Designer Desire: IRA Denmark

Montage of IRA Denmark metalware designs

Colourful vintage metalware is always a big seller on the H is for Home shop website. Worcesterware and Laurids Lønborg are the two main makers; however, IRA Denmark items are also very sought after.

IRA Denmark is the name of the company which was based in Copenhagen. Four of the main designers were Anita Wangel, Ethel von Horn, Arne Bentsen and Kamma Svensson. I can’t find out much about any of these individuals; there was a 2013 article in Scandinavian Retro magazine (shown at the top of the montage above), but my Swedish language knowledge is practically non-existent!

The only information that I have is that Ethel von Horn was Swedish, Arne Bentsen was Danish and Anita Wangel was Finnish. The eye-catching tins, coasters, bread bins etc were retailed through department stores and mail order across Scandinavia.

Find examples of IRA Denmark metalware on eBay and Etsy.

If you know anything further, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Image credits:
Pinterest | Scandinavian Retro

Designer Desire: Guy Vidal

Montage of Guy Vidal jewellery and metalware designs

Guy Vidal (b. 1938) is a French Canadian multi-disciplinary artist & designer. His current practice is in paper however, it’s his vintage jewellery that we’ll be featuring in this week’s Designer Desire.

When we first saw his work, we thought he would hail from Scandinavia. His mid-century pieces are modernist and brutalist – created using pewter, brass and silver and gold plate – and remind us of makers such as Jacob Hull and Jorma Laine.

Vidal explains the development of his practice.

I started with printmaking (etchings and lithographs) where paper, copper and stone appealed to me as much as the finished product. I then favored metal (copper, pewter, silver and gold) with jewelry and sculpture. My research at this time was aimed at the solid construction of volume and the aesthetics of the finished product. Later, I worked with cold glass, that is to say etched with a sandblastr. Another monochrome material offering many possibilities, given its transparency. Through this crystalline material, I saw my imprint in the finished work. I was evolving, without realizing it, towards my current approach.

He was very prolific during his jewellery making career, so examples often come up for sale on both Etsy and eBay.

Portrait of Guy Vidalcredit

Additional image credits:
Live Auctioneers

Large vintage industrial storage unit

Large vintage industrial storage unit with drawers | H is for Home

We thought we’d highlight this fabulous vintage industrial storage unit that we’ve listed for sale today. It’s certainly a large, impressive piece!

Large vintage industrial metal storage cabinet with drawers | H is for Home

It’s been living in our lounge recently. As you can see – if a storage or display unit sits still in our house for any amount of time, it starts to fill up with objects!

Large vintage industrial metal storage cabinet with drawers | H is for Home

We bought it from one of the regular dealers at our local flea market. It’s constructed entirely of metal and very, very heavy. This is where we put it when it got delivered… as close to the front door as possible!

Large vintage industrial metal storage cabinet with drawers | H is for Home

It’s a really useful unit with a combination of pigeon holes and drawers that can be placed in any configuration.

Large vintage industrial metal storage cabinet with drawers | H is for Home

We think the metal has just the right amount of distress. Perfect vintage industrial condition – signs of wear, but not tatty. And the paint is original to the piece – and a nice mushroom brown colour.

Large vintage industrial metal storage cabinet with drawers | H is for Home

It could be an ideal storage unit for almost any room in the house. As we said, we’ve had it in a lounge space where it’s great to display objects, keep CDs or books, tea-lights and so on – with keys, coins and all manner of bits & bobs hidden away in the drawers. It could be placed in a kitchen to house cooking equipment and ingredients; a work shop/craft room storing tools, bobbins, threads etc; perhaps an office space housing stationery… or a potting shed maybe – with various pots, seeds, twine and small garden tools. And if you’re lucky enough to live in an open plan loft space…well, we can’t imagine anything better.

Large vintage industrial metal storage cabinet with drawers | H is for Home

We like it very much, but we did buy it to sell – and we moved something else out of the way to give it a temporary home… that needs to go back! Anyway, we’ve just listed it on eBay with a starting price of £299 which we think is reasonable. You’ll need someone with a van, trolley and strong arms to move it, but it could be the perfect thing!

Home Tones: Brass

Antique brass-mirror and hand basin tapscredit

In previous Home Tones posts, we’ve featured a range of metallics such as gold, pewter, copper and steel – today, it’s the turn of brass. It’s a warm, inviting colour which we have dotted about our own house. It works with both our antique and mid century modern pieces. It comes in various finishes depending how much it’s aged or has been polished.

Brass can have a wonderful reflective quality – and light can also play differently depending on whether the metal has a smooth finish or is beaten into a textured surface. It looks fabulous with spotlighting – or even better, flickering candles.

It works well with the natural shades of wood, wicker, seagrass and Hessian. It’s often used with cream and white paints where its reflective qualities enhance the light & airy feel… but we particularly love it against dark greys where it has real dramatic impact.

House extension clad in brasscredit

Brass-clad kitchen cabinetcredit

brass light switch finger plate and picture frame on a stairwaycredit

Antique brass bed in traditional styled bedroomcredit

Dark painted kitchen with brass and copper accessoriescredit

Bathroom with black roll top bath and brass accessoriescredit

Kitchen with 3 hanging brass lampshades and other brass accessoriescredit