If, like me, you were looking for something slightly unusual as a gift this year, and wanted to avoid the endless trolleying around M&S, then I might well have saved you a considerable amount of shoe leather.
Whilst doing a routine online search for a buddha statue, I stumbled upon a site packed with products that called out to me to investigate further. My attention was first grabbed by the references to ‘ethical’ and ‘clear conscience shopping’. Great! It was clear to me that here was a company who actually cared about where their products were coming from – unlike some I could mention. A fully support the rights of those people grafting away for little in return.
Whenever I hear the sound of an ‘old fashioned’ phone on those mobile phone tones, I am immediately transformed back to the ‘black and white’ days of my youth. It brings to mind the word ‘phoney’, but I really like the way they sound. It creates a nostalgic feeling of warmth. The irony hasn’t escape me that so much interest in this comes from a generation weaned on digital and ‘high tech’.
But retro has always appealed, as different generations like to revive the sense of style with fashions and music. Everything from products to fashion and music all contain little influences that sparked the imagination of a particular contemporary designer. Retro phones are no exception to the rule. For any home appreciating style and fashion, these are ‘must have’ items.
One of my all-time favourites is the black Dreyfuss 500 retro phone. This phone was introduced and designed in 1949 by Henry Dreyfuss, and became one of the most popular phones in the US. It uses a standard plug socket, and comes in black, chrome or white. Unfortunately, if you want to wander from room to room whilst in conversation, it may be wise to stick with your bog-standard BT to avoid creating a costly hole in your wall!
Other retro items that caught my attention were their range of hot water bottles. In my household they used to be monotonous objects manufactured in two or three colours and dug out of the airing cupboard for a few weeks in cold snap. Have a look at these great styles, and their shapes and colours. Excellent sense of fun! There is definitely a range of designs that would suit anyone within my family. The Zebra style is one of my favourites, as it has a great pattern and is made to recycle in future. Its good also when you realize that it is still summer time, and a large chunk of Christmas shopping has been eradicated.
Tags: hot water bottle, Hot water Bottles, retro phones, retro telephones, unusual gifts