homeware & books

Author: Christian Holmsted Olesen

Presents 110 Danish chairs and charts their success at home and abroad from the mid-20th century until the present day

In the mid-20th century design became a cultural phenomenon that placed Denmark on the world map. Danish Design emerged in 1949 as a real brand, when American journalists started to write about Danish furniture in relation to a furniture exhibition by Snedkerlauget in Copenhagen. ‘Den runde stol’ made by Hans. J. Wegner was given the name ‘The Chair’. This was not only the beginning of a great export adventure but also a challenge for the Danish designers, who became world recognized for their obsession with creating the perfect chair.

The chair has always been the touchstone of designers and the design historians’ favourite object. It touches and reflects the body it carries with arms, legs, seat and back. Besides this point, the chair is one of our most culture-bearing design objects and it tells a story about the period and the society from which it was created.

In a very unique way this book shows, not just in words but also with drawings and photos how Danish chairs are built on historical furniture types, which are then refined into the infinite. The message and the explanation for the international success of Danish furniture is this; Danish furniture design is based on foreign culture and the best creations of former times.

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Mid-Century modern Danish furniture 1945-1975

Author: Lars Dybdahl

A richly illustrated presentation of Danish Mid-Century furniture classics and the iconic designers who created them

Danish design plays an important part in what has come to be known as the Mid- Century Modern style. Timeless furniture pieces, such as the Hans J. Wegner’s Y-Chair and Finn Juhl’s Chieftain Chair, influenced designers all over the world and are still considered classics. This book is the first to present an overview of the furniture created by Danish designers and architects, in the period between 1945–1975, tracing the movement from beginning to end.

Design history expert Lars Dybdahl provides thorough descriptions and analyses of particular furniture pieces, never failing to situate them within a historical and cultural context. The book is richly illustrated, showcasing the aesthetic development from post-war Denmark to the swinging sixties and seventies.

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Author: Jeremy Cooper

An alternative history of contemporary art told through a unique collection of artists’ postcards from 1960 to today

The accessibility and familiarity of a postcard makes it an artistic medium rich with potential for subversion, appropriation or manipulation for political, satirical, revolutionary or playful intent. The inexpensiveness of production encourages artists to experiment with their design; the only artistic restriction: that it fits through a letterbox. Unlike traditional works of art, the postcard requires nothing more than a stamp for it to be seen on the other side of the world. Made of commonplace material, postcards invite handling, asking to be picked up, turned over, and shown to friends – to be included in our lives.

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Authors: Olivier Gabet & Anne Monier

The definitive retrospective on the Bauhaus, the 20th century’s greatest art school

‘Architects, sculptors, painters, we all must return to the crafts!’ declared the architect Walter Gropius in his Bauhaus manifesto. Founded as an art school in 1919 and forced to close in 1933 by the Nazis, the Bauhaus established itself as a major influence on 20th-century art and design that continues to this day. Students were taught by some of the most celebrated artists of the time, including Paul Klee, Lyonel Feininger and Wassily Kandinsky. The school moved from Weimar to Dessau in 1922, under its radical new director Hannes Meyer, and to Berlin in 1932 under architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In 1933 the Gestapo forced the Bauhaus to close for the last time.

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Author: Agata Toromanoff

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Stainless Steel Sugar Bowl with wicker handle and spoon.

Origin: England

Dimensions: Ø150 x H120 mm

Condition: Excellent

In Teak and Cast Iron - Priced per holder. Candles Available

Designer: Jens H. Quistgaard

Manufacturer: Dansk

Dimensions:  To Follow

Condition: Vintage, Excellent

Danish Sheepskin throw 

Origin: Denmark 

Dimensions: 1100 x 630 mm

Currently available in Cherrywood, Jarrah, Marri, Banksia & Blackbutt

Made in Western Australia from sustainable and / or salvaged timber.

Hanging hardware included.

Dimensions: Length 620mm each

Single $210 

Set of Two $395 

Set of Three $550

From A to Eames - A Visual Guide to Mid-Century Modern Design 

With 80 tales of design, laid out in a fun and easy-to-read A to Z format, design-lovers will be reading this book to each other before bed. With an irreverent structure, this becomes a picture book for the refined adult. Each letter delves into one facet of this enduring era of design: mid-century modern homes, interior design, graphic design and illustration, and the iconic personalities.
We might all recognise the names – Charles and Ray Eames, Farnsworth House, the Egg Chair, Henningsen, Elrod House – but what are their stories? This book delves right into the facts, but does so light-heartedly. We learn of the grand inspirations, or sometimes (it turns out) the very simplest of ideas, which fuelled these Goliaths of mid-century modern design. The only downside: with your newfound savvy, you won’t be able to look at your IKEA chairs the same way again.
If you didn’t know that E stands for Eames, Egg Chair and Elrod House (or don’t know what any of those words actually mean) then this book belongs on your coffee table. And if you can’t afford an Eames coffee table, then rejoice in knowing that From A to Eames makes an inexpensive and equally satisfying alternative.

Author: Lauren Whybrow

Illustrator: Tom Jay

Publisher: Smith Street Books

Available in Two Colours

Dimensions: 400 x 400 mm

Made in Western Australia  From Sustainable and / or Salvaged Timber

Steel and Enamel 

Dimensions : Ø125XH55mm

$120 each

Krenit Bowl in traditional black and a white enamel interior.

The story of Herbert Krenchel and the Krenit bowl is a true story. After a lengthy process of finding the correct production method, the Krenit bowl was launched in 1953. It quickly became popular and a clear example of Danish quality design. In 1954 the Krenit bowl won a golden medal at La Trienale in Milan. Since then it has been displayed at several museums all over the world and can be found in countless Danish and international design homes. 

Dimension: Ø250 X H140mm

Vintage Tapio Wirkkala Iittala Bowl, $145 (1603428k)