I remember this oddity. Strolling around Mechelen in Belgium and amused by small side streets, I took a left off the main square and did a double-take at the sight of a twike. I didn’t know what it was called. Fortunately, I live with a car nut. A twike is a human-electric hybrid vehicle for 2 passengers + luggage. You either pedal or let the electric motor do some work. This might look old-fashioned, but in light of current events, could it be a sign of things to come?
From the same place as the gold fish tank, these earrings amused me and were part of a really funky Scandi design shop in Vejle, Denmark.
Even the goldfish bowl gets a makeover!
I stumbled across these in Sweden and was amazed to read that they are by a British designer, David Trubridge. They’d make quite an impact in any room (alas, also on your wallet).
One of the novelties of getting to travel with work is when you come across dainty little differences like these sweet little sugar cubes, with quizzes and picture clues on the wrapping. I hope that Béghin Say never stop making these “sucres envelopés”. The themes change from tourist sites, to landscapes and more. A little creativity goes a long way.
http://www.beghin-say.fr/fr/les-produits/les-fantaisies/les-sucres-enveloppes.html
Carl came back from a trip to Tokyo earlier this year with these 2 small (but perfectly formed)
coffee cups. Something so simple can be so distinctive, and the Japanese have an innate knack for creating very functional items with elegant design. Here is one example.
Various trips abroad later and I am getting a small collection of odds and ends for the house that come from all over. This is one of them. This “mano cup” is one of the recent creations by the Danish pottery firm, Kähler, which claims to be “at the cutting edge of Danish ceramic art for more than one hundred years.” I just like the way it looks and feels. It’s that simple.
See: http://www.kahlerdesign.com
I found this wonderful coffee set in Rochester High Street last year. It was made in England by J&G Meakin (see; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._%26_G._Meakin). I love the colours and simple design of this.
Wikipedia tells me this design was out around 1967.
All the way from a charity shop (thrift store) in San Francisco, for a few dollars.
A lime-green phone from Canada to mark a special occasion: buying our first home together. I’ve always had a thing for phones and a nostalgia for 70s and 80s designs. I treated myself to this US-sitcom style, push-button phone for the kitchen with the extra-long phone cord, so I can still chop carrots across the kitchen while chatting to mum and dad on the end of the line, just like in Roseanne! This is still my favourite, favourite toy.
Lime Green Phone 