Hanna Melin apparently collects things. Not only that, she draws the things she collects – and that includes old cassettes, featured here on the Hanna Melin Play A Song For Me tote bag.
This 100 per cent organic cotton tote bag features blue pencil drawings of old mix tapes, all of which have some kind of sentimental value to the artist – even of they don’t get played anymore.
If you’re looking for something to replace the plastic bag, it retails for £9.95.
More retro inspiration on the high street for your delectation, this time courtesy of Warehouse. Two lines, called quite simply Retro Chic and 70s Chic, feature great staple items and a few special pieces too.
Mainly focusing on silhouette pieces, like 50s-style pencil skirts, there’s plenty of lovely stuff, if nothing particularly inspired. Among all that there’s a couple of print tops that are standard, though pretty, retro fare from our high streets.
The Candy Task Lamp by Afroditi Krassa is another piece of design, that although modern, was clearly influenced by past design movements, particularly modernism.
It is available with a red base too, but I think the black version picture here is more stylish and it would sit well within a retro lounge or office space.
It is available exclusively at John Lewis and costs £70. Visit the John Lewis website to buy online.
Habitat has a range of chairs going by the name of Palocco. They embody the best of space-age design as they are simple, but sleek and are made from that favourite material, moulded plastic. The range includes the chair shown here as well as a higher stool model.
They are available in a choice of four colours; red, white, clear or what they call describe as black, although it looks more like brown in this photograph. The chairs cost £99 each and the stools £149.
View the whole range on the Habitat website.
When something has been in production for 50 years, I think we can safely say it’s become a design classic. And that’s the case with the Alessi classic Wire Bowl.
A fairly unassuming design, but one that’s been around since 1948. In fact, those plain looks are probably the reason why it’s been a continued seller for all those years. Made of stainless steel, it’s ideal for your fruit or indeed for somewhere to throw your keys and assorted bits and pieces that clutter up the room.
Two sizes available, with prices starting at £42.
Remember the Nikko R2-D2 projector we featured a while back? It was Japan-only at the time, but now it’s been confirmed for Europe – but in very limited numbers.
Just 4,000 of these are being made available in Europe and you can pre-order now. For your money, you get a faithful R2-D2 reproduction that can project your favourite films or clips onto any wall or ceiling. There’s a DVD/CD player built-in, as well as memory card slots, an iPod dock, light and sound effects and best of all, a Millennium Falcon remote control.
Each one comes with a numbered certificate, but that originality comes at a price. It retails for 2799 Euros, which I make around £2,112. Sounds a lot – but this is surely a real collectable of the future.
Find out more at the Exclusive Star Wars website
