February 27, 2008 by Helen
The Guardian is today celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Argos catalogue.
Love it or loathe it many of us have grown up with the Argos catalogue. My sister confesses that as a child she would spend hours compiling wish-lists of furnishings for her imaginary home from it.
Retro-ware fondly recollects these 1970s Pye TVs, here handsomely sported on a sheepskin rug.
Orange was the big colour for home interiors in 1973 and hostess trolleys were the order of the day…
… and there were no anti-cellulite creams or body shrinking wraps, so women had to resort to more drastic methods of combatting flab in those troublesome areas.
Where would we be without Argos to cater for those everyday household essentials?
Tags: vintage Argos catalogue
Posted in 70s | 1 Comment »
February 22, 2008 by Helen
(Photograph by John Hall)
These classic Gul vases (floor vases) were designed by Otto Brauer and produced by Holmegaard from 1962. The design inspiration was a similar vase by Per Lutken which appeared in 1958. Today the cased examples in bright pop art primary colours are the most sought after and the larger sizes can fetch a couple of hundred pounds, but I love the way the light reflects through these more affordable clear pieces.
They are available from Retro-ware at the Warwick Antiques Centre.
Tags: gul vase, holmegaard, otto brauer, per lutken, Scandinavian Glass
Posted in Glass, Scandinavian Glass | 3 Comments »
January 30, 2008 by Helen
Thanks to everyone who came along to visit us at the vintage fair in Moseley on Saturday. Our next event will be at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath on Saturday 1st March. ‘Til then you can check out retro-ware stuff at the Warwick Antiques Centre where we always have a wide range of stock including Scandinavian glass from Riihimaki and Holmegaard plus lots of Whitefriars and Midwinter pottery. You’ll also find a good selection of West German fat lava vases at the moment. The prices on these have gone through the roof on ebay since the Antiques Roadshow (which I have to confess is my favourite Sunday night guilty pleasure) featured them in their 20th century design show from the De la Warr Pavilion a few weeks ago and tipped them as one of the best investments for the future within the retro collectables market. Only a year or two ago you could pick up pieces from charity shops and car boot sales for just a few pounds but some of the rarer examples now fetch well over a hundred pounds.
This stuff was an acquired taste for me. When I first came across West German pottery I wasn’t sure that I liked it, but after digging around for a while I’ve managed to collect some really great pieces and I love it now. It’s slightly garish colours are great for injecting a bit of playfulness and fun into clean contemporary living spaces – take a look at Diesel in Birmingham’s Selfridges where West German vases can be seen in abundance.
If you want to find out more check out Mark Hill’s book ‘Fat Lava‘.
If you’ve got any of this stuff it’s probably worth holding onto it, if you haven’t start collecting now while it’s still relatively affordable.
Posted in Ceramics, West German Pottery | 1 Comment »
January 22, 2008 by Helen
(Photograph by John Hall)
Retro-ware stocks a wide range of collectable mid 20th century glass, ceramics and tableware by well known designers and manufacturers including Whitefriars, Holmegaard, Riihimaki, Midwinter and Poole. We seek out classic original pieces from the 50s, 60s and 70s, objects that fit beautifully into the contemporary home and offer a more individual alternative to the mass produced items you’ll find on the high street. Many of the items we sell elicit a certain amount of playful nostalgia, from brightly coloured Scandinavian vases that conjure up images of cool space age interiors to 60s tableware featuring bold op art designs that evoke memories of childhood Sunday afternoon teas.
The retro antiques and collectables market is a young market. Many items are still relatively undervalued so as well as buying a piece that will look great in your home you could also be investing in something that will grow in value as time passes.
We individually source and reclaim lovely objects from the past. By encouraging people to reuse and enjoy these items we hope that in some small way we are also doing our bit to encourage a more sustainable lifestyle.
So whether you are drawn to 1950s kitsch black and white Homemaker tableware, funky German lava vases or beautiful Scandinavian glass we hope you’ll find something that is affordable and usable to treasure.
Come along and visit us at the vintage fair in Moseley this Saturday.
Moseley Community Centre, The Post Office Building, 149-153 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8JP
10am – 4pm
Admission Free
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