Category Archives: Design, designers and online finds

Small space solution for home office.


Working from home, as I have a real job too, I can do with a designated work space. I now work in any room or area of the house depending on mood, weather or what’s on telly (can’t afford to miss those BBC home shows!). But my fysio therapist recommended I buy a proper adjustable office chair and to support my back. Also, I would love a little area to call my office. We have a study upstairs actually, and all it needs is a bit of redecorating, but it’s nice to let the mind wonder. Hence my search for home office solutions today. I stumbled across one find I really had to share.

Have a look at this:

Looks like a wooden vault or something....

This stunning little piece of genius actually folds out into a small work desk with clever storage space for mail, notes, bills etc.

Small fold-out home office

It sells for a 162 Euro, and I believe can be shipped pretty much anywhere. I found it on Apartmenttherapy (where else) but you can order it through Overstock.com

Thinking of Holland….


The first line, well, translated that is, of a Dutch poem. But also the name of Dutch Souvenir-Cum-Design shop Thinking of Holland. I love their collection and first got to hear about them looking for the Chick-a-dee smoke detector I wrote about a few months back. They sell Dutch design with a souvenir twist. Designs by big names like Droog Design, Porceleyne Flesch, Royal Goedewagen, Moooi, Studio Job to name a few. And the good news is, they now opened up shop online too!

Warning:  this site will likely make you spend too much!

Check them out here!

Holland Vase by Sander Alblas for Royal Goedewaagen

The Holland Vase is available in white-white, red-white, blue-white and orange-white. Ø17x h35cm, ceramics.           Price € 99, and no, I don’t get a commission on any sold items 😉


Sushi pillows


Usually I am not a big fan of gimmicky furniture, but I did want to share these.

Cushions in the shape of sushi. They come in nigiri and rolls and in the shape of edamame appetizer beans. They even sell little soy sauce bag shaped pillow cases.

Sushi pillow cases

Not all of them are great. Some of the rolls look absolutely tacky with badly drawn ingredients. And the salmon nigiri looks like a fish caught in a serious bondage act.

Is that salmon humping my pillow

Make light, not war


The Sopranos meet Versace. I am liking this lamp actually, part of a series of table and floor lamps in silver or gold. 

Table Gun Lamp Gold

Designed by Philippe Starck for Flos in 2005. The body of the lamps are in die-cast aluminum. The gold version has an 18K polished gold-plated finish. They start at around $980,- and can be found in several online design shops.

The Homevoyeurs webshop sells many books about Starck, have a look!If you’re lucky, even on eBay!

Starck book

Starck’s own words on his Gun Lamp Collection:

First there were attempts at life, then the draft
of life, then Life itself.
It didn’t have much value – life and death altogether.
It was something of an accident, without importance.
But Mankind kept working. A lot.
A civilisation was crafted so that Life could live.
Sublime by obligation, Life became sacred,
untouchable. The great, beautiful Life, guaranteed
to everyone, surged and survived until today,
the 21st century, the third millennium, the advent
of civilised civilisation.
Bravo! Rest in peace.
Crash! It’s never what you think.
After just a short period of enlightenment,
the shadows return, fast, dense and menacing.
Rewind, death is at the door.
Nowadays we kill – religiously, militarily, civilly,
indeed very civilly sometimes. We kill out of ambition,
out of greed, for the fun of it or of the show.
Republics turn bananas. Tyrant are our masters,
Designed, manufactured, sold, dreamed, purchased
and used, weapons are our new icons.
Our lives are only worth a bullet.
The Guns Collection is nothing but a sign
of the times.
We get the symbols we deserve.
Happiness is a hot gun.
Glory to our dictators
To Life, To Death

P.S.:
Light, functional, affordable and elegant,
with over 100 million copies officially
produced to date, the Kalachnikov is one of the
industrial design success-stories of our age.
Mr Kalachnikov has never received any royalties
for this design. He often complains about it.
Thus, I intend to pay him a commission for the
sales of the model that replicates his invention.
Poor guy. The remainder will be donated to
“Medicins sans frontieres”, though sometimes
I wonder why.
Aux larmes Citoyens
Aux armes Citoyens

Explanations:
The gold of the weapons represents
the collusion between money and war
Table Gun symbolises the East
Bed Side Gun symbolises Europe
Lounge Gun stands for the West
The black shade signifies death
The crosses on the inside are to remind us
of our dead ones.

Yes, well, it is still just a lamp Philippe……