The Private Members Club Lamp

I first saw the Taccia lamp, perched on the riveted aluminium bar at the subterranean City-boy hangout and private members club, Eight Moorgate in London. Since then, the bar and the lamp have become firm favourites with both, again, influencing what good looks like on Design Trawler.

Designed by the Castiglioni brothers for Flos in 1962, the Taccia marries an extruded black aluminium 'gear' shaped body with hand blown 'searchlight' powder-coated difuser. Unless it's nickel-plated and zapon-varnished [like the base of the Taccia] any other table lamp is not worth discussing.

Roadster Sofas from Bark

If ever man tried to create a formula for successful design, the elements of black walnut, fine leather and architectural curves would be essential. The achingly smart Kustom Armchair by Bark Furniture is an automatic 'yes' and features an exaggerated 'roadster' silhouette that'd compliment your E-Type nicely.

Curiously, the dramatic sloping profile is superbly comfortable and far easier to get out of than the scalloped shaped sides may suggest. Made to order in a range of sizes and fabrics from Bute in Scotland.

Hotrod for High-Octane Sencha

Looking at this diamond bevelled detailing, you'd be forgiven for thinking Design Trawler has taken a trip to the workshop of Enzo Ferrari. Indeed the jewel-like finishing is illuminated in rosso red from within it's polished chrome body. It's not to be found in a high-spec garage, but rather, the kitted out kitchen.

Original 'boiling water tap' firm Quooker, has engineered a child-proof push and turn mechanism for it's Fusion and Nordic taps worthy of old man Enzo himself. The only tap with a patented vacuum system of storing water above 100°c, Quooker delivers on demand torque steam for high-octane sencha.

Max Lennaárd's Modular Flames

Swinging by the Formex design exhibition in Stockholm, where the number of dead animals rivalled even the Man Cave [#1 #2 #3], I spotted an outstanding set of modular candle holders by Max Lennaárd.

Nominated as one of the 'Formex Formidable' 20 best in show, the precise CNC machine-milled forms allow owners to live like Brancusi and create their own unlimited forms in the metal of the moment.

Shoe Horn? or Sculpture?

Not the first time a Sex and the City prop has found it's way on to the pages of DesignTrawler.com, this shoe horn sculpture from the lauded Manolo Blahnik is part of the Collector range from Habitat. Re-released for R.O.O.M. in Stockholm's PUB Store, the original met it's fate in 2011 along with the retailer founded by Sir Terrance Conran. Excellent for brogues, girlfriends or unwelcome intruders.

The Gentleman's Valet Company

From handyman to gentleman - Sam Brown is a furniture maker that has been inundated with the requests of well turned out City sorts for his bespoke valet stands. The Gentleman's Valet Company produces beautifully crafted valets for made-to-measure cloth starting at around £2,000.

Eccentrically stylish details include suitably Hirst carved skull hat stands, and union flag lampshades that take up to four days to fashion from oak and walnut. Sam's wall mounted valet in particular should be mandatory in every man's bedroom/hotelroom and is a natural companion to open rail thread storage.

Designer Handyman L:A Bruket

Thinking about London's Cornwall Terrace townhouses which each feature three kitchens; one for boiling an egg at a dinner party, one for the caterers, and one for the rest of the staff; a £40m home should probably also have multiple utility rooms. In fact, all homes should probably have multiple utility rooms.

The meticulously presented 'master utility', for when owners wish to personally fetch another man candle or box of bathing seaweed, should be outfitted by Swedish firm L:A Bruket [pictured]. From said edible bath treatments, to [less edible] lime & mint dog shampoo; all far too smart to be stored in the staff utility.

Man's Best Friend by Gavin Coyle

Man's best friend. Intelligent, loyal. The last thing you see when you leave home, and always the first to greet you when you're back. That warm fuzzy felling of companionship when it's around, that unique character, that charm. Yes, it demands attention, and yes it'd be far cheaper to buy a goldfish, but this is man's best friend. Not man's mate Dan, or his girlfriend. Iconic, unmistakable. I'm talking about design.

But for those animal lovers, this fido shaped magazine rack from Gavin Coyle is exceptionally smart too.

Tell Me More... Actually, Don't.

Unless your vanilla is Madagascan and organic, harvested under a full moon by a pack of native tribesman, and transported by carbon neutral means, I don't want to know. Or at least that's what many brands seem to think we expect when it comes to product and their descriptions. Particularly when it comes to scent.

Swedish firm Tell Me More's candles are numbered one through nine and have a corresponding fragrance ranging from ginger & lime [one] through to amber [nine]. So if your guests ever ask if that's ylang ylang in the bathroom, tell them that it's an invigorating blend of the number five, and to stop being so pedestrian.

Design Trawler Acquires... the Colour Yellow

Yes you heard correctly. Design Trawler, or rather it's globetrotting ambassador, has just acquired the colour yellow. Not just any yellow, the colour yellow. That's right, the most famous yellow in the world, moniker of DesignTrawler.com and preserve of Pantone Corp, 'Pantone Yellow C', has a new owner.

Okay, so laying claim to a colour is a bit far fetched, and in the interests of keeping myself out of court, Pantone Yellow C translates as #FEDF00 on Unicef's Own a Colour website. A brilliant initiative, Unicef is offering people the chance to 'own' one of 16.7 million colours capable of being displayed on a computer. A design led alternative to sponsoring would-be bathmats and help save a child's life. Buy yours here.

DesignTrending - Golden Metals in 2012

With the new year imminently approaching, DesignTrawler.com takes a moment to think about what themes and materials are going to prove popular in 2012. This teak calendar from Mucu [MoMa Tokyo] sums up the predictions.

We're already seeing brass growing in popularity as a material. With the rise of the steampunk set and austere design ethic [we're in recession apparently] raw materials like bronze, copper, teak, and dare I suggest it, pine, represent honest elements that have fallen off the designer's radar. Golden metals in particular look set to replace chrome and brushed steel, as we tire of facsimile showhome furniture and gear up for the gold, in this, London's Olympic year.

Chandeliers hit a Glass Ceiling

Visiting the modernist 97 Park Avenue this September, this fantastic aircraft [with working propellers] was suspended from the ceiling in the main stairwell. A brilliant use of space, which would probably find itself housing a chandelier or feature pendent if part of a designer's brief.

While there is many an artful chandelier on the market, the functional need for a sculptural fitting to hold candles bulbs is quite redundant these days; not least in Mancaves. Using ceiling space for more dynamic art or sculpture and lighting it appropriately represents a modern day solution to 'filling the void' that seems far more relevant.

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.