Fine Finel Find!

Perhaps ‘find’ is too strong a word – more a patient track down. We’ve long coveted this particular enamel mug designed by Kaj Franck for Finel.

We’ve been holding out for a really good example, in pristine condition. Our wait ended this week when we won the bidding on a well-known auction website. We just love the stylised birds and fiery colours – it really is a stunner!

Finel is responsible for some fantastic pieces of enamelware.

Great designers such as the aforementioned Kaj Franck, Seppo Mallat and Antti Nurmesniemi worked for the company.

Their pieces are decorative, functional & well made.

We have quite a few pieces dotted around the house including cups, teapots & bowls.

This bowl is decorated with a fabulous mushroom design. It was probably intended for the kitchen or dining table, but ours seems to have adopted the role of tea light storage container!

We also like to keep examples for sale in the shop. We currently have one of the teapot/kettles shown above. Also, this lovely set of bowls – perfect for serving starters, salads, curries, desserts – anything really! It consists of one large bowl with the geometric circle/grid design and six smaller bowls in the same vibrant blue.

One more design that still eludes us is the repeating red & white heart shape one – but we’re keeping our eyes peeled!

Forthcoming Attractions: Early January 2012

We bought these items this week – most of them from one local contact actually. It’s quite a mid century modern collection!

Two lovely bits of German pottery for starters – they’re both by Dumler & Breiden. We love the colour contrast and striking repeat pattern of the bowl. The vase has a very distinctive form similar to another piece we’ve got. The combination of thick, textured glaze to the sides and smooth vibrant orange glaze highlighting the holes & vase rim is very effective. We’re trying to be quite strict with ourselves these days, but that’s probably a keeper!

And yet more flashes of orange with the desk lamp & cased glass vase. The lamp, dating from the 60s/70s, is adjustable and has a label for ‘1001 Lamps Ltd’ of London. The vase is unmarked, but dates from the same period.

There’s another nice table lamp in view, this one being teak with a fibreglass shade. The base looks very Danish.

And, staying with the Scandinavian theme, we have some interesting stainless steel pieces. The snack tray is Danish and quite an unusual shape; the pair of matching vases were made in Sweden. There’s some lovely Tupperware spice pots too – both colourful & practical.

…and then there’s the classic 1950s atomic zig-zag coat rack. We’ve had lots of these and grab them whenever we see them – they’re always really popular with our customers.

And last but not least, the teak drinks trolley that the items are sitting on.

This is a lovely piece of furniture dating from the 1960s. It has the ‘Remploy’ label to the base.

It’s got a great look, it’s useful and is in excellent condition. Did we say we were trying to be strict with ourselves?!

Forthcoming Attractions: Early October 2011

Here’s a quick peek at a few of our recent purchases.

We’ll start with fabrics – a lovely pair of heavy curtains with a striped pattern in blues, greens & turquoise – perfect for keeping out those coming winter draughts. There are more shades of gorgeous green and a groovy pattern in the duvet cover.

The pottery kitchen storage jars are from the Kleen Kitchen Ware range produced by Sadler – a classic 1950s look.

The pedestal alarm clock is by Rhythm – its orange hour markers are a nice detail.

These stacking stools are perfect for a camper van or small kitchen – they’re stamped to the base ‘Chair Centre January 1972’.

This lovely Scandinavian mid century modern teak pestle & mortar is by Karl Holmberg.

The camera bag has all kinds of pockets and compartments and was manufactured by Hinomoto.

And last, but not least – the nest of tables that all the items are sitting on. They’re a wonderful shape and were manufactured by G-Plan.

Takes the biscuit!

We think this is a future classic… having said that, it probably already is!

This biscuit tin was sold through Marks & Spencer only this Christmas gone. They’re already being resold for £15-£20 (without the Swiss biscuits inside!).

It’s a special commemorative tin celebrating 125 years of Marks & Spencer. It was designed by Sanna Annukka. She’s half English and half Finnish – and the illustration has a real vintage Scandinavian feel.

It reminds us of this original 1960s travel poster we had framed to display in our Picture House Antiques centre pitch.

Not only the general style, but also the landscapes and even the colours.

The poster entitled Carefree by Coach is signed by ‘Bigg’. We have to confess, we’ve not been able to find out anything about him or her… but it’s a fantastic illustration.

We might have been tempted to pack a flask & sandwiches… and hop on board for our ‘carefree’ trip through the countryside!

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: Scandinavian

Fine Finel Find!

Forthcoming Attractions: Early January 2012

Forthcoming Attractions: Early October 2011

Takes the biscuit!