.

BEST OF BRITISH - ERCOL STUDIO COUCH DAY BED SOFA

2011-01-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

One of the many Ercol classics, it has been a favourite on ebay now for a couple of years. Ercol who are now well and trully on the pulse have reissued it. Twentytwentyone sell the from between £1685.00 - £1970.

Of course you can always by vintage or reconditioned ones of ebay or specialist sellers from between £350 - £1000.

Designed by Lucian Ercolani, the Studio Couch was first introduced in the late 1950s. It was designed to function both as a large sofa and an occasional single bed for guests. It features characteristic steam bent arms and is made from solid elm and beech in our Buckinghamshire factory. It is available in a choice of over one hundred different fabrics.

In a recent interview with Architonic, respected British designer Matthew Hilton, known for the restraint and quality of his work, described Ercol as one of the very few good British furniture manufacturers around today. The fact that the heritage brand, equally known for the restraint and quality of its products, is held in such high regard can only be strengthened by the company’s decision to reissue its classic ‘Studio Couch’, which was first introduced in the late 1950s.

http://www.dailytonic.com/ercol-reissues-iconic-studio-couch-uk/

http://www.twentytwentyone.com/displayProduct.asp?ProductID=3352&oldreferrer=http://www.twentytwentyone.com/displayPageMarquee.asp?PageID=24

SOMETHING NEW - HOUSE OF FRASER HARRY SOFA

2011-01-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

How the bloody hell can I compete with that! LOL

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Linea+Harry+chair+in+lime/133620107,default,pd.html?cgid=S5052

MASTERS IN TEACHING - "TOP 24 MID-CENTURY FURNITURE BLOGS"

2011-01-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

I received a little email to say I was included in the above top 24. Which I have to say was very pleasing, looks like a good blog to follow and not only that I found some more blogs to follow myself.

Many thanks!

http://www.mastersinteaching.com/top-24-mid-century-furniture-blogs/

BEST OF DANISH DESIGN - Finn Juhl

2010-12-14T03:44:00.000-08:00

Finn Juhl was a Danish furniture designer and architect. He was educated at the Academy of Fine Arts 1930-1934. He worked as a teacher at the School of Interior Design 1945-1955. Finn Juhl is probably is the most recognised of Danish furniture makers and also internationally for his organic, sculptural idiom and for the fruitful cooperation with cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, which resulted in pioneering methods and techniques for the manufacture of furniture in teak. Finn Juhl’s furniture is characterized by a strong feeling for the material qualities and properties. The Guild Exhibitions was an important venue for the young designers who sought to renew Danish, turning their backs on the traditional historicist styles, heavy and with ornaments and plush, instead creating modern furniture which fitted the new trends in architecture. The projects was highly controversial and Juhl's first work met much criticism. His Pelican chair, designed in 1939 and first produced in 1940, was descriped as a "tired walrus" and "aestetics in the worst possible sense of the word". In spite of the initial criticism, Juhl'shis work began to have an impact on the style of homes abroad throughout the 40s. Still his popularity in Denmark did not reach that of his peers, Børge Mogensen and Hans Wegner, who were less redical in their designs and relied more on Kaare Klint, leader of the furniture school at the Academy and the nestor of modern Danish furniture design..His work also invluded numerous assignments within the field of interior design. Shortly after opening his own office, he received several commissions to do interior design at some of the premier addresses in Copenhagen, Bing & Grøndahl's shop on Amagertorv (1946), now housing Royal Copenhagen, and Svend Schaumann´s flourist´s shop on Kongens Nytorv (1948. In 1951–52 he designed the Trusteeship Council Chamber in the United Nations headguarters in New York City. He also collaborated regularly with companys such as Georg Jensen and Scandinavian Airlines, jis work for the latter including both ticket offices and interiors of planes. He also had many assignments as an exhibition designer. Besides furniture exported Finn Juhl also applied art in glass and wood and also fitting tasks. Many of Finn Juhl’s furniture is represented in museums, several are still in production and sold mainly in USA and Japan. In 2003 indstiftede Wilhelm Hansen Foundation Finn Juhl Prize given to persons who have made a special effort within the furniture architecture. In the 60s and 70s he experienced a declining interest in his designs. In the 80's and 90s the interest resurged. In 2010 one of his sofas, produced by Danish furniture brand OneCollection. n 1942 Juhl designed a house for himself, today known simply as Finn Juhl's House, and had it built for money inhered from his father. Over the years it was increasingly furnished with creations of his own design. He married Inge-Marie Skaarups on 15 July 1937 but they later divorced. From 1961 he lived in a common-law marriage with Hanne wilhelm Hansen,[6] a member of the family behind the Edition Wilhelm Hansen music publishing house. She survived him but after her death in May 2003 their home, which she had left unchanged after his death, was made into a [[historic house museum, today operated as part of the Ordrupgaard Art Museum whose premises it adjoins.

THINGS IN MY HOME- MY LIVING ROOM

2010-11-29T01:54:00.000-08:00

So in July I moved once again to a rental home. It is a classic 3 bedroom stone built victorian semi detach, that you get so many of up here in Yorkshire. I have repainted all the walls, but as its a rental cannot touch the flooring and fittings etc. I am hoping to buy this next year so more improvements will be done. Hope you like it as it is so far. The walls are painted in french grey, which can look a little blue in certain lights. The sideboard is maple with a marble top, there is a collection of Aldo londi's Bitossi pottery. The side table is from habitat with a Conran Beep table lamp. The sofa is a leather goosedown corner sofa from Mogens Hansen, the rug is a tapestry by Bayer. The other side table is Penguin Donkey by Isokon, Eames fiberglass chair, an Oak Niels Moller desk, with a Kaiser Idell lexus Lamp. More various Bitossi and John Clappison pottery for hornsea.

THINGS IN MY HOME- GERMAN WOODEN FIGURES (NUTCRACKERS)

2010-11-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

Hi all I haven't done a posting on anything in my home. I have recently moved again so will be posting a full home tour soon. I bought these little 'crackers' from an antique shop a couple of months ago, I love them.

The history of the wooden Nutcracker starts in 16th century in Germany. And of course it predates the ballet. Nutcrackers showed up in Germany's Erzgebirge region in 1725. Other estimations - like te town Seiffen - claim the nutcracker's official birth year as 1879. By teh way, Seiffen in Germany was home to many of the world's most famous toymakers.
Nutcracker's Legend

Erzgebirge legend: Long ago there lived a hardhearted and wealthy farmer. He promised a reward to anyone who could crack his walnuts. One day, a carver came from Seiffen and surprised the farmer with a wonderful wooden puppet. It was colourful painted with strong jaws, powerful enough to crack walnuts. Grateful, the miserly farmer rewarded the entire village.

According to another legend the nutcracker might also be symbolic. Erzgebirge residents suffered Germany's early political repression. So, toymakers constructed a wooden figure whose only military purpose was to crack nuts on command.

NEW SHOWS COMING UP AND OLD FAVOURITE

2010-11-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

It is the season for shows and fairs...

NEW ON THE BLOCK

The Vintage Furniture Flea
http://vintagefurnitureflea.com/

AND OLD FAVOURITE

MIDCENTURY MODERN

http://www.modernshows.com/docs/shows/index.html

SOMETHING NEW - BEST OF BRITISH - MADE.COM

2010-10-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

I have being seeing alot press on Made.com and after looking at their website and products, I think they are onto a winner!. So refreshing to see modern furinture, well crafted and made at an AFFORDABLE price!. I hope they continue to be able to source desirable ranges. Particularly love their Boundary collection. Also even though the name is very close to mine, it dosen't bother me. I have thought many times about selling modern furniture as well as vintage and am hoping to do so one day and also to be able to offer it at good prices.

www.made.com

BEST OF DANISH DESIGN - Illum Wikkelsø ILLUM WIKKELSO

2010-10-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

Wikkelsø, Illum 1919-1999. One of the great danish designers Illum Wikkelsø (pronounced Vikkelsow) remains one of Denmark's best kept secrets very little is to be found on him except, after graduating from The School of Arts & Crafts in Copenhagen, Illum Wikkelso was employed by fine cabinet maker Jacob Kjaer and the architectual firm of Peter Hvidt and Orla Molgaard-Nielson where he made his considerable mark on the danish modern design world and carried on to produce some of the countries most striking and beautifully crafted furniture. Second hand sofas and chair can still fetch over a thousand pounds in Denmark. Here is a list of some of the top danish manufacturers he produced furniture for. C.F. Christensen, N. Eilersen, Holger Christiansen, Komfort/Dansk Form, Søren Willadsen Møbelfabrik, Hjørring Møbelfabrik.

BEST OF BRITISH - SOMETHING NEW - JAMES UK

2010-09-26T01:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.jamesdesignuk.co.uk/

Have had a mega busy summer so apologise for lack of postings, but have noticed that there are some new British furniture designers making midcentury danish influenced furniture and it is gorgeous!.. With a modern twist and fantastic choice of fabrics. Here is James UK..

SOMETHING NEWISH - ERCOL for John Lewis

2010-08-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

I happen to think that Ercol is one of the best british manufacturers and designers of quality furniture that we have had and still have. Recently they have cottoned on that there has been alot of interest in there 50s windsor range and with the start of Margaret Howel selling their furniture, they now have quite a few major brands selling their reissued items. I think there must be some new forward thinking talent at this company and was glad to see Newly designed items being sold too, such as the desk below by Matthew Hilton. Things can only upturn for this company. All pictured now on sale at John Lewis.

BEST OF DANISH - POUL CADOVIUS

2010-07-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

Poul Cadovius as like alot of Danish furniture designer is an architect firstly of trade. Poul Cadovius, was in the fifties looking for a furnishing system which would give a maximum of comfort, underline the personal atmosphere of the interior, was easy to assembly, offer a lot of combination possibilities and made the living space larger. He invented the "Royal" shelving system which enabled flexible furnishing using endless combinations of a limited set of standard elements. Coming in beautiful rosewood with or without back panels they are simply stunning and still as relevant today.

In the late 60s he bought the famous manufacturer France and Sons and produced many more furniture under the label of Cado. He is a true dane great. I particularly love his pedestal dining tables with enamled tops. Future classics.

MY HOME - WEAVERS COTTAGE YORKSHIRE UK

2010-06-02T11:47:00.001-07:00

Sorry its been a while, I have finally finished decorating the living room and had 40th birthdays to organise, here is some pics of the finished rooms and some pics of the rest of the house.

BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN - NATHAN FURNITURE

2010-04-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

Now Nathan have decide to reissue and redesign a new mid-century range, called Citadel. You cannot buy it direct from them but can from

http://www.theonlinefurniturestore.co.uk/shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=nathan+citadel&Submit=Quick+Find

Still abit pricey but looking very good.

B & I Nathan was a furniture maker that followed contemporary taste in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Like G-Plan, Nathan emphasised the value of its brand, trading on an image of quality and craftsmanship. Nathan furniture followed rather than set trends in the 50s and 60s. The company moved slightly more up market at the end of the 60s and produced some innovative designs that inspired a large group of loyal customers to furnish their homes in Nathan's distinctive style: modern, but with a traditional feel.

In the 50s, like other brands, Nathan went contemporary. The firm followed the fashion in the late 50s into Tola (African mahogany) furniture, with black, ebonised legs and brass handles. This dining room suite, right is a good example of the 50s' contemporary style. The chairs are covered in an abstract patterned material and have black ebonised frames. The sideboard is in Tola with brass handles.

Nathan retained this look into the early 60s. In this they were a little behind some of the other manufacturers that were already experimenting with more fashionable teak furniture.

Nathan furniture in the 50s

In the 50s, like other brands, Nathan went contemporary. The firm followed the fashion in the late 50s into Tola (African mahogany) furniture, with black, ebonised legs and brass handles. This dining room suite, right is a good example of the 50s' contemporary style. The chairs are covered in an abstract patterned material and have black ebonised frames. The sideboard is in Tola with brass handles.

Nathan retained this look into the early 60s. In this they were a little behind some of the other manufacturers that were already experimenting with more fashionable teak furniture.

In 1963, Nathan went Scandinavian. Their advertisements proclaimed 'Scandinavian Design By Nathan'. Nathan's first range of teak furniture was called 'Citadel'. It had a classic Scandinavian low, long sideboard, which was simple and elegant with no decoration other than plain recessed handles. At 6 feet in length, it was still large and provided ample storage, but was more suited to a semi-detached house than the massive 7ft sideboards that some of the more expensive firms sold.

Nathan introduced several other dining suites on the same theme: modern, Scandinavian inspired, designs in teak. All began with the letter "C": Corsican, Corinthian and Cortina. The top of the range, the 7ft Corinthian sideboard, right, had the added luxury touch of rosewood handles. Rosewood was expensive and used by only the best manufacturers. Manufacturers at the cheaper end of the furniture market added small touches in rosewood to make their teak furniture more glamorous. This advertisements shows the glamour and style of the world the furniture makers were selling to their customers. The room layout is minimalist and modern, the lady is sipping a cocktail, and even the telephone was aspirational in the mid sixties.

In the late 60s Nathan moved further upmarket. Many manufacturers were making teak furniture, so designs needed to be original. They introduced several new designs in teak. One of the best was this sideboard with a circle pattern cut into the veneer on the doors.

These new designs continued into the early 70s. Nathan then took a different course.

My favourite has to be the interlocking coffee table.

SOMETHING NEW - ANGLEPOISE FLOOR LAMP

2010-04-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Well ok its not an original anglepoise lamp, but at £79.00 its a lot more economic than the Giant Anglepoise 1227 lamp @ a hefty
£1,600. Once again I cannot vouch for its quality as I haven't seen it in the flesh. From B&Q who I also have to admit are moving into the premier league I feel where its coming to making budget retro/modern styled lamps.

Lights Collection Tecton Floor Lamp Black
Only £79.00
Height (cm): 170
Height (inch): 66.9
Width (cm): 120
Width (inch): 47.2

copy and paste for B&Q website

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=10587523&fh_view_size=10&fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB&fh_search=tecton&fh_eds=ß&fh_refview=search&ts=1271749344349&isSearch=true&ecamp=aff-p9-awin-001

ALWAYS ONE TO PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE

2010-04-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

worth putting on your blog list...

THINGS IN MY HOME - HANS WEGNER TEAK GE-107 KINGSIZE BED

2010-04-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Have sold many of his beds, but love love this one. Have only ever seen one of his beds designs in Rosewood, but one day I will have one!.

Hans Wegner teak and rattan GE-107 bed from the 70s, which are virtually impossible to find in the UK.

The bed is striking to look at with its floating bedside cabinets with black glass tops and book shelving units.

It has a beautifully woven rattan head board and curved vynil foot board, with teak borders all round. It looks as stylish today as the day it was designed.

MIDCENTURY MODERN SHOW DULWICH

2010-03-16T06:50:00.001-07:00

Midcentury.Modern

Sunday 21st March 2010
Dulwich College, SE21 7LD
10am–4pm
Entrance £6
Early entry for trade 9am (£8)
Children under 14 free

Midcentury Modern – the only design show that made Time Out's top 10 London attractions for 2009

VINTAGE DANISH DESIGN

2010-03-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

Vintage Danish design is the focus of the pop-up concept Modern Danish Warehouse. Featuring a carefully edited selection of period pieces, the collection is a reminder of the enduring appeal of Danish Modernism. Monocle goes to Copenhagen to see how classic Danish furniture continues to inspire a nation of designers.

News report.

http://www.monocle.com/sections/design/Web-Articles/Vintage-Danish-Design/

THINGS IN MY HOME - EAMES HANG IT ALL

2010-03-09T00:08:00.000-08:00

I guess I never realised how much I love the Eames's furniture and products, until I kindoff realised I have bought many of them and seem to keep them for myself. It felt an extravagant buy at the time, for a coat hanger, but I still love it and it has now followed me to two houses. It also works and as you can see I fully use it!.

Both Charles and Ray Eames (1907-1978 and 1912-1988) loved designing for children. As well as their furniture and architectural projects, they developed toys, games, puzzles and children's furniture like the jolly Hang-It-All.

Designed in 1953, the Hang-It-All was produced using the same welding technology with which the Eames had designed their famous Wire Chairs. The wire framework and brightly coloured wooden balls were intended to hang children's clothes, toys, and bags.

BEST OF BRITISH - KANDYA - FRANK GUILLE - CARL JACOBS

2010-03-01T03:39:00.000-08:00

After the war, the age of utility was replaced by a youthful new look in art and design, influenced by Italy, America and the fresh but restrained Scandinavian look. As the various strands in British art and design converged, British contemporary took on a cohesive identity of its own in textiles, pottery, glass, appliances and furniture.
'These new design attitudes were polarised in the 1951 Festival of Britain, where constructions could be experimental and dramatic and designers were liberated from commercial constraints. Manufacturers began to employ young designers and the so-called Contemporary Style emerged, especially in domestic interiors and products.'

Kandya manufacturer of British furniture was at the forefront employing designers such as Frank Guille and Carl Jacobs and continued to make what is now seen as highly collectable mid-century modern/retro bristish furniture.

Kandya
of Silverdale Road, Hayes, Middlesex. Telephone: Hayes 1931

* 1947 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Dinner, Tea and Table Trolleys with Heat and alcohol Resisting Trays. Stainless Steel Top Kitchen, Restaurant or Canteen Tables. Executives Wood and Plastic Desk Blisterproof Top. Plastic Kitchen Storage Cupboards. (Earls Court, 1st Floor, Stand No. 784)

* c1955 Frank Guille 611 room divider, for Kandya Ltd. Painted metal frame, agba wood, painted and veneered plywood, mahogany, glass and plastic laminate.

* 1956 Kandya Kitchen.

* 1959 Patent - Improvements in or relating to stacking chairs.

* 1961 Patent - Improvements in or relating to cabinets.

* 1968 Kandya Ltd formed a jointly owned company with D. Meredew Ltd. To be known as Kandya Meredew Ltd it was established to rationalise and increase both companies' export business. Kandya already exported 31 per cent of its furniture although Meredew had bigger resources. Kandya now used the large Meredew showroom in Ridgmount Place, which also housed the offices of the new company. Meredew's Planning Unit, also worked on export designs for the new company. As part of its concentration on exports, the new company specialised in furniture for hotels and oil companies. Kandya had considerable experience in package deals in these two areas, supplying diverse ranges of furniture on site: jobs included bedroom cabinet furniture for the Teheran Hilton, and all the furnishings for the Esso bachelor houses at Marsa Brega in Libya.

Model C3 'Jason chair Jacobs & Guille for Kandya 1953, C32 breakfast stool Frank Guille for Kandya Ltd, 1958, Model 374 table Paul K. Bridston, Kandya Ltd, Hayes. c. 1950. Drop leaf kitchen table Paul K Bridson for Kandya Ltd Early 1950's, Sideboard Paul K. Bridson for Kandya Ltd mid 1950s, Trimma cabinet Frank Guille for Kandya Ltd Designed 1956

Ref:
http://www.homespunvintagedesign.co.uk

SOMETHING NEW

2010-02-08T10:23:00.003-08:00

Brooklyn mid-century style range at Littlewoods

Not one to do a post on budget modern furniture but seeing this on http://www.retrotogo.com/

I had to post their post a similar post, I do think with their nod to mid-century design and clean danish almost like lines and fine details, i do think they will be gems of the future, although i cannot vouch for their quality.

Prices range from £84 for a lamp table up to £211 for a sideboard.

See the range

http://www.littlewoods.com/rf/s.do?Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nu=this_product&Np=1&Nty=1&Ntk=generic_search&Ntt=brooklyn

RIP - LUCIENNE DAY - THE BEST IN BRITISH DESIGN - January 5, 1917 / January 30, 2010

2010-02-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

It is with sadness that I have just heard another great designer and Icon has recently passed away. One cannot think of British design without thinking of the Days. They were ground breaking, trend setting before the word was even invented and inspirational to many designers.

Lucienne Day was the wife of furniture designer Robin Day. The Days, considered to be Britain's most celebrated designer couple of the post-war era, were married from 1942. They are often compared to their American counterparts, Charles and Ray Eames.

The development of their styles can be traced in Lesley Jackson's book Robin and Lucienne Day, published in 2001. An exhibition of Lucienne Day's textiles and Robin Day's furniture, 'Robin and Lucienne Day: Design and the Modern Interior', will be held in Spring 2011 at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester - the city where the Days retired.

Here is a clip from the orbiturary by the Guardian please click on the link below for the full article.

Lucienne Day, who has died aged 93, was the foremost British textile designer of her period. Day's furnishing fabrics, of which the most famous was the Festival of Britain abstract pattern Calyx, hung in every "contemporary" living room in Britain. The reality of "art for the people", dreamed about by the Victorian William Morris, was finally achieved by a female designer in the middle of the 20th century.

Lucienne drew on the English tradition of patterns based on plant forms that went back as far as Morris. She took motifs drawn from nature – flowers, grasses, shoots, the intricate patterns of the landscape – and transformed them into something absolutely new. Part of their success was the implied message of regrowth and optimism for a Britain only just recovering from war.

She was also deeply influenced by European abstract painting. Her textiles speak the visual language of Kandinsky, Miró and Klee. It pleased her to think that people who could not afford to buy a painting for their living room could at least own a pair of abstract patterned curtains. Many of Day's printed fabrics were made in long production runs, which kept the price affordable. She made the link between mass production and fine art.

Born Désirée Lucienne Conradi, she was brought up in the comfortable south London suburbs. Her mother was English and her father Belgian. She went to a convent school and always kept a distinctly continental reticence and chic. From a very early age she was focused on designing, and studied at Croydon School of Art and then, from 1937 to 1940, at the Royal College of Art. It was there, in her final year, that she first met the furniture designer Robin Day.

Decades later they were still, very touchingly, describing that meeting as the start of a true romance. Perhaps the secret lay in Lucienne's professional autonomy. Their partnership was often, wrongly, compared to that of their contemporary American designers Charles and Ray Eames. Ray Eames's professional work was merged with, and in some degree subsidiary to, her husband's, whereas Lucienne's career was always distinct.

Lucienne set out on her career at a period when design was only just beginning to emerge as a recognisable profession. In that sense she was a pioneer. Her first freelance designs were for dress fabrics. But she quickly moved into the more democratic area of furnishing fabrics, broadening her scope to include carpets, wallpapers and table linens. Her work formed part of what she later described as a "tremendous surge of vitality" after the war. Her success was part and parcel of the Homes for the People movement, the Britain Can Make It exhibition, and the proselytising spirit of the Council of Industrial Design.

Calyx, the first design that brought her real fame, was exhibited at the Festival of Britain in 1951. A large expanse of it hung in the Homes and Gardens pavilion, in the "contemporary" dining room designed by Robin. The pattern of free-floating cusps or mushroom caps, Lucienne's fresh interpretation of the geometry of nature, was screen-printed on linen. The original colouring – so redolent of the festival – was sharp yellow, orange, black and white on an olive ground.
Lucienne Day fabric Calyx, the fabric design that brought her fame

Heal's Fabrics were the manufacturers of Calyx. So unconfident were they of its success that they paid only half of the £20 that Lucienne had wanted to charge for the design. They had the decency to pay her the other £10 later, once the pattern had won a gold medal at the Milan Triennale and the international design award of the American Institute of Decorators. Day was the first British designer ever to have won this very influential American award.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/feb/03/lucienne-day-obituary

THINGS IN MY HOME - DUALIT TOASTER

2010-02-01T05:48:00.001-08:00

Continuing with items in my home am working through the kitchen at the moment and if there ever was a Best of British it has to be the Dualit toaster. Dualit’s classic toasters are a design icon. Built for commercial use, they have since won numerous consumer accolades and come in a range of variants, sizes and colours. From the Vario to the enhanced NewGen and the more specialised Sandwich, Combi and Bun toasters, they all share the same timeless styling, reliability and Dualit design features. Engineered to produce the best toast in the world, Dualit toasters are still built by hand in the UK, with the assembler’s stamp on every base plate. So whether you’re a toast aficionado at home, or a professional caterer needing to produce 80 toasted sandwiches an hour, we can guarantee that one of our Dualit toasters will be perfect for you.

It trully does make the perfect toast and its design is simply iconic.

BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN - WILLIAM PLUNKETT

2010-01-20T02:04:00.000-08:00

I phoned Mr Plunkett up once to ask if he ever had designed a coffee table that was the opposite to his coulsden table and ended up talking to him for an hour, he was a lovely man and very interesting. He no longer makes furniture and now only does sculptures, but he has left a legacy, which I feel makes him one of Britians best Modern furniture designers.

William Plunkett was a gunner with 12 years of army service behind him; now he is an internationally known designer and maker of modern furniture and the winner of two ColD Design Awards in one year. Appropriately enough, the award winning Reigate rocking chair- now something of a classic-formed the basis of the first range of furniture marketed by Mr Plunkett and, with its twin award-winning Coulsdon table, typifies his approach to the design of furniture.

The first rocking chair was produced as a result of a Kennedy-inspired request from Mr Plunkett's father-in-law, and was designed and developed in the way that the designer still works. After sketching out some basic ideas Mr Plunkett used his own mastery of metal-working to make two or three prototypes. After thus perfecting the method of construction and ensuring that the chair was comfortable, Mr Plunkett himself made the first few chairs to meet orders from friends. Later, the frames were bought from a sub-contractor, with the designer keeping a very close check on quality. All his furniture is still designed and made in this way, with assembly, finishing and checking being done by the designer's own staff.
With the rocking chair Mr Plunkett took special care to make sure that the centre of gravity was placed so that the chair can be rocked or kept at a particular comfortable angle. The thinness of the cushions belies the comfort of the chair, for Pirelli webbing provides a great deal of the necessary give; back support is particularly good. Made by William Plunkett Limited, Croydon. Designed by William Plunkett, MSIA.

Mr Plunkett's design career began slowly; "I spent six months after leaving the army turning down all the usual kind of jobs offered by the army resettlement office.. Then one day I said I liked drawing and was promptly sent to the Council of Industrial Design. The ColD recommended a design course, and I went to the Kingston School of Art to study basic design and, later, furniture design and sculpture. I then worked for a time as a designer with A. and R. Duckworth Ltd." William Plunkett Ltd was founded in January 1963.

This high-backed version of the Reigate rocking chair has won the award. It has a steel frame finished in dark grey nylon coating and the seat and back supports are polished and anodised aluminium alloy. Upholstery is to the customer's orders; the polyether foam cushions are thin because Pirelli webbing provides the necessary give. The upholstery fabric is secured internally to prevent rucking. The whole chair is carefully balanced so that it can be rocked or kept at a comfortable angle.
ble angle.

This 1966 design is part of a system of similarly-designed items that can be used separately or as super-cool modular items (should you have a long wall to fill), this one featuring a high back, anodised aluminium legs and upholstered foam 'barrels' for that distinctive shape and comfort. if that's a bit too simple, armrests are available as an option

THINGS IN MY HOME - PATRICK HUGHES ORIGINAL SCREENPRINT

2010-01-16T01:07:00.001-08:00

I came across this original signed screenprint at a car boot in London and snapped it up as I loved it. I then went onto the internet and looked Patrick Hughes up. I decided to phone him and chat to him about his work. He was a lovely man and very friendly, so friendly he sent me a signed book of his with a lovely postcard in it. Since then I have collected a few of his prints. I particularly like his work from 1970 - 1980. I think he is up there with other British Op artist's of the time, including Paolozzi and Tilson, Terry Frost.

Patrick Hughes was born in Birmingham, England in October 1939. His first exhibition was in 1961 and his first reverspective was made in 1964. He has been exhibiting with Angela Flowers Gallery since 1970.

Hughes' early works were often playful, putting things back to front or squashing them flat, like Clown (1963) and Liquorice Allsorts (1960), setting words against images, like One Two (1962), or against themselves, like Tick Cross (1962). He explored visual oxymorons and paradoxes.[1] His fascination with the illusion of perspective began with works like Infinity (1963), Three Doors (1964) and The Space Ruler (1965).

In the 1970s Hughes hung his investigations of perception and illusion on the motif of the rainbow in a series of prints and paintings, such as Pile of Rainbows (1973), Prison Rainbow (1973) and Leaning on a Landscape (1979). Later prints like Leaf Art (1975) and paintings like Realistic Paint (1977) expressed similar interests with colour.[2]

His first "reverse perspective" or "reverspective" was Sticking Out Room (1964), which was a life-size room for the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in 1970. He returned to explore the possibilities of reverspective in 1990 with Up the Line and Down the Road (1991) [1] Since then, his reverspectives have been shown in London, New York, Santa Monica, Seoul, Chicago, Munich and Toronto.

RIP - ARNE VODDER - THE BEST IN DANISH DESIGN - 1926 / 2009

2010-01-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Hi all I have just read that one of the Greatest Danish Designers has passed away on the December the 27th. He was Arne Vodder, a true innovator in his use of colour and a master cabinet maker if there ever was one. Rest in Peace your designs will live on forever.

Danish architect and designer Arne Vodder should be counted among the most influential Scandinavian mid-century designers. His beautiful designs were nicely detailed and modest in their expression, almost without exception based on natural materials. Rosewood and teak - according to the fashion at the time - seem to have been the preferred materials. Today, Vodder is perhaps most appreciated for his beautiful rosewood and teak sideboards designed in the 1950-1960's and produced by Sibast

BEST OF DANISH DESIGN - HANS J WEGNER

2009-12-30T04:09:00.000-08:00

There is no disputing it, he is the Grand Daddy, The Godfather of Danish Design. Hans J Wegner!. With an almost limitless design catalogue one can see why. A true original never probably to be surpassed.

Hans Jørgen Wegner, (April 2, 1914 - January 26, 2007), was one of the most innovative and prolific of all Danish furniture designers that made mid-century Danish design internationally popular. His work belongs to a modernist school that preserves function. He is probably best known for his many chairs of genuine craftmanship.

He worked as an assistant to Erik Møller and Arne Jacobsen until 1943, helping on their design for the Århus Town Hall, and adding some of his own furniture. In 1943 he opened his own office and came out with the Chinese chair which, along with his 1949 "Round" chair would provide the basis for many of his later chairs.

Interiors magazine, in America, put the Round chair on the cover in 1950 and called it 'the world's most beautiful chair,' catapulting Wegner into international fame and sparking a profitable export market. It became known simply as,The Chair and began making high profile appearances like the televised 1961 presidential debates between Nixon and Kennedy . Of the design Wegner said, "many foreigners have asked me how we made the Danish style. And I've answered that it...was rather a continuous process of purification, and for me of simplification, to cut down to the simplest possible elements of four legs, a seat and combined top rail and arm rest."

While "the Chair" is the probably the chief icon of Wegner's career, and a form that he revisits often, he is responsible for a number of other designs. He and Johannes Hansen exhibited a joint project at the Cabinetmakers show every year from 1941-66, Wegner claiming that it was "more like a game...we had to have something to display every autumn." His own chair designs from those decades, manufactured primarily today by PP Møbler, were made with the modern, sculptural idea that they could stand on their own, rather than as parts of a furniture set. The Peacock chair from 1947, with a slatted back rest fanning out to evoke the bird's plume, was inspired by the traditional "Windsor" chair. His 1949 Folding Chair hung on the wall, and his Shell chair from the same year experimented with curving the wood in three dimensions to form the seat. The multi-purpose Valet Chair, designed in 1953, had elements for hanging up or storing each piece of a Mans Suit. The backrest is carved to be used as a coat hanger, pants can be hung on a rail at the edge of the seat and everything else can be stowed in a storage space underneath the seat.

Inspired by classical portraits of Danish merchants sitting in Ming chairs, Wegner created series of chairs that helped establish Denmark as an international leader of modern design. Of this seies the Wishbone Chair is widely considered to be his most successful design.

In the early 1960s he came out with several variations on the Bull chair which came with or without horns, and was a fine example of the line Wegner could masterfully walk between elegance and playfulness. "We must take care," he once said, "that everything doesn't get so dreadfully serious. We must play - but we must play seriously." In his later years he continued to design chairs and has also worked with lighting, such as the Pole lamp created in 1976 with his daughter Marianne. A true craftsman, Wegner stated that, "the chair does not exist. The good chair is a task one is never completely done with."

World renowned for blending a variety of natural material in his classic designs, Hans Wegner has received many international accolades for his work, among them : "the Triennale" 1951, 1954 and 1957; "Royal Society of Arts" London 1959; "Citations of Merit" Pratt Institute, New York 1959 and the "International Design award", New York, 1957.

In June 1997 Wegner was awarded an Honary Doctorate by the The Royal College of Art in London.

Hans J. Wegner died in Copenhagen 26th January 2007 at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

THINGS IN MY HOME - TAUNO WIRKKALA

2009-12-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

I started collecting these bowls when I bought one in a carboot once. The one I have in the kitchen is massive and is just so beautiful to look at. The range is called 'Northern Lights' and was designed for the glass firm Humppila. They came in clear, green, red and blue and in different sizes.

Tauno Wirkkala , died 2005, born in Finland, a brother of famous Tapio Wirkkala, is known as the versatile genius of design.

Humppila Glass is part of Iittala group.

Humppila Glass is conveniently situated on Route 2 in the middle of the picturesque Häme countryside. It is easy to stop off there on your way from Helsinki to Pori. For even the most rushed traveller, the efficient and well cared for Humppila Glass is the place to take a peep at the fascinating world of glass.

BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN - ROBERT HERITAGE

2009-11-20T01:27:00.000-08:00

A true best of British is Robert Heritage, beautiful and dateless designs using the most expensive materials of the day. Retailed by Heals what more can you ask for. Robert Heritage was born in Birmingham, England, on 2 November 1927. He studied at Birmingham College of Art (1942-46) and the Royal College of Art, London (1942-51). He then worked as designer for the London-based furniture manufacturer G.W. Evans (1951-53). In 1953 Heritage set up his own studio with his wife, Dorothy Heritage [formerly Dorothy Shaw] who had also studied at the RCA. He subsequently worked as a designer and consultant for a number of manufacturers including G.W. Evans [with Dorothy Heritage), Beaver & Tapley, Shannon, Slumberland, Race Furniture and Archie Shine. In addition to his work as a furniture designer, Heritage has also designed lighting for Concord, Rotaflex, GEC and Tecnolyte, stainless steel cutlery for Yote Manufacturing Company, and clocks for Smiths Industries and English Clock Systems. Heritage taught at Twickenham School of Art, London (1953-55) and was professor of furniture design at the Royal College of Art (1974-85). He was made a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) by the Royal Society of Arts in 1963 and was a Fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists and Designers (FSIAD). DESIGN RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS ©Robert Heritage

Robert Heritage first worked with Gordon Russell in 1969, and was responsible for the GR69 range a group of furniture for both living and dining room areas.

He subsequently designed a range of modular upholstered seating for public areas. Heritage for Heals
Robert Heritage's latest work for Heals - a rosewood dining-room range - is an amalgam of well considered design with first class materials and workmanship. Report he Ilse Gray, photographs by Mike Goss.
The newest furniture to emerge from Heal's Islington factory is a range by Robert Heritage to be put on the market in July. Although commissioned by Heal Furniture, Robert Heritage preferred to work without an initial brief. The total shape of the units has come purely from the structure - for instance, the curves on which the tambour runs most smoothly has determined the depth of the cabinet. For convenience, the pieces are described as a dining-room range, but the Units are designed for use anywhere in the house and would be equally at home in the living-room or bedroom. Also it is hoped to make the range available in ash or beech as well as rosewood - and mahogany and to extend the number of pieces. Mr Heritage is also designing a matching chair.

The range at present consists of a dining-table and a series of three roll-top storage units, available as free-standing cabinets or in a one, two or three unit combination. The table is made of solid rosewood and has a folding and sliding central extension leaf. It measures 3 ft x 4 ft 6 in closed (6 ft 6 in open) and is 2 ft 4.5 in high. The storage units are 2 ft 6 in x 1 ft 8 in deep with an overall height of 2 ft 10 in. They are made of solid rosewood with a dark-stained mahogany tambour roll-top and backs and interiors finished in white plastics laminate. The bureau unit has two drawers, white pigeonholes and pull-out rosewood writing-shelf. Of the other two units, one is for drinks, the other is an open carcass with an optional shelf. Cabinet handles are of black leather.

Both table and units are available with a choice of two base frames. Either dark-stained mahogany T-shaped legs and cross pieces, or - the more successful solution of the two - bent tubular steel legs set into a wooden base, also with wooden cross pieces. In the case of the cabinet each leg is bent into a U-shape from one piece of tubular steel, whereas the table legs are made from two bent tubes. In both cases the tube is fixed by bolting through and there is no welding involved. The roll-top openings on the storage units, apart from being attractive to look at and making a pleasant change from sliding or hinged doors, have the advantage of unrestricted access from front and top. The table base does not get in the way of legs and allows for unrestricted seating.

THINGS IN MY HOME - Shuichiro Koizumi Zumi Stool

2009-11-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

I love modern furniture as much as I love vintage furniture. Here is a piece I bought a couple of months ago. Designed in Japan, engineered in the US, and made in Europe, the Zumi Stool is truly a global product. As much origami as furniture, this stool is formed by three identical parts that cleverly interlock to create an elegant occasional seat.
14.5 diameter x 15.5h, Molded ply with birch veneer.
Design:
Shuichiro Koizumi
Manufacturer:
Offi

Shuichiro Koizumi is a young Japanese designer brought the attention of OFFI & Company by a top dealer in Tokyo. He was actually an employee of the retailer, and the owner was so taken by his design for the Zumi Stool, that he asked OFFI to develop it.

The Zumi Stool has been a big hit in Shuichiro's home town - Tokyo, and arguably an excellent piece here in the U.S. with features in the Museum of Modern Art Catalog, and 50 independent design shops across the nation.

BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN - ERIC LYONS

2009-11-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

Most desired is his bent ply chair. Eric Lyons was born in 1912. His father was a toy designer.In 1930 he was articled to the architect Stanley Beard while attending evening classes at Regents Street Polytechnic (where he met Townsend). After qualifying he worked for T.P. Bennett and then Gropius and Fry. In 1938 he designed a small office behind the Odeon, Leicester Square for Andrew Mather. Later that year Lyons and Townsend formed an architectural practice. During the War Lyons worked for Harry Weedon designing factories and hostels. After the War he resumed his practice with Townsend. The housing scheme he devised with Townsend in1948 in Twickenham demonstrated how the landscaping of the common space could provide a visual link between the four maisonette blocks.

During the 1940’s Lyons designed the best selling Tecta Range for the furniture manufacturer Packet. With Townsend as developer and Lyons as consultant architect the building of Parkleys begun in 1954.By the early 1960’s Lyons had designed housing schemes for SPAN at Blackheath, Beckenham, Twickenham, Teddington, Putney and Cambridge. Eric Lyons and Partners had also been involved in the design of high density housing estates for local authorities in London and Southampton. Lyons approach was all embracing. He believed that the architect should provide a service to society. Lyons was convinced that residents’ societies helped engender a sense of belonging and community. Lyons performed the function of ‘architectural generalist’ taking an active involvement in the design, town planning and landscaping requirements of the SPAN housing schemes.

Photos courtesy of: HOMESPUNVITNAGE, CONCRETE BOX, PATCH ROGERS

THINGS IN MY HOME - KITCHEN - ARNE JACOBSEN ANT CHAIR

2009-10-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

Trully striking and comfortable. The Ant chair is a classic of modern chair design. It was designed in 1952 by Arne Jacobsen for use in the canteen of the Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk. The Ant ("Myren" in Danish) was named for its approximate similarity to the outline of an ant with its head raised.

The chair was designed to be light, stable, easy to stack up, and to minimise tangling the user's feet. The original model had three plastic legs and a seat made from form-moulded laminated veneer; Novo ordered just 300 of them. They were manufactured by Fritz Hansen. The chair has since proved very popular although the plastic in the legs was replaced by tubular steel, and a version with four legs was also made.

Arne Emil Jacobsen (11 February 1902 – 24 March 1971) was a Danish architect and designer, exemplar of the 'Danish Modern' style. In addition to his architectural work he created a number of highly original chairs and other furniture. He received several international distinctions and medals.

Arne Jacobsen´s designs came into existence as brief sketches and were then modelled in plaster or cardboard in full size. He kept on working until his revolutionary ideas for new furniture had been realized at the utmost perfection. The "Ant" from 1952 became the starting point of his world fame as a furniture designer and became the first of a number of lightweight chairs with seat and back in one oiece of moulded wood.

Model "3107" from 1955 is often merely called " The Number Seven Chair". It was launched in beech, black and white. The colour scale has through the years been further developed by a.o. the Danish architect Verner Panton and the Danish painter Poul Gernes 1925-96 and today includes a variety of colours in lacquer or lazure as well as beech, maple, ash, and cherry. "3107" has become the most important success in Danish furniture history - manufactured in more than 5 million copies.

The Royal Hotel 1956-61, situated in Copenhagen, is one of Arne Jacobsen´s masterpieces. For the decoration of the hotel he designed several pieces of furniture, lamps and fabrics, and also cutlery, glasses, and door handles. As significant counterpoints to the stiffly upright, monumental building his easy chair, the "Swan" and the "Egg", stand out as organic sculptures.

During the 1960´es Arne Jacobsen turned to forms as the circle, cylinder, triangle, and cubus. On the whole, his mind as an architect began to influence his design. Both the stainless steel tableware set "Cylinda-Line" and the lamp series "AJ" reflect this. Common to all Arne Jacobsen´s designs is that they have become international design classics.

"The Ant" and "The Number Seven" ´chairs made Arne Jacobsen world famous as a furniture designer and made Fritz Hansen an international manufacturer of design and quality furniture. Fritz Hansen´s collection of timeless furniture includes both well-known Danish classics and more recent furniture series designed by Danish and international designers.

THE BEST DANISH SIDEBOARD - IB KOFOD LARSEN - MODEL FA66 FAARUP MOBELFABRIK

2009-10-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

I know its a big statement to say, but after a while you realise which is the most desired by both us and the Danes. After having a few to sell as well I can totally see why. It is beautiful, well proportion and elegant. The use of Rosewood matching grain is striking, it was also designed in Oak, Teak and mahogany. The invisible handles are ingenious and it is as modern today as the day it was built a true reflection on its designer IB KOFOD LARSEN and its manufacturer, Faarup Moblefabrik.

Retails in Denmark and UK from £1500 - £2500

BEST OF DANISH DESIGN - BORGE MOGENSEN

2009-10-12T01:33:00.000-07:00

Børge Mogensen (April 13, 1914 in Aalborg - October 5, 1972 in Gentofte), was a Danish furniture designer.
He was one of the most important among a generation of furniture designers who made the concept of “Danish design” known throughout the world. Together with colleagues such as Arne Jacobsen and Hans Wegner, Mogensen created international respect for Danish furniture design, and his simple and functional designs have for more than half a century enjoyed worldwide demand.

Børge Mogensen (1914–1972) started his career as a cabinetmaker in 1934. In 1936 he went on to study at the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts under Professor Kaare Klint before entering the Royal Academy of Fine Arts from where he graduated as an architect in 1942.

He became head of design at FDB (the Danish co-op) in 1942 before establishing his own design office in 1950.

During his years at the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts the young Mogensen developed a close partnership with his mentor Kaare Klint and subsequently also assumed Klint’s approach to simple and functional furniture design. Later on Mogensen was to work as Klint’s teaching assistant at the Royal Academy.

Functional is the word which best describes Børge Mogensen’s design. The majority of his furniture was designed with industrial production in mind and is characterized by strong and simple lines. His true genius is to be found in his almost scientific analysis of the functionality of a piece of furniture.

A smaller but essential part of Mogensen’s work was the cabinetmade pieces, one of them being “the Hunting chair” from 1950 made by Erhard Rasmussen. A simple low easy chair with an oak frame from where the strong natural leather seat and back is stretched.

Other important pieces include “The Spokeback Sofa” designed in 1945, which with its lightness and simple, open construction differed from most sofas at the time, and “The Spanish Chair” from 1959, a low, robust easy chair.

By the end of the decade, however, Mogensen had re-embraced a more straightforward functionalism that Klaus Meedom, writing about the Cabinetmaker's exhibit, said was "so strict that he has to violate his own rules to be able to breathe freely." A redesigned "Spanish" chair in 1959 was praised for its elegance and materials. He designed a set of simple, sturdy and modest furniture for a seaside cottage in 1959, a very traditional oak table and chair set in 1960 and a set in pine to furnish a "husband's study" in 1962. Mogensen also collaborated extensively with weaver Lis Ahlmann on textile designs, and, after Klint's death in 1954, succeeded him as designer to the Danish Museum of Decorative Art.

BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN - PIEFF

2009-09-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

The Pieff furniture company is a well-renowned, family-run business which operated during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Based in Lye, in the Black Country area of the west Midlands, Mr Bates ran the company with his two sons, both designing and making modern timepieces which still look great today.

Pieff furniture was a very big company in the sixties. It described itself at that time as

"Luxury furniture of the late 20th Century, characterized by its original design, flowing lines and usual blending of striking materials. Now used loosely to describe any design which is ahead of its time"

One of their main and earliest collections was the Eleganza Chairs, of which we often have many in stock.

They are described as (by Pieff):

"A collection of peace loving chairs. Solid mirror chromed steel, classically matched with soft wool fabric cushions. Or leather. Or suede. Group Eleganza around the dining or conference table"

Another piece from Pieff is the Crown dining table, described as

"Through smoky circle of glass the Crown table reflects the shape of things to come in every gleaming mirrored panel"

Another Pieff piece is the Eleganza T.T described as:

"Style is a specialty of the house. Lustrous chrome columns support straight or gently bowed table tops of black or brown ash or beautifully grained rosewood. The choice is so tempting, maybe you should make room for all of them"

"The Pieff collection reflects a certain lifestyle. A privileged one we admit. But then, Pieff is very exclusive furniture. A fact which is recognised not just in Britain, but through-out the world. Our designers are as individual as the people who own them. And our originality can be seen in each addition to our collection. Inspired ideas bring together exciting shapes, contrasting materials, textures and tones. The results are classically simple in concept, utterly modern in execution. The designer's imagination is matched only by the craftsman's consummate skill. And to complement both, we ensure that everything that goes into making Pieff furniture is of the finest quality. The touch is unmistakable. Which is why it may suprise you to learn that not everybody is impressed with the Pieff collection. But, of course, not everybody can afford to be."
Sold in Harrods and Heals and other high end furniture shops it was seen as quite exclusive. The used high quality materials, Brazilian Rosewood, leather, chrome and pirelli webbing. It has a touch of Hollywood regency to it and compliments most modern decor. A true best of British and definitely an antique for the future. Ranges included Eleganza, Lisse, beta, Mandarin, Gamma, Edel, T.T

THINGS IN MY HOME - MY LIVING ROOM

2009-09-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to taking pics of the Living room which has many of the featured items of things in my home. I hate the pine, which will be the next mammoth job of painting white! Other wise its coming together I think
!

RESTORATION EAMES FIBERGLASS SHELL CHAIR

2009-09-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a blue shell for ages for my living room and I found quite a battered one on ebay in america, it had holes drilled in the middle, terrible grey paint on the rear and missing shocks. Soooo I bought it at a reasonable price, but still had to pay an extra £20 on top because the customs charged me, even though it was sent as a gift. Anyhows, it arrived looking worse than I thought, but I new that I could lovingly restore it. Here are the pics in its bought condition.

So then I went onto trusty ebay and purchased some new shocks

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ORIGINAL-STYLE-EAMES-CHAIR-PARTS-SHOCK-MOUNTS-MOUNT_W0QQitemZ320423980595QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAntiques_Furniture?hash=item4a9ac1ee33&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

then decided that I would really like the cats cradle base, which was proving harder to find. Justin at http://www.pink-flamingos.co.uk/ did me the honour of ordering one in for me.

Now onto the chair, I did a browse on the internet and found these two blogs about restoring the chairs, which both worked out to be pretty good. I only changed a few things and used a few British products.

CHAIR FAG
http://chairfag.com/?p=3

BRICK HOUSE
http://trickmybrick.blogspot.com/

First thing was to sand the paint off the reverse, this was done outside by hand with various different grades of sand paper and finished off with a wet sand (it only took and hour and half and as said on the blogs is very itchy. I had to give it a light sand around the Herman Miller stamp as this too would have been sanded off. Finally it revealed a lovely blue fiberglass colour. The front of the shell had over the years gone to an almost aquamarine blue colour.

mmm... to fill those holes.... what to do.. I basically made a paste of wall filler, glue and poster paint to match colour, mixed it all together and filled the holes. I waited for it to dry and then sanded it off the front and then give the front of the shell also a light wet sand, they where solid and only a slight indentation to show there was holes there.

On the previous blogs they had used PENETROL to bring back the colour of the fiberglass and seal it with a glossy finish. I couldn't find this in the UK but after much searching on the internet found a boat substitute called OWATROL OIL. I also tried LINSEED OIL but it didn't quite restore the colour or seal it as well as the OWATROL OIL. I then left it for two days to dry. I glued the new mounts on and then fitted the base and here we have it!!!!!!!.

Finally I bought a Harry Bertoia seat cushion from ebay in america again, they fit almost perfectly on the chairs, truthfully as much as I love these chairs they are not that comfortable for sitting in!! and now its in my living room.

THINGS IN MY HOME - STILNOVO LAMPS, eduardo paolozzi, PENGUIN DONKEY ERNEST RACE, MURANO, teak monkey, VICTOR VASARELY, MARCO SPALATIN

2009-09-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Few more items in my lounge which I have collected over the years, am particularly passionate about original signed screen prints and serigraphs. Which I try and pick up from Ebay. Here's a few brief historys on the designers.

Victor Vasarely, born Hungarian: Vásárhelyi Győző (9 April 1906[1], Pécs - 15 March 1997, Paris) was a Hungarian French artist whose work is generally seen aligned with Op-art. Zebra, created by Vasarely in the 1930s, is considered by some to be one of the earliest examples of Op-art. Vasarely died in Paris in 1997.

Ernest Race achieved national acclaim during the 1950's with his unique, forward thinking furniture designs. The Antelope chair, featured at the Festival of Britain in 1951, reflected the spirit of the age. With it's slender steel rod frame and balled feet, the Antelope chair echoed the scientific progress of the era into molecular physics. Ernest Race's Antelope chair is considered a classic and furniture design and is highly sought after.

In 1954, Ernest Race was awarded the Gold Medal at the Milan Triennale (the Italian “temple” of design) for his BA3 chair, which was designed 9 years earlier. The BA3 dining chairs were, for ease of assembly and shipping, made up of seven interchangeable parts. Initially made from sand-cast aluminium, and later made from die-cast aluminium, the BA3 chair was at the cutting edge of post-war design. Ernest Race excelled in a time when Scandinavian designers had seemingly cornered the market.

Murano glass has been a famous product of the Venetian island of Murano for centuries. Located off the shore of Venice, Italy, Murano was a commercial port as far back as the 7th century. By the 10th century it had become a well-known city of trade. Today Murano remains a destination for tourists and art and jewellery lovers alike.

BEST OF DANISH DESIGN - KAI KRISTIANSEN

2009-08-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Kai Kristiansen
Kristiansens designs are true examples of Danish mid twentieth century furniture. He designed everything from writing desks, tables, sideboards, chair, bar cabinets, TV- stands, mostly using teak or rosewood. His 1960s sofa set consists of two corner chairs, one center chair with stool, which can be used in different configurations. The frames of the chairs are beautifully curved rosewood. The majority where made with the firm Feldballes Møbelfabrik was established in Århus, Denmark and was active in the 1950s. One of the highlights of its production was based on the cooperation with furniture designer Kai Kristiansen - the so-called FM system, or "FM-reolen". This elegant and highly flexible shelving system was made of oak or rosewood. He is one to watch and collect. Simply beautiful dateless design.

THINGS IN MY HOME - CHRISTIAN DELL / KAISER-IDELL Luxus desk lamp

2009-08-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Christian Dell, Kaiser-Idell Bauhaus Lamp
German
circa 1930's
Fine & original Christian Dell Bauhaus desk lamp for Kaiser-Idell. This is model 6631 "Luxus". Black shade, chrome and black base, adjustable at the base and at the shade, labeled Kaiser-Idell on the shade.

Silversmith, designer and teacher. In the years from 1907-11 Christian Dell served his apprenticeship as a silversmith at the ”Sächsische Kunstgewerbeschule“ in Hanau. From 1912-13 he studied at the ”Sächsische Kunstgewerbeschule“ in Weimar under the leadership of Henry Van de Velde. 1922-25 he worked as a supervisor at the Metallwerkstatt Bauhaus Weimar. In 1926 Christian Dell was promoted to principal of the Metallwerkstatt at the ”Frankfurter Kunstschule”. Shortly after the National Socialists Party took over Germany in 1933 the Frankfurter Kunstschule was shut down and Christian Dell was dismissed. Christian Dell went into hiding, however, stayed in Germany. After the WW ll Christian Dell returned to his profession as silversmith. In 1948 he opened a jeweller's shop in Wiesbaden, which he successfully kept until 1955. Christian Dell then retired and lived a quiet life in Wiesbaden until his death in 1974. In the period from 1926-34 Christian Dell designed numerous lamps and recorded his biggest success, the famous KAISER idell, in cooperation with the lighting manufacturer Gebr. Kaiser & Co. in Neheim, Germany.

"idell" stands for the idea of Christian Dell, principal of the "Metallwerkstatt "in Weimar 1922 to 1925.
As Bauhaus designer Christian Dell became one of the leading characters behind the innovative and pioneering designs in the early 1930‘ies Bauhaus era. Dell’s influence was trend setting and visible in many designs throughout decades.
Christian Dell’ s KAISER idell series was and still is timeless. The series was produced throughout many years and its uniqueness is to compare with the German design icons: VW Beetle and Ferdinand Porsches model 911.
Christian Dell’s lamp designs are exhibited at the "Museum of Modern Art" in New York.

BEST OF DANISH DESIGN - HANS OLSEN

2009-08-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

A much collected and desired Danish designer is Hans Olsen. Very little is written about him. He was designing innovative furniture from 150 - 1970. His Frem Rojle dining set is probably his most well know and desired item. Genius design with three legged legs that fit perfectly underneath the table. Great for those small spaces. All his designs have good organic shape and are only sure to increase in value.

THINGS IN MY HOME - BITOSSI - ALDO LONDI

2009-08-01T03:16:00.000-07:00

ALDO LONDI -
The most important figure for the success of Ceramica Bitossi was that of the master Aldo Londi. With his originality and intuitions he marked a characteristic period in the ceramic history. Among the lines he created, we can remember in particular the line Rimini Blu, for which the Ceramica Bitossi is known all over the world.

My personal favourite of the many extensive ranges that Londi did for Italian firm Bitossi, is the Rimini Blue collection. Many of his designs have been reissued, but items can still be picked up for pennies on ebay.

BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN - ERCOL

2009-07-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

Ercol furniture is beautifully made and has classic mid-century modern stamped all over it. The windsor range is the most collected by retro lovers and light elm is the colour most desired. Items that have not been reissued fetch the higher prices such as the Daybed and the desk and room divider. It is probably only a matter of time before these design classics are reissued. The japanese love Ercol and buy it in their droves. Margaret Howell picked up on it and worked with Ercol to reissue some of their classics. One of my favourite British brands, it is beautifully made and has quality stamped all over it.

In 1920 a young designer called Lucian Ercolani started his own business in High Wycombe, the chairmaking capital of England. Here he perfected the technique of steam-bending wood in large quantities to form the famous Windsor Bow, and discovered how to 'tame' elm; a beautifully grained hardwood other furniture makers considered impossible to work with.

Design and people were the cornerstones of his company. This remains true of the family owned private company that continues his beliefs in the 21st century.

Ercol Windsor furniture was a brilliantly simple concept, which united modern methods with an age-old design, the Windsor Chair. It only came about by chance. In 1944, a representative of the Board of Trade offered Lucien Ercolani, the owner of Ercol, a contract to supply 100,000 chairs of a low cost design. Eroclani said he was interested, but that it would take twelve months to set up special machines to produce the chairs quickly at low cost. The cost was only 10s 6d per chair.

Ercolani thought the beautiful simplicity of the Windsor Chair, itself an evolution from the most basic piece of furniture - the three-legged stool, would be ideal to fulfil the contract. The Windsor Chair has a seat with four legs stuck into the bottom of the base and several bent wooden rods made up the back. There are various different styles. It originated in the High Wycombe area in the seventeenth century.

The other important element of the Ercol success story was the wood, English Elm. Before the War, furniture makers shunned elm. It was difficult to dry satisfactorily and was apt to warp and bend, not an ideal choice for furniture. Ercolani chose elm as an expedient. He discovered a quantity of elm that had been stored under cover, but outside, for five years. He reasoned that it had sufficient opportunity to dry. When he took procession of the timber, he found that only the top few layers had dried. He discovered, with help from the Forest Products Research Laboratory, that kiln-drying elm with steam circulating around the planks seasoned the timber well enough for use. Thus, English Elm became the favourite wood for Ercol production.

After the War, Ercolani still had a liking for the Windsor Chair. He continued to develop the design, looking for a modern way to produce it. Although there was little opportunity to market new designs, in 1946 the Britain 'Can Make it Exhibition' gave him a chance to show the design to a wider audience. Ercolani was to represent the furniture trade at the Exhibition, but a disappointing reaction from other High Wycombe-based businesses encouraged him to submit his own design under an assumed name. To the basic chair, he added other complementary items.

The Exhibition was a huge success and Ercolani displayed similar designs at the Festival of Britain in 1951. Eventually this furniture, based on the Windsor Chair, formed the basis of the Ercol Windsor range, which included a refectory table, sideboards, settees, easy chairs and a chaise lounge.

Ercol furniture was unique in style. It had a light, modern appearance, despite its traditional origins. It was modern in terms of timber, since elm was essentially a new material, and was modern in terms of production. It looked just right with beautifully elegant proportions. The light coloured wood and natural splay and taper of the legs of the Windsor Chair made it look contemporary.

Prices vary: DAYBED's can fetch upto £1000 on condition and upholstery, DESK, £250, ROOM DIVIDERS £250, LOVE BENCH £450

best joy division cover version in the world!

2009-07-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

dance dance dance to the radio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mm6ycEz2A8

SOHOLM POTTERY

2009-07-04T02:11:00.000-07:00

THINGS IN MY HOME - CATHRINE HOLM, HORNSEA, BITOSSI AND WEST GERMAN POTTERY

2009-07-04T02:04:00.000-07:00

These shelves are forever changing as a sell items and collect more.. I have been an avid collector of Cathrine Holm enamel ware for ages and buy bits from ebay, I have a bigger kitchen collection but have no where to display them at the mo, will post up pics though. In this collection we have

TOP SHELF.

Lotus Leaf - Cathrine Holm enamel ware bowls

MIDDLE SHELF.
Iitalli candle holders, SOHOLM noomi backhausen 70s wall plaque, HORNSEA - john clappison pots,

BOTTOM SHELF

WEST GERMAN lava vases, BITTOSI Aldo Londi Rimini Blue vase.

BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN - JOHN AND SYLVIA REID FOR STAG

2009-06-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

Post-war there was another design couple who where at the fore front of mid-century modern design, and they where not the Days they where the Reid's. Never receiving the glory of the Days, their furniture is now being more and more collected.

Stag was a mass market furniture that produced some outstanding modern designs. They employed John and Sylvia Reid as design consultants. Their first designs for Stag, the 'C' range, were minimalist in the extreme. Later John and Sylvia Reid designed 'Minstrel', which united eighteenth century elegance and modern day thinking. Stag Minstrel was one of the most successful ranges of furniture ever produced.

The first project John and Sylvia Reid did for Stag was a new range of bedroom furniture called Cumberland. They took functionalist principles to their logical conclusion and designed a range of furniture that was cheap to mass produce, but was of high quality. There was no pretence that this new furniture was handmade by craftsmen; it was built by machine and was meant to look like it.
Stag C range, 1950s

The original range was just one bedroom suite: a 3 ft wardrobe, a three-drawer chest and four-drawer chest with a mirror to allow either chest to be used as a dressing table. The units were stark in the extreme. There were no handles; the drawers and doors had recessed hand grips instead. All were straight sided boxes. The wardrobe was simply decorated with a plain mirror only nine inches wide placed to the left hand side. However, it was good enough for its purpose. Stag advertised it as for 'the young in heart and in pocket' and for a design of this quality, it was amazingly cheap.

Stag's Chairman, Vaughn Radford, was not impressed with Cumberland. He thought it would never sell. His two sons, however, loved it. At first, Vaughn was right. Sales were slow; no more than £5,000 in the first year. It took a while for people to accept such a stark design. However, interest in the range grew dramatically and by 1957 it was earning more than £500,000 a year for Stag.

As well as being a commercial success, the 'C' range had a strong influence on the design of mass market modern furniture throughout the fifties.

Prices vary, the c range chest are around £200 - £350, wardrobe £450 and the sideboards and cabinets £1000 +

THINGS IN MY HOME - GUL VASES OTTO BRAUER FOR HOLMEGAARD

2009-06-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

These are one of my favourite collections... and since I have a two year old boy I do not know how long they are going to last!!!.. I love them in the bright colours with the two way colour on the inside and outside too. Bought this set from a dealer a few years back for a bargain.

THINGS IN MY HOME - LEATHER SERIES 7 CHAIR WITH ARMS

2009-05-28T03:08:00.000-07:00

The chair that splits people's opinion, we had a nice discussion about this on Living Etc's BitchingEtc forum one afternoon!!.. Some love some hate. I am of the love, Yes I know you see it everywhere, every trendy cafe or gallery, but this a testament to its design, its so versatile and comfortable. I use mine as a desk chair and sit on it alot, no back pain or discomfort. I trully think it's one of Jacobsen's masterpieces.

Arne Jacobsen Series 7 Chair
Series 7 designed in 1955 by Arne Jacobsen is the flagship of Fritz Hansen's collection.
"Finally a chair by Jacobsen with 4 legs and with optional arms", the press wrote in 1955!
A multipurpose chair range also offering varieties such as castors, a pedestal base plus a string of accessories. The slim shell is compsed of 9 layers of veneer plus 2 layers of cotton textile and rests on a base made of mirror chromed or satin chromed steel. It comes as a side chair, pedestal chair, office chair, barstool or counter stool and as a children's chair. The children's chair is available in the colours: black, white, lime, rose, orange lacquer or beech.

BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN - ERNEST RACE

2009-05-28T02:51:00.001-07:00

Becoming more and more popular and collected is Ernest Race.
Ernest Race achieved national acclaim during the 1950's with his unique, forward thinking furniture designs. The Antelope chair, featured at the Festival of Britain in 1951, reflected the spirit of the age. With it's slender steel rod frame and balled feet, the Antelope chair echoed the scientific progress of the era into molecular physics. Ernest Race's Antelope chair is considered a classic and furniture design and is highly sought after.

In 1954, Ernest Race was awarded the Gold Medal at the Milan Triennale (the Italian “temple” of design) for his BA3 chair, which was designed 9 years earlier. The BA3 dining chairs were, for ease of assembly and shipping, made up of seven interchangeable parts. Initially made from sand-cast aluminium, and later made from die-cast aluminium, the BA3 chair was at the cutting edge of post-war design. Ernest Race excelled in a time when Scandinavian designers had seemingly cornered the market.

What makes his furniture enduring is that it was all about usability, which stands the test of time today. The Penguin Donkey and the Rocker are now both been re-released.

Prices vary.. but a rocker can fetch up to £250 - £500, Donkey £250 - £500, dining sets (£200 - £500) arm chairs £500

BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN - MERROW ASSOCIATES

2009-05-02T03:02:00.000-07:00

Probably one of the most desired and collected is Merrow Associates. There is really very little known about them and over the years, I have tried to find out as much about them as possible. I have had people phone me who worked for them and had catalogues, but even they knew little. It was bespoke furniture, retailed in high-end furniture stores. Most of the items where produced on a limited run. The used teak and rosewood and chrome plated steel. with flat surfaces and very specific bolts. I think the company only exsisted for at the most 10-15 years. Probably closed due to cost of manufacturing their products.

Merrow Associates was started by Richard Young, who was a former Royal College of Art student; he later studied at the Royal Art Academy Copenhagen under Professor Old Wanscher. Richard was obsessed by quality and the kind of meticulous detailing typical of Scandinavian furniture of the 1950s. He uses beautifully finished glossy surfaces - a juxtaposition of wood, steel and also glass - as substitutes for patina and marquetry.

The main designers and owners of the company where
Percy Wyett, Peter Weeks or Peter Wyett

The rarest items I have come across it a sofa bed, one in leather and one in velvet with signature chrome legs price £1000 £1500, studio couches price £1000 -£2000, coffee tables £800 - £1500, dining tables and chairs £500 - £1500.

Dining Room Table and Chairs Pictures courtesy of IN MY ROOM http://www.inmyroom.co.uk