Objects of Desire

Design Alessi Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer, Philippe Starck

It’s testament to Philippe Starck’s talent that even his lemon squeezer has become a 20th-century design icon. ‘My idea is to bring happiness, respect, vision, poetry, surrealism and magic’ said the French designer, whose work puts the funk in function. Fusing Pop Art shapes with Space Age influences, the concept of the Alessi Juicy Salif Citrus Squeezer came about when Starck was squeezing lemon juice over a tasty plate of calamari. Thirty years later, it’s the culinary landmark of kitchen tops and dinner tables worldwide – and has even landed behind the illustrious glass of institutions such as the V&A in London and MoMA in New York. Still plenty of juice left in this one.

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Design In Hale Rouge Belge Copper, Ben Storms

Defying gravity. Ben Storms is a Belgian designer and craftsman whose bold experimentation with materials results in work that is innovative, captivating – and unexpected. In the case of his In Hale table series, Storms juxtaposes materials in a way that draws out new and often illusory qualities. For example, in the Rouge Belge Copper coffee table – a feat of industrial grandeur – the weighty layer of marble is effortlessly held up by a sheet of inflated metal. ‘By creating shapes that verge on the impossible,’ he says, ‘I confuse the viewers, make them lose their balance briefly, and stimulate them to look at familiar materials with a fresh eye.’ See how many tomes you can balance on it.

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Fashion Longer Jacket, Rains Mac

Foolproof fashion. It’s the ultimate British summerwear: waterproof, lightweight and a classic yet casual throw-on option, the Rains Mac has kept us dry from the storms of summer since 2012. The Scandinavian label was founded by two Danish students under the slogan ‘to enjoy yourself even on rainy days’ – a sentiment that’s never applied more than in 2021. The Rains Longer Jacket is a unisex option finished with backside ventilation and identifiably Rains cut lines, among other features. For good measure, this design falls below the knees and is the longest of the three silhouettes: the art of keeping dry.

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Design Summer Night Beach Umbrella, KLAOOS

Rain or shine, beach or patio, life’s an eternal holiday with the Klaoos Summer Night Beach Umbrella. Prizing sustainability, design and 100% made in Europe, this eco-friendly product is made from fully recycled plastic bottles, testament to Klaoos’ mission to reduce the plastic waste that’s filling the beaches and oceans. The perfect addition to all nature-celebrating occasions – from countryside picnics to seaside dips – the design comes with a vibrant, geometric pattern. It’s said that all over the world, an umbrella is thrown out every 2 seconds. Not here, though: this is one to make lifelong memories under.

Design Hammock, MAKA

Lie back and dream away in the MAKA hammock. Created by Colombian-born Yaiza Dronkers Londoño, these handcrafted designs are a colourful revival of the country’s hammock-making tradition (from the Spanish ‘hamaca’). Her style merges a contemporary look and feel with classic weaving techniques, as demonstrated by the various designs on offer. From the Poncho design inspired by the Colombian fashion item to the Frangipani’s blending effect, the MAKA hammock brings a cheerful artisanal touch to proceedings. Whether reclining in your back garden or cocooned on your apartment block balcony, there are no limits to where your mind will travel.

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Design Mega Grande Ecosystem, The Urban Botanist

Your very own botanical garden – in a bottle. Bring the outdoors inside this washout summer with the Mega Grande Ecosystem. Like a mini microcosm of planet Earth in a jar, this elegant flask is filled with tropical species and natural ball moss. Perfect for apartment-dwellers and hapless plant tenderers, these self-sufficient plants require no upkeep: the sealed cork flask allows for the process of photosynthesis, keeping the contents evergreen. The jar is available exclusively with Selfridges and created by The Urban Botanist, a brand renowned for using the art and magic of nature to bring spaces to life. This design sparks in full green.

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Design Laurence Brabant Spiral Carafe

Spiral style. Made with love, the sophisticated designs of the Laurence Brabent brand are the product of the eponymous designer and her husband, the master glassblower Alain Villechange. Known for their joyful candy-cane décor, the pieces play with colour and transparency and are made using the technique of rolling-up borosilicate glass. Giving a personal artisan touch, the pieces are completely handmade and mouthblown without the use of moulds or modifications. The result is a collection that is unpretentious, poetic and even hypnotic – lighting up even the most mundane of functional household objects. Pass the jug.

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Design Wallpaper, Made of Matter by Julia Bancilhon

‘Why should walls just be walls?’ asks designer Julia Bancilhon, founder of London-Parisian wallpaper studio Made of Matter. Following a year of lockdown in which walls have literally defined the limits of our experience, it’s a question to which Bancilhon has the answer. Her ultra-decorative patterns, inspired by the art of collage, create new domestic horizons filled with colour and joy. A bold pronouncement on the death of white-walled noughties minimalism, these designs bring the warmth back into home – and make the dreaded thought of quarantine that little bit more comforting. Long live maximalism.

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Fashion Mansur Gavriel x Stamperia Pascucci tote bag

True blue. Released in line with World Ocean Day, this new partnership between Mansur Gavriel and Stamperia Pascucci presents a new range of aquatic themed bags – just in time for the summer holidays. Uniting luxury style with the artisan textiles of the two-century-old workshop, the bags are stamped out one at a time using a hand-printing technique that the Pascucci family has perfected over two centuries. The result is a limited edition, one-of-a-kind canvas bag that truly celebrates the sea in all its joy, colour and serenity – supporting the work of Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit working to protect the ocean.

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