Very occasionally you discover a range of products that are very, very special – Danish design company En Gry & Sif create just such items, their designs are beautiful, the attention to detail in their manufacture is incredible and the whole ethos of their company is compelling…

The story begins back in 2002 when two Scandinavian sisters, Gry & Sif, resigned from their jobs and set off on a three month trek across India and Nepal in search of inspiration.  In a small village just outside Kathmandu they discovered wonderfully talented local women producing stunning, hand crafted felt items and the seeds of their business were sown. Continue reading →

I’m sure there are many who, like myself, spent much of their childhood creating fabulous models using the iconic Lego building blocks we all know and love. The key to their success, so far as I was concerned, was the ability to use a standard range of bricks to construct an infinite number of designs limited only by the imagination itself.

Well in true Japanese style we now have an incredible new miniature version – Nanoblocks, they capture the essence of the original Danish brand and, with just eleven different brick sizes common to the entire range of kits, promote imaginative designs where the use of set-specific components isn’t an issue. Continue reading →

The iconic model sailing boats produced by Star Yachts of Birkenhead have now become seriously collectable and are often used as decorative props around the home where, with their bright colours, they evoke fond childhood memories of those traditional English seaside holidays.

When the Star Yacht factory finally closed it’s doors in 1990 it’d been manufacturing these wonderful models for nearly 70 years, they were essentially toys – beautifully made and, as proudly boasted on the deck emblem, “Guaranteed to Sail”. Their main purpose was to sail across the uncharted waters of the local park pond, delighting children when they reached the other side and frustrating parents when they didn’t…

Display stands were of little importance – they were never, so far as I’m aware, supplied with the yachts but had to be purchased seperately so, consequently, demand was low and they were only ever made in very small numbers. Those that were produced were very crude, hand painted and not particularly well finished judging by the few examples I’ve been fortunate to find, ultimately – they’re very rare and finding one to display your treasured Star Yacht isn’t really an option nowadays.

With the above in mind I’ve produced a small batch of beautifully made reproduction stands in three different sizes, to suit all but the very largest of the Star Yachts fleet, and three different authentic colour variations. Continue reading →