Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Latest articles from Retro To Go

Latest articles from Retro To Go


For sale (at a reduced price): Cameron's house in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, located in Highland Park, Illinois, USA

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:20 AM PST

Ferris1

Remember this? Of course you do, this is Cameron's house (aka the 'Ferrari House') from John Hughes' 80s teen classic, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. We featured it when the house went up for sale back in 2009 and said back then, if we had the money, we would be all over it. Well, according to Gizmodo, the economic slowdown seems to have hit the luxury property market, so the money required to buy this midcentury gem in Highland Park, Illinois, USA is much less than it was back then.

As you undoubtedly recall, this glass and steel construction was owned by the parents of Cameron Frye and housed the infamous Ferrari, which Cameron and Ferris used to get around town during that 'day off'. That's not included in the sale (it was sold last year) - but you'll find the garage, which is capable of holding up to three cars, classic or not.

Ferris2

It was actually designed by architects A. James Speyer and David Haid back in 1953, with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a further four rooms of living space (including the large open lounge) and an interior that hasn't really been touched since the day it was built.

The house went up for sale for $2,300,000, which was just short of £1.5 million. Now that the economy is in more decline, the price has dropped sharply to $1,650,000 - just ovber £1 million. Ok, it's still out of our price ranges here (and probably always will be), but if you get a windfall, Lotto win or an inheritance coming your way soon...there are worse things to buy. If not, we can always dream.

Find out more at the Realtor website

Ferris3

eBay watch: 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:02 AM PST

Karmann

I know we have featured one of these in the past, but I couldn't resist highlighting this superb example of a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia currently on eBay.

It dates from 1967, but according to the seller, the car has been 'completely taken apart, sand blasted then rebuilt', with new brakes, wheels, tyres, interior and paint job, while the engine has been taken apart, rebuilt and re-chromed professionally. In addition, the engine has been tunes and the gearbox reconditioned. It's certainly an impressive restoration.

Downside? Well, left hand drive if you're not used to it and possibly the price. Right now it's at £1, but with a reserve, that means nothing. You can take a chance that the reserve is fairly low or you can simply splash out on the 'buy it now' priced of £8,500 if you happen to be feeling flush.

Find out more at the eBay website

Boomerang Beat fabric from Tonic Living

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:30 AM PST


Boom_beat_cocoa

Tonic Living create faithful reproductions of vintage textiles. Their website is full of superb examples of retro style fabrics but this Boomerang Beat print particularly stands out. The classic mid century atomic pattern is printed on hardwearing textured cotton barkcloth, making it a perfect choice for upholstery.

You can buy the material by the yard or, if your sewing skills are a little rusty, Tonic Living offer a custom sewing service for curtains and blinds.

$14.95 per yard from Tonic Living.

Brie Harrison Vintage Rose cushion

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 06:00 AM PST

Brie harrison cushions

For a funkier - though still retro - take on floral designs, take a look at the work of Brie Harrison, such as her Vintage Rose cushion

Harrison is a Suffolk-based print designer and illustrator. Here she takes the very traditional floral motif of the rose and depicts it in a manner reminiscent of 1940s/50s pattern designs. However, the overall look is given a contemporary twist by the fresh colours of the flowers which really stand out against the black background. Take a look also at her Folk flower cushion, a design with a more 1970s feel. 

Each design is available printed onto a linen or satin cover. Both come with a goose feather and down filling. For a cheaper option, the designs are also available on gift wrap and as cards. 

The cushions cost £55 each. 

Buy it online

Odin chairs at Made.com

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 05:48 AM PST

Odin chairs
More retro furniture from Made.com, this time the mid-century style Odin chairs.

The design of the chair seems to combine elements from other classic chairs: that chair back, for example, looks a bit like the Arne Jacobsen Ant chair, while the seat is like that on the Ercol Butterfly chair. Whatever the individual influences, the overall look is definitely classic mid-century. 

They're part of Made.com's Nordic collection, referencing Scandinavian design. The chairs are made from plywood with a walnut veneer and have chrome steel legs. They arrive requiring assembly. 

As always with Made.com, there's a long wait for the chairs to be made and delivered but that's reflected in the price - in this case a very reasonable £139 for the pair. 

See them online

Hit The North! real ale festival in London - beer meets 60s dancefloor grooves

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 05:23 AM PST

Snoot

Think beer festivals are all beards, barrels and Bavarian bands? That's certainly not the case with the Hit The North! real ale festival.

It's still about the beer, but this time the beer shares the billing with 60s dancefloor grooves. Talking place over the weekend of 4th - 6th February 2011 at the Snooty Fox (above) 175 Grosvenor Avenue, London N5 2NN, it offers up real ale including Dirty Water from Redemption Brewery and something from Northern Brewing, who do northern soul-inspired beer - more on that at their website. Also, to go with your beers at the free event, there's plenty of tunes.

Friday see the Dirty Water DJs playing garage beat soul and R&B, while on Saturday, the New Untouchables will play mod and psych classics. Closing thingd on Sunday is the Nitty Gritty Club for soul, funk and R&B. No contact details for more info, but the Snooty Fox is on Twitter - you can follow them here.

Via Modculture

Union Jack Ottoman from Graham and Green

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 02:56 AM PST

ZRV4272_M1 
Union Jacks were undeniably one of the big trends in 2010, and one that shows no sign of abating if this Union Jack Ottoman is anything to go by.

As is often the case with Union Jack decorated pieces, it makes a strong statement, and could just as easily look tacky as cool if in the wrong surroundings, but in a large room where the rest of the decor is simple, it could work. The ottoman measures 46cm high by 128cm wide x 78cm deep, with the internal storage space being slightly less.

The ottoman is available to buy online for £995 from Graham and Green.

Meyer Prestige Deco Toaster

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 02:47 AM PST

365905_m 
Not as solid or as impressive looking as some other retro toasters, such as those by DeLonghi, the Meyer Prestige Deco Toasters nonetheless offer a way to add a fun retro touch to the kitchen.

There are two 1960s-inspired designs to chose from; Hoops featuring a red/grey/black pattern of ovals and Checked, with a monochrome op-art style check design (pictured here0. Both variations offer the same features; namely 2 variable toasting slots, reheat/defrost/bagel settings and 6 position variable browning control.

The toaster costs £40 from Leekes

Adidas Gazelle OG trainers reissued in green and blue suede

Posted: 05 Jan 2011 12:44 AM PST

Gaz

If you were hoping that 2011 would seem some more obscure Adidas reissues on the shelves...well...that's not looking likely so far. So following on from the the Samba reissue yesterday comes another regular on the reissue circuit, the Adidas Gazelle OG trainers. Fans of the style will probably be more enthusiastic.

Two new limited edition colours are now on pre-order, a 'medium green' and a 'lone blue', but both are the same apart from that colour. Which means a return to the 1960s silhouette and two tone suede finish, along with leather detailing, zig zag cut leather stripes and a gum sole unit.

Finished off with some gold branding, the shoes are ready to order now at £65.

Find out more at the End Clothing website

Via His Knibs

Don't Be So Quick to Overlook the Maserati Grecale Folgore

If the GranTurismo Folgore is a guide, this Grecale Folgore could be surprisingly competitive. The EV GT was one of the year's best surp...