RUB OF THE GREEN

I've always had a soft spot for Carltonware but often their pieces can be a bit over decorated and veering more towards kitsch. This is one of the nicest pieces I have come across, it combines a beautiful simple form, which echoes the shape of so much Scandinavian glass from the fifties, and a fantastic pure acid green. A little stunner.

FLEA TIME

I will be making my monthly appearance at the Dublin Flea this Sunday 31st. Lots of fantastic new pieces including this classic 1950s Dansette 'Tempo' portable record player in black & cream vinyl.
There will be a selection of retro lights, some great coffee tables, an original Formica kitchen table, some great new prints by Tretchikoff and Wilf Walker, a Centurion tray and a selection of retro glass and ceramics. More pics to follow.....

POETRY IN A SOFA

One of our best decisions was to buy our two matching Poet sofas, designed by Finn Juhl in 1941 for his own home.
They always make people smile when they walk in the room and can't wait to be 'hugged' by the fantastic organic curves of the arms. Considered the father of Danish Design, Finn Juhl features a lot on our wish list and our search for the perfect table will probably continue until we eventually track down one of his beautiful rosewood dining tables from 1950.

PRETTY FLAMINGO

An avid collector of Scandinavian design I have in the past tended to concentrate on Swedish and Danish pieces but as the nicer pieces are getting harder to find I am being drawn more towards Norwegian design and particularly their ceramics. I have always picked up pieces of Stavangerflint without knowing too much about it, but I recently bought some of their beautiful ceramics designed by Inger Waage from a collector in England. The design is Flamingo 1950s, the bright colours and organic illustrations typify the Scandinavian design around in the mid 20th century. I will be giving them their first outing on Sunday week (31st) at the Dublin Flea.

SPRING SPRUNG

One of my favourite pieces of furniture is this Centurion by Paragon tray table. I inherited one which followed me all through college and sadly got lost in the my student apartment. I was re-united a few years ago when I spotted one under a load of boxes in a market in London and is now one of the pieces on the website I get most enquiries about. Winner of the Good Housekeeping Design Award 1957, the Centurion is made of bent beech with a choice of walnut or mahogany veneer. The handles flip to the side and fold the sprung legs underneath and hey presto! a tray! Apparently it was the ideal present for weddings, birthdays and Christmas. Most people are surprised to discover the beautiful Scandinavian streamlined modern shape was actually made by Doherty & Sons in London.

SIXTIES PSYCHEDELIA

Brightly painted Delphis shield dish, shape 91, painted by Carol Cutler one of Poole’s most sought after Delphis paintresses - a great 1960s psychedelic design to brighten up these short dark January days.

THE MODERNIST!

Who says looking for modernist pieces is easy?

These shots were taken on Tuesday at an antique fair in South of England.

ORANGE ICE POP

Just back from snowy Switzerland and even snowier UK and need something to warm me up... so enlarge this pic of recently acquired French 1950s ice bucket and bask in the glow of the orange!

STIG OF THE MONTH

As most of you will know, my main area of interest is Scandinavian design, mainly Swedish, mainly ceramics and specifically Stig Lindberg. I have decided to do a monthly Stig post and feature some favourite pieces from my collection. First up is a cheerful popover vase in bright carnival colours from the mid 1950s. These vases come in 3 and 5 piece design with varying decoration, but this one in vibrant handpainted stripes really emphasises the organic shape and form of the piece. These guys rarely make it out of Sweden as the Swedes have a deep appreciation of design, and Stig Lindberg is seen as something of a national treature. I had the pleasure of visiting the retrospective exhibition last year in the National Museum in Stockholm and interviewing the curator, who confirmed that the exhibition had been extended and the catalogue reprinted to keep up with demand. Spurred on by pieces I saw in the exhibition I tracked down this vase in Stockholm and spirited it away to join my collection.

LET IT SNOW

The popularity of vintage travel posters and in particular ski posters is still on the increase in UK and USA. The best examples combine striking colours and stylish figurative imagery to conjure up the golden age of glamorous winter holidays that most people only saw in the movies in the 1950s.
This example, hanging on the wall in front of me, seems particularly appropriate at the moment given the current weather conditions. It's a great graphic image of 50s style, perfectly styled and fantastic layout.