Need for [Noble] Steed

Trawling around town between openings and appointments this week got me thinking about transport. After our homes, for most men at least, cars tend to be de facto objects of desire. While man’s best friend may have evolved from ‘four legs and a tail’ to ‘four wheels and a gear box’ the similarities between Fido and Fiat are still very present.

Supporting Design Week, Aston Martin rolled out its sport saloon, the Rapide, and new city concept, the Cygnet. Fantastic for thrashing around town, the Cygnet is definitely the excitable terrier to the Rapide’s racing greyhound. Trumping them both however was Addison Lee’s chauffeured motorcycle service. In city congestion, two legs wheels are definitely better than four; making the Honda Pan-European the  fast and nimble Kangaroo of the group.

So there you have it; a terrier, a greyhound and a kangaroo; modern-day man’s new best friends.

If Kevin McCloud did Goldfish Bowls

It's hard to think of a pet more iconic than a goldfish in a simple glass goldfish bowl. I previously mentioned that artifacts, plants and animals lend a powerful 'anti-design' balance to an interior and those 'down' with their feng shui would agree - goldfish symbolise wealth and prosperity in ancient Chinese culture.

While companies such as Biorb have attembeted to bring the humble goldfish bowl up to date (with a not-so-humble price tag), Canadian designer Teddy Luong's Fish Hotel is a home that any prosperous goldfish would approve of. Upscaled with aquarium lighting, black bauhaus cladding and located in the kitchen for super-quick goldfish sashimi.

Designer Bubble Bath for Blokes

Admittedly, bubble bath for blokes is a bit of a hard sell - there isn't an immediate resonation with the Mancave locker room coolness. Nonetheless, I recently spotted this £30 masculine brown glass bottle on the shelf of Sir Terence's Marylebone hangout and was instantly hooked.

The scent of prehistoric amber is described as warm, musky, rich and honey-like. While true, I think the scent of, what is essentially an expensive rock, conjures up images of teak, brass and crisp £50's in vintage leather. Also available in eau de toilette, home fragrances and a variety of other formats.

Big Game Hunting - Last of the Battlecats

I first heard about artist Robert Burden from uber-blog Uncrate in May 2008. Burden's stylised idolised portraits of toys and action figures from his youth have a 'big kid' boyish coolness perfect for any aspiring Mancave. Battlecat, He-Man's fearless sidekick, is the best of the bunch and fuses an iconic pop style with powerfull 1920's glamour.

I dropped Burden a note asking to be informed when Battlecat was nearing sell-out. A year later, I receive a message that there is one left. The opportunity to take an edition out of circulation is instantly attractive; appreciating as soon as it leaves the gallery it validates the success of the artist, the edition and comes with 'big game' trophy status.

Mixology on the Menu

How the humble cave has evolved. From a simple place to sleep at night to a place to live and entertain at all hours. The Mancave has come to symbolise gastro pub, members club and cocktail bar - complete with bistro blackboards, Swiss mechanical timers and, of course, the remarkable Bang & Olufsen wine machine.

Keeping track of all of the best beverages required to qualify for Mancave status, however, becomes a little tricky. Enter, some commercially sourced bespoke bar menu's with embossed logos and Moleskine stock for easy updates.

Smoke & Mirrors - Experiment #2

I previously mentioned how bespoke cut mirrors can add depth and dimension to an interior; particularly when applied to irregular wall profiles. Using the same principle, I wanted to see what effect using mirrors on the inside profiles of recessed windows would have. Reflecting back the face of the window makes it seem significantly wider; increasing light and window real-estate by up to 50% (depending on the depth of the recess) at virtually no cost.

Fred Waring - Set Your Blender to 'Molecular'

Kitchen products with the 'professional' moniker attached to them tend to signify quality and performance. While Dualit and Gaggia make fine 'professional' products, this week I stumbled across a brand called Waring - Founded by musician Fred Waring with his famous 1938 blender (pictured).

The website lists three main product groups; 'professional', 'commercial' and... 'laboratory equipment'. That's right, if you want an explosion resistant blender or micronizer to make inhalable Sunday lunches, Waring's your man. With the popularity of Heston Blumenthal, it's only a matter of time before lab-quality appliances man toys like these start finding themselves in to our modern day mancaves.

Experiments with Smoke & Mirrors

I've recently been experimenting with bespoke cut mirrors. I want to see how mirrors and reflected light can add depth and dimension to an interior. A successful example is this full-height shard which lines an irregular wall profile in the Mancave. It adds a fantastic richness and complexity to the room; reflecting back different materials and textures in a 'vertical slice' as you move around the space.

Give Up Bad Design For Good

 

New Year's Resolutions; flawed by design to fail miserably before January is over; and primarily the reason that for many of us, resolutions rarely ever make it to the drawing boards in the first place.

This slogan from Danish design house Bodum recently caught my attention. Like a revolutionary campaign poster, this plastic bag calls consumers to arms with an intelligent and powerful message; Give up Bad Design for Good!; a brilliant resolution for the year ahead.

Casual Friday's & Weekend Bedding

The rituals of our daily dress codes aren't only for when we leave the home. For occasions when Boateng inspired bedding is a little formal [or for summers in the Hamptons / Islands / Highlands] ivy league clothier Gant offers up a range of cable knits, pinstripe linens and suitably Jack Purcell Americana.

Her Majesty's Most Wanted

This summer, Design Trawler was invited by the Evening Standard join the Judging Panel for the annual New Homes Awards. The most prestigious trophy in the business, shortlisted homes were presided over by trendsetters, tastemakers and arbiters of taste across twelve categories.

Presiding over 'Best Apartment' and 'Best Luxury' - everything from Mayfair duplexes owned by the Crown Estate, to New York style lofts were subject to the scrutiny of Design Trawler. Click below to find out who took home the silver, and why Design Trawler won't be getting a Christmas Card from Buckingham Palace.

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Good Dog - Blue Dog

At the risk of upsetting RSPCA sorts, animals in the home are best skinned and made in to carpets, bathmats, blankets or wine coolers. If you can't guarantee they won't do their business against your Carlo Molino writing desk, or otherwise gnarl a hole in your Corbusier LC-2, they're best kept outside.

Much better to Fido by way of fun Brazilian pop art. This is Blue Dog. Acquired from Romero Britto's flagship gallery in Miami, Blue Dog pre-dates even the Man Cave. Loyally ascending to greatness, from Bond Street to Buckingham palace, Britto's Blue Dog has found itself in the windows of Opera Gallery and counts the Queen, amongst others, as one of its owners.

Bedside Explorer - Design Trawler

You can tell a lot about a person based on who what they sleep with. As humans, we tend to snooze close to the things we love most. How many people go to bed with a Blackberry? Point proven. Wall-safes are typically behind headboard paintings, and we all know where James Bond keeps his Walther PPK at night.

On Design Trawler's bedside table trunk, the trend is no different. A chrome hotel bell; passport [current] in a silver frame and 2,000 year old Han Dynasty warrior head to ward off evil spirits. It all points to exploration, collection, and dreams ladened with frequent flier miles. Jules Verne would be proud.

Polish Cold War Neon

The sound of a Polish Cold War Neon museum might not give curators at the MoMa any sleepless nights, but the old warehouse in SoHo Factory area of Warsaw is a design must-see. The space is the bricks-and-mortar continuation of the book which captured the world's attention.

But it's the museum gift shop boutique that comes up trumps. Forget postcards and pencil-sharpeners. Alongside the book that started it all, are one-off typographic prints, ceramics and sculpture featuring the high-voltage fonts. With the popularity of heavy-hitting neon artists like Chris Bracey and Tracy Emin the museum's future looks very bright! Expect some specially commissioned neon art to be featured here soon.

Raul de Sorôa's Itaúba Submarine

A spectacular find from Brazilian artist Raul de Sorôa. 'Submarino' is carved from Itaúba, a Brazilian hardwood, and features characterful nautical, automotive and also aeronautical forms. Equally interesting are Raul's other works which combine Airfix style assembly kit panels with his signature organic outlines.