Czech Avant-Garde Design Gallery

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—01. 1930s Mart Stam stool.
—02. 1940s Alvar Aalto Tank Chair.

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In my continuous hunt for shops specializing in vintage functionalist furniture, I came across this shop based in the Czech Republic that focusses on the 1930s era, and pays particular attention to interwar Czechoslovakian designers, as well as those from the Bauhaus and Scandinavia. While new, reproduction versions are available for many pieces offered, there’s something more desirable, in my opinion, about those that have already had a life of their own and will continue to with the help of vintage shops that specialize in these historical design movements.

—Czech Avant-Garde Design Gallery

Space Magazine

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—01. Published by Moon and The Lab.

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Space is a new independent magazine from Copenhagen. Including interviews, reportages and portfolios, the first issue is loosely based on the theme of 'friends and family.' Amongst other things, it features a look at Our Legacy's Fall-Winter '14 offering, Paul Jackson's furniture collection and the architecture of Alvar Aalto.

—Space Magazine
—Available from Très Bien

Artek Stool 60 by Hella Jongerius

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—01. Display at Salone del Mobile.

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Colour specialist Hella Jongerius was recently commissioned by Finnish furniture company Artek to create a special range of products, including the Stool 60, originally designed by Alvar Aalto. The result is a restrained offering, which combines four different leg finishes with a series of stained, coloured, and pastel-toned tops for a fresh, appealing appearance. Jongerius is well-known for her work in this field, having also been brought in by Vitra to expand their colour library.

—Artek
—Available at Inform Interiors

Haluta Vintage Furniture

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—01. Shelf 112B.
—02. Chair 65.
—03. Table 81B.
—04. Umbrella Stand 115.

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One of the stores I tend to regularly check out online is the Japanese retailer, Haluta. Alongside their strong clothing selection they also have a vintage furniture shop which has a large variety of vintage Alvar Aalto pieces, among other Scandinavian designers. While it might be expensive to ship them overseas, the website serves as an interesting catalogue of many of these classic designs – all beautifully photographed, alone and in situ.

—Haluta

New Section: Reviews

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—01. Zebra F-701 pen.
—02. Alvar Aalto glassware.

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As back issues of Inventory steadily sell out we wanted to preserve some of the reviews from Items of Interest – a popular aspect of every edition. These will be used as the foundation for an online extension of that section, featuring many of the magazine's regular contributors and a diverse range of subjects. Follow the link below for the first six, and click on Reviews in the header for future additions.

—Reviews

Artek 2nd Cycle & Vintage

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—01. Aalto 60 Stools.

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"Since the foundation of Artek in 1935, some 8 million Aalto stools have been sold worldwide. A few years ago Artek started to collect old Aalto chairs from flea markets, schools, elderly people's homes and garages. Artek wanted to give these classics a new lease on life, an original opportunity to tell their story. They are called the 2nd Cycle. Sustainable 2nd Cycle items are part of Artek's environmental strategy."

—Artek 2nd Cycle

Alvar Aalto Desk by Artek

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—01. Made in Sweden.

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eBay doesn't usually turn up too many good vintage Aalto pieces, but this desk recently popped up online. The age and wear is just about perfect, the wood having turned a beautiful golden colour. It's a good size for a small apartment and it's difficult to find a small desk with useful built-in storage.

—Available on eBay