G PLAN GENIUS

G Plan nests of teak tables are always popular as they are great compact retro shape and so damned useful! I have just taken delivery of nice original set and if anyone is interested drop me a mail - nests in this condition don't hang around for long. www.kirkmodern.com

STIG OF THE MONTH - MAY

A selection of faience leaf bowls, Stig Lindberg, Sweden, 1940s/50s.

CRACKING GOOD erCALL

Anyone who has been following the excellent Cracking Antiques on BBC can't have missed Mark Hill's forecast about Ercol furniture market getting hotter. He predicts we are at the beginning of the curve in terms of price and singled out the classic nest of 'Pebbles' tables as most wanted before prices rocket in the next few years. At the moment I have a great selection of Ercol coffee tables in dark and light wood including a Long John extending coffee table and two nests of Pebble tables in light and dark.

THE CREAM OF DESIGN

I have featured anglepoise lamps before, but I have never come across such a pristine example in showroom condition. This is an early one from the 1930s in a beautiful cream colour, with the original square base and stamped with the Herbert Terry logo. Smooth as silk action due to the patented spring invented by George Carwardine in 1932, this is an iconic piece of design and a definite 'Mantique'.

HOT TIP

The fashion for home bar accessories is gathering pace driven by high visibility on Mad Men and styling in movies such as A Single Man. Cocktail glasses, icebuckets and glass carousels are all getting harder to find but a great way to get a display going is to source some retro soda syphons. Deep saturated colours and Scandinavian influenced patterns make them great display items either on their own or as a colouful group. Get them while you can!

MODERNITY

One of the best shops in the world for 20th Century Design is Modernity, Stockholm. Apart from keeping a great selection of ceramics and glass they get fantastic one off pieces like this stunning Italian Stilnovo lamp. Check out their website http://www.modernity.se/20th-Century-Design/ArtID/1947/Floor-lamp-anonymous-Manufactured-by-Stilnovo.aspx.

JUKE JOINT JIVE

Just arrived in time for the Dublin Brocante tomorrow, Sunday 15th, is this fab Dansette 'Popular' portable record player in cherry red. In fantastic showroom condition for its age (1950s) it has a surprisingly big sound and looks great in this vibrant colour - especially against the rock & roll vintage fabric in the photo.

THREE COOL CATS

Whenever I display these three cool organic pieces together people are always convinced they are by the same designer. They are all Swedish, by three different designers, yet they share an aesthetic. The circular bowl is by Wilhelm Kage (Sweden) from his Surrea series from the early 1940s. He passed the creative directorship of Gustavsberg in 1949 to Stig Lindberg (Sweden) who designed the Veckla bowl in the 1950s. The third piece is a Caolina series vase designed Gunnar Nylund (Sweden) in the late 1950s for Rorstrand. Each piece fantastic on its own but as a trio they are stunning!

ICE CREAM

One of my favourite items of mid century design is this iconic teak ice bucket designed by Jens Quistgaard, made by Dansk in 1960.

Shaped like a conga drum and inspired by the wooden hulls of Viking ships, it's a stylish addition to any collection. Examples of his work can be seen in the Louvre, Museum of Modern Art and most design museums around the world.