Designer Desire: Margaret Calvert

Montage of Margaret Calvert designs | H is for Home

Even if you’re not that much of a fan or know that much about graphic design, Margaret Calvert will surely have had an influence on your life.

Calvert (b. 1936), with her former teacher at Chelsea College of Art, Jock Kinneir designed the signage for the burgeoning motorway system. Ironically, at the time, neither Calvert nor Kinneir could drive.

As well as the signage for the nation’s road and rail, Calvert & Kinneir designed the accompanying typefaces. Motorway was first used in 1958 on the M6 Preston bypass (now part of the M6). It’s also been adopted on the road networks of Ireland and Portugal. Rail Alphabet, designed in 1965, was first used at London’s Liverpool Street Station. It would later be adopted by the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales for its signs. It continues to be the dominant typeface used on signs in older hospitals. It’s also been adopted by British Airports Authority and by Danish railway company, DSB.

Calvert re-imagined her ‘Man at Work’ sign as a ‘Woman at Work’ artwork (compare the top pair of road signs). She also updated her ‘Children Crossing’ sign in 2016 (the girl was based on a childhood photo of herself); can you spot the differences?

She was responsible for designing the Tyne and Wear Metro typeface in 1977. It was later updated and evolved to be used, in 1992, as 3D external signage for Royal College of Art.

In her own words:

We never decided, ‘Oh, let’s brand the United Kingdom’… but as with London black cabs and red buses… You thought of everything from the standpoint of: ‘What if I am at the wheel, doing speeds of over 70mph?’

I like the idea of designing for the larger public… Design is a service. The term graphic design didn’t exist then. They called it commercial art. It’s not designing from a fashion point of view, it’s purely logic, function and aesthetics. And you can’t get simpler.

Portrait of Margaret Calvertcredit

Additional image credits:

It’s Nice That

Price Points: Love neon signs

Price Points: Love neon signs | H is for Home

Neon signs are everywhere at the moment, and they’re available in a range of designs, sizes and prices.  Perhaps a big, red, glowing love heart or a custom-designed LED neon phrase making a personalised declaration of your feelings.

I like the ones that make a bold, bright statement on a wall. They can work as eye-catching décor in the home or as venue staging at an engagement, wedding or anniversary celebration.

What better way to profess your love for your family or significant other than with a huge neon sign?

  1. I love the bones of you neon wire sign: £259.25, Etsy
  2. Neon amour art light: £321, Graham and Green
  3. Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc: £450, NOTHS

shop love neon signs

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
£450.00
Neon amour art light
Neon amour art light
£321
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
£259.25
Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
£450.00
Neon amour art light
Neon amour art light
£321
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
£259.25
Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
£450.00
Neon amour art light
Neon amour art light
£321
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
£259.25
Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
£450.00
Neon amour art light
Neon amour art light
£321
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
£259.25
Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
Love Lives Here LED neon light by Love Inc
£450.00
Neon amour art light
Neon amour art light
£321
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
I love the bones of you neon wire sign
£259.25

Forthcoming Attractions: End-January 2016

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Vintage shop items | H is for Home

Here’s a selection of some recent vintage finds for you to peruse at your leisure.

vintage leather luggage items | H is for Home

We’ll start with the vintage leather luggage items. They always prove popular in our antiques centre space and look great arranged in stacks and groupings. The different shapes and colours work really well together.

vintage metal corkscrews and vintage industrial task light

Moving on to a bit of vintage industrial styling. We love these hanging task lights with their cage bulb covers. They look fantastic hanging from the ceiling in a dark corner or above a dining/work table. The addition of a old fashioned filament bulb and flex finishes them off perfectly.

pair of vintage metal corkscrews | H is for Home

These vintage French corkscrews have an industrial feel too with their mechanical concertina-like action. They look good and are useful (very useful) too!

vintage metal exit sign | H is for Home

This next item caught our eye immediately as we really like old letters, signs & stencils. This ‘EXIT’ sign is made from what looks like zinc metal with a painted surface. We like the yellow colour and aged patina.

Red vintage goose neck desk lamp and vintage Fiesta biscuit tin

And a bit of classic vintage-retro now. We always have a good selection of vintage desk lamps available in the antiques centre. Having a choice of colours is ideal, so this lovely bright red example can join their number.

Vintage Fiesta biscuit tin detail

And last but not least, this gorgeous 1950s biscuit tin. It has colourful and playful decoration with a Spanish theme. Perfect for those home-made biscuits or cupcakes. All these recent vintage finds are being listed in our online shop or on eBay this week so get in touch if you see anything you’d like.

Valentine enamel sign

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Vintage enamel sign, 'Valentine la belle peinture'

This is our favourite item of the week.

Vintage Valentine enamel sign

We don’t think we’ve nominated an enamel sign previously.

Detail of vintage Valentine enamel sign

It’s a vintage French sign advertising Valentine paints. We like the colours and absolutely love the graphic design.

Vintage Valentine enamel sign in our sitting room with other vintage industrial homewares

We put it in a vintage industrial corner of the lounge to photograph it – oh no, it looks quite good!