There are surprisingly few retro bed designs out there (perhaps because beds haven’t changed much over the years), but Warren Evans has the Cuba Bed which has a hint of retro style to it.
It is described as being inspired by 1950s and consists of a floating frame and a compact headrest in a choice of fabrics (the hot spice shown here adds to the fifties look). Prices vary according to size and your choice of mattress, but a double bed frame costs £395.
Visit Warren Evans for more information.
What are you thinking? Verner Panton's Panthella lamp? Or maybe the designer's Flowerpot lighting? The Ikea 365+ Brasa table, floor and ceiling lamps wouldn't look out of place sat next to either design.
But this is no Panton design, it's the work of A Nilsson, H Preutz and T Eliasson for Ikea and available in three colour options (red, black and white). The floor lamp is made of steel, with a pigmented powder coating, with a dimmer function and a plastic inner casing to prevent glare.
The pendant light is also made of steel, with a pigmented epoxy powder coating, while the table lamp has the same construction, again with that dimmer switch found on the floor version. You can see the table lamp over the page, with more details on the Ikea site. Prices are £90.89 for the floor light, with the ceiling light at £45.95 and table lamp selling for £60.26.
Yes, we know it's a bit gimmicky, but the Polaroid Photo Album at Urban Outfitters is a useful little gimmick too.
Of course, it's a photo album shaped like a vintage Polaroid camera. Open it up and you'll find 18 double-sided pages, each fitting photos sized at 10 x 15 inches. Not sure if that's the 'Polaroid', size I suspect not, but that would perhaps make the product a little too niche.
Anyway, it's available online if you want somewhere to keep your snaps, available for just £14.
Any 80s enthusiast will be familiar with the eponymous piano key tie. It wasn't perhaps the most stylish accoutrement of the era but there's always room for improvement.
The Recital Farrah clutch bag from Kate Spade is the essential accessory for any budding key-tar maestro. Just the right size for all your necessities on a night out, the clutch is adorned with patent leather 'keys', 14-karat gold plated hardware and finished off with a lucite bow clasp. Much better. Now will you please get rid of that ridiculous tie.
$375 from Kate Spade. See the website for more details.
As any vintage devotee knows only too well, it isn't just the ladies that spend hours primping & preening themselves. Perfect quiffs and marvellous moustaches don't just happen by themselves.
Bring a touch of the barbershop to your home with these porcelain Menswear trays from West Elm. Available in 4 different designs and 2 sizes, the trays feature vintage sketches of essential men's grooming tools. A stylish bathroom accessory for every sartorially minded chap.
£3.95 each from West Elm. See the website for more details.
If you're fortunate enough to find yourself in Rhode Island, Masachusetts between now and July 31st you'll be able to visit Cocktail Culture: Ritual and Invention in American Fashion, 1920-1980; a fabulous exhibition exploring "the social ritual of the cocktail hour through the lens of fashion and design."
Dating back to the 1930's, cocktail garb was a good deal more functional than eveningwear and marked the advent of the more modern woman who drank socially. Fashion from designers including Balenciaga and Schiaparelli features in this exhibition alongside jewellery, accessories and photographs.
If you can't make it all the way there you can always buy the book which is fully illustrated and includes five essays on the visual culture of the cocktail party
Find out more and and buy the book, which costs $30 here.
