The name Vans isn’t readily associated with the 1960s – but that’s the decade that gave us the Vans Authentic.
The year was actually 1966 when this lace-up deck shoe made its debut, still using that timeless simplicity to sell units today. Take your pick from a seemingly endless range of colours for the suede upper, with a padded footbed, white outsole and saffle sole completing the look.
Yours for £38.
Find out more at the Oki-Ni website
That icon of the British sitcom – Arkwright’s Open All Hours shop – can be yours, with the property going up for auction this month.
Sadly, it’s not actually a grocer’s shop – the BBC used to refit the Beautique hairdressing salon in Lister Avenue, Balby, Doncaster every time they wanted to film, but if you want to convert it to a full time shop, it shouldn’t be hard. Indeed, it could well be a goldmine for any budding Ronnie Barkers if you opted for an authentic refit complete with Arkwright-branded merchandise.
Also included in the sale is the upstairs one-bedroom flat and outside toilet, which is expected to make between £120,000 and £130,000 at auction in Leeds on November 24th. If anyone fancies chipping in for it, drop us a line – we’re more than keen.
It might look like a museum piece, but the Teac LP-R500 is every bit the modern audio system.
Well, sort of. Its throwback looks are matched by an old school record deck and cassette player, not to mention an FM radio. But it also packs in integrated speakers and best of all, a CD recorder – which means you can back up your cassettes and vinyl at the touch of a button.
This has just launched in Japan, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it makes it to the UK in the not-too-distant future. It’s priced at the equivalent of £445.
Last year we featured the stunning book Charley Harper – An Illustrated Life, a book that brought together all of Charley Harper’s unique mid-century illustrations in one hefty volume. But if you want some of his work on your wall, you can at last pick it up in the UK.
Elphick’s in London has become the first official dealer of Harper’s work in the UK, with a selection of prints available, all with a certificate of authentication from Charley Harper’s son Brett. Prices to suit all pockets too, starting at just £15, topping out at £235.
We’ve had trouble picking out our favourite, but we’ve plumped for Zoo Babies (above), a giclee print sized at 56cm x 58cm and in a limited run of 300. It will cost you £135. Elphick’s can be found at 160 Columbia Road, London E2. No online store, but if you get in touch via the store’s blog below, I’m sure they’ll sort out mail order.
It has been difficult to resist the convenience of modern music formats, but still MP3s and the like will still never have the aesthetic appeal of vinyl and certainly won’t inspire designs such as Ella Doran’s Stacks and Stripes range.
The “Stacks and Stripes” pattern is a photograph of a pile of 12” record sleeves and the design has been put onto a range of products. It has been used on Ella Doran’s first ever wallpaper, which is available with the pattern in the middle on the sides. It costs £110 for a 53cm by 10 metres long roll.
If you have stacks of your own vinyl in your home, you may find having a similar print on your walls a bit much, in which case a cushion, tray, table mat or mug might more appropriate.
Visit the Ella Doran website to buy.
Another product featuring Marimekko’s iconic Unikko print – this time it is an umbrella.
The flowers here are in a sophisticated choice of black with beige centres against a just seen white background. It is a decent size so will give you good protection from the rain without compromising on style.
It costs £28 and is available from The Lighthouse website.
