Tag: modernist

Categories / eBay watch

eBay watch: 1970s Pieff Alpha armchair by Tim Bates

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Pieff

I think we've waxed lyrical about Pieff before, a British company that made interesting and indeed quality items, particularly in the 1970s. While prices for other British makes (like Merrow Associates for example) have gone up, Pieff products are still very reasonable. As this Pieff Alpha armchair demonstrates.

It's a modernist-inspired design from Tim Bates, still looking very stylish 30+ years on. It has three removable cushions, pirelli seat support and a chrome frame. A 'vinyl stretcher' is fixed to the back frame to supports the two back cushions.

It's been well looked after, with only minor wear over the years, with the leather 'fed with quality leather cream' in the recent past. Bidding stands at £21 right now.

Find out more at the eBay website

Categories / eBay watch

eBay watch: 1960s Braun HL1 personal desk fan by Reinhold Weiss

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Braun

Stylish 1960s modernism and no doubt practical too, especially at this time of year. The Braun HL1 personal desk fan that is.

The work of Reinhold Weiss in 1961, it still looks the part today – another example of Braun's forward-thinking design. The motor casing is made of off white plastic with a chrome rim separating the motor casing from the fan head. There is also a light grey plastic lever switch on the casing to select speed and a perspex casing to protect the blades.

The Desk Fan is in 'very good condition' and in 'full working order', as well as being priced quite reasonably right now. Bidding stands at £2.20.

Find out more at the eBay website

Categories / Architecture, Design and Interiors

Umbra bird cafe: modernist house shaped bird feeder

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Bird-cafe
Cast your mind back and I'm sure you'll remember the FishCondo, a Le Corbusier style fish bowl. Well Umbra have decided that our feathered friends deserve the same treatment and have launched the Bird Cafe, a modernist take on the humble bird feeder. 

The bird feeder echoes the straight lines and gleaming white of modernist architecture on a very small scale – it's about 20cm high. Made from plastic, you can look through its window to keep an eye on seed levels. The birds, meanwhile, feed from the tray at the bottom of the structure. 

Suitable for hanging or for fixing to the wall, it means your birds can be fed in architectural style, even if the real life apartment is out of your price range. 

The bird cafe costs £30.

Buy it from Stylish Life

Categories / Architecture

For sale: Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Charles R. Perry House house in East Glencoe, Illinois, USA

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Frank1

The price of houses in the UK is scary. For example, over on our WowHaus site, we recently featured a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Wetherby, Yorkshire, which was priced at £1.3 million, despite being pitched as a potential 'knock it  down and start again' property. On the flipside, this Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Charles R. Perry House house in East Glencoe, Illinois, USA is an absolute bargain.

It was designed in 1915, but looks much more contemporary. Midcentury at first glance, which is perhaps indicative of the architect's forward-thinking. The interior in particular, with its heavy use of wood detailing,  could be right out of the 1950s.

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Categories / Architecture, Art and Photography

BT Tower IV by Stefi Orazi

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BT Tower metal

Stefi Orazi is no stranger to this site and neither will be the architectural icon in her latest print: BT Tower IV.

While other variants on the print have shown the tower at night, in the day and even using glow-in-the-dark ink, this is possibly its glitziest incarnation yet – printed with metallic foil. Stefi has also stated it'll be the last in this series so, if you've previously missed out, we advise snapping up one of the 100 in the edition now. 

The print costs £85. 

Buy it from Things You Can Buy

Categories / eBay watch

eBay watch: Dieter Rams-designed 1960s Braun SK6 audio system

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Braun

An iconic design and still a practical piece of kit 50 years after it was designed – the Dieter Rams-designed 1960s Braun SK6 audio system, which is on eBay right now.

Rams designed this back in 1960, a mix of white metal, wood and plexiglass, not to mention style and modernist inspiration. This would sit effortlessly in most houses. Functionality? It plays 33, 45 and 78rpm records, as well as offering up radio reception (LW, MW and FM). There's the option of a separate speaker for stereo, but you'll have to buy that separately.

The unit is in 'excellent' condition, thanks to a restoration by the current owner. But you'll have to check those electrics, just to be safe. The bid price is £399 right now, or there's a 'buy it now' of £560.

Find out more at the eBay website