Typography has been courting time in vogue for the last few years prompting books and articles on the meaning of type choice as signifier of personality and lifestyle with the design aware set. I fully admit that I have a slightly more than casual interest in this too and have picked up a fair few typographic homewares for the apartment, including the trinkets above. In the modern world we are bombarded by type fonts, they create brand and identity and this has been translated in a plethora of ways by home design from old adverts to art work taking in many kinds of trinkets along the way.
1. I absolutely love my vintage french postcard book of Nice (above), I sourced it online and am totally smitten with the art deco pattern and fonts. 2. Monopoly was always the last word in board games in my family and perhaps one of the iconic type-fonts of the early twentieth century. Fleet Street has a particular family connection for me as it’s where my mother grew up and her parents were based in my childhood. I bought the notebook in Liberty’s stationary department but there are an array of monopoly products online, you can pick up notebooks for £7.99 from Gift Republic. 3. I bought myself one of Danish Designer Arne Jacobsen’s iconic porcelain letter-ware cups from Heals for £13 but am pretty much in love with the whole understated modernist design letter range from this icon of mid-century cool.
We have all of the items above in our apartment and I think each one is a beautiful example of form. 1.The Bla poster by Swedish design duo One Must Dash is stunning, we have it in our bedroom. It is available in various sizes online, the largest of which retails at £55 from Bodie & Fou. 2. This vintage-look Eye Test Chart on wooden rods from Rockett St George is not cheap retailing at £110 but after over a year of coveting it I have reneged on my promise to only buy cheap prints for the wall and I absolutely love it. 3. I picked up this 1973 alphabet wrap in the shop to accompany the Bauhaus exhibition at The Barbican a few years back. 4. I love this wooden O display box from the Ben di Lisi home range at Debenhams for SS14. Its a great example of high street interpretation that’s sharp and stylish, retailing at £35 but currently available on promotion for £28.
1 & 2. The clever team behind Ferm Living have created a wonderful range of letters against different patterned backgrounds in a simple type-font with shadow. The range of 26 letters is called Bau Deco and each print is available on their online store for £25 each. They also sell the wooden rod (pictured top left) for £30 which is a great way to hang them. 3. With the salvage trend continuing to be a firm staple of modern urban interiors there is a wealth of wonderful artifacts that have been sourced and customised for exquisitely expensive prices. This light box installation eye test is one of my very favourites.
If you like Typography art work then the online store of Toni Kay Skandivis is a must. With her eye for Scandinavian design, she has sourced a brilliant collection of large scale type-based-posters called ‘In Love With Typography’ all retail for a very reasonable £32. 1. We have this Head Quarters poster in our study, dimensions – 50x70cm. 2. AG poster typed in JP Special Serif Bold, dimensions – A1 size. 3. A7 PlayType poster in Pantone colours. 4. Aa Graphic Poster in bold black and white, dimensions 50x70cm.
These are some of my favourite fonts and use of type online and in the home. I absolutely love these steps, I’m very tempted to copy, ditto the vintage metal three which is just gorgeous. The XOXO bunting is so simple and effective hung on simple string against a white back drop. And these primary coloured fonts, especially the Ford example are so cheerful and classic.
And finally, my current favourite piece of salvage in our home – the front plate of an old theatre exit sign bought for an absolute song on eBay.
