Tag: books

Categories / Books, Homeware

Vintage Book Clocks

Posted on | Leave a comment

Il_570xN_252715202 

The Etsy seller by the name of SteampunksNotDead specialises in Vintage Book Clocks.

Each clock is a one of a kind piece and is made from a book usually dating from between 1890 and 1960. Most of the book clocks currently available use obscure titles (The Scarlett Letter was the only one I recognised), but I think they are all the better for it. Various styles of clock hands are available so you can request a certain style. Equally, if you have a book that you would like transformed into a clock, then they are happy to quote for doing that. Prices range from around £16 to just under £100 depending on the size and rarity of the book.

Visit the SteampunksNotDead shop on Etsy for more information.

Categories / Art and Photography, Books

Case Study Houses from Taschen

Posted on | 1 Comment

Case-Study-Houses-The-Complete-CSH-Program2
Fans of our sister site WowHaus will be fighting each other to get their hands on this rather impressive coffee table book from Taschen.

Case Study Houses is an intensive retrospective of post-war home design in California. The project, which took place between 1945 and 1966, saw the design of 36 prototype homes, conceived by such luminaries as Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra and Eero Saarinen, that have defined what we now think of as the mid-century modern home. The book is a mammoth tome, packed with photographs from then and now, as well as original documents, extensive floor plans and intricate sketches of each of these iconic buildings. A fascinating insight into one of the most exciting periods in modernist architecture.

Case Study Houses is £135 from Amazon. See the website for more details.

Categories / Art and Photography, Books

Book ‘Classic’ print by Craig Kirk

Posted on | Leave a comment

Classics
Your book shelves may have one or two questionable titles residing on them that you'd rather your house guests didn't cast their eyes upon. Detract away from the acres of trashy holiday reads with the Book 'Classics' print by Craig Kirk on your wall.

The 3-colour giclée print features the spines of 10 classic novels you really ought to have read. From Brighton Rock to 1984, all the staples of every vintage bookworm's collection are here, with each title featuring it's own understated motif. With this simple, stylistic artwork adorning your wall, you will no doubt be forgiven for the odd Mills & Boon.

Book 'Classics' is £30 from Unlimited Editions. See the website for more details.

Categories / Books

“London Olympics: 1908 and 1948” from Shire

Posted on | Leave a comment

9780747808220-th2 
If the scramble for Olympics tickets has left you disappointed and disillusioned with the 2012 event, then perhaps this new title from Shire books might suffice.

“London Olympics: 1908 and 1948” looks back at the other two occasions when the capital has hosted the games. London stepped into host the games in 1908 when Italy had to pull out because Vesuvius had erupted. The entire budget for the 1948 Games was £760,000, and they turned a profit of £29,000.

For more titbits of trivia such as these, buy the book for £6.99 from Shire Books.

Categories / Books

Shire Publications ‘The 1950s Kitchen’

Posted on | 1 Comment

9780747808275-th2 
Coincidentally just after mentioning the ‘Too Many Gadgets’ tea towel yesterday, I received details of retro-themed publisher Shire's latest publication, ‘The 1950s Kitchen’.

The 1950s was the decade when the kitchen as we now know it came into being, with fitted units and those all important labour-saving appliances. The 64-page book looks at the idea of the kitchen as the heart of the home, as well as chapters on the fitted kitchen, colours and materials, appliances and gadgets and 1950s food.

Buy it directly from Shire, priced £6.99.

Categories / Books, Design and Interiors

V&A Pattern books: Pop Patterns

Posted on | Leave a comment

Pop patterns
Inspired by bright, colourful and fun patterns? We advise checking out Pop Patterns, the latest in the V&A Pattern series which we featured on its launch a couple of years ago. 

Like those books, it features 65 different patterns drawn from the archives of the V&A, alongside an introduction from one of the museum's curators. This collection, introduced by Oriole Cullen, pulls together images from the 1960s and early 70s that show the influence of Pop Art on British wallpaper and fabric design. There are patterns by the likes of Mr Freedom, The Fool and Zandra Rhodes and, my personal favourite, a dress fabric called 'Haircut? Yes Please' by Marc Foster and Michael Yates which features illustrations of every kind of men's haircuts, ranging from the classic crewcut to the forward brush and flat top. 

Packed full of unusual imagery, the book is priced £7.99, but is currently available for £6.39 on Amazon.