Originally designed by the infamous Robin Day for furniture makers S. Hille & Co. in 1963, these polypropylene stacking chairs are iconic pieces of design, seen everywhere from schools and hospitals to restaurants, cafés, and airports.
They've been so successful, they've never gone out of production, merely evolving with subtle design changes. These vibrant child-size examples were known as the 'E-Series' designed for educational establishments in 1972, and their size graded by a letter of the alphabet alongside the Hille trademark underneath the seat. The orange ones here are a 'B', whilst the blue ones are very small nursery school size 'A".
What could be more dramatic than that (terribly British) red/white/blue combo? We always try and have a few framed vintage Union Flags in stock - they make such great, vibrant wall decorations. This large framed flag is over four feet wide, and was brought back from one of our trips to Canada. It's in perfect 'tatty' condition - complete with authentic faded edges and the odd tiny rip or hole.
BIG and BRIGHT RED! We love these vintage homemade wooden toy trains for dressing our showroom. They add an essential colour accent to a minimal monochrome scheme, which is probably why they sell so quickly... or is it that they tap into people's nostalgia for a long-lost childhood?
Funky, red, AND with shiny bits! We just had to buy this child's sledge when we saw it on one of our trips to Sweden. A basic yet sophisticated child's sledge dating (we think) from the 1950s - it's crude steering mechanism pivots the front left or right. Whether it ever sees any snow is questionable, but hey, it looks great just to have it to look at!
It was particularly beautiful teal blue that this old 1930's pine stepladder had been painted that meant we simply had to have it! It's a sturdy number, and as you can see it makes an excellent bookshelf.
No prizes for guessing what this nifty bit of advertising was selling. Worthy of being framed, this gorgeous 1940's cardboard advert in the shape of a bar of Palmolive Soap, is still as vibrant as the day it was printed.
