Stella Blunt - Colour Me Beautiful

It's amazing to me that after over a year of blogging we still haven't featured our old mate Stella Blunt. A shocking oversight!

Regular readers of The Curious Eye will know that there's nothing we like more than people with taste. It may not be exactly the same taste that we have, but that doesn't matter - if we walk into a place and it expresses a singular point of view, it immediately piques our interest.

Stella certainly has a particular taste, and very interesting it is too. Extremely feminine, without ever becoming frilly; modern but not hard-edged; charming but never cloying - it's a fine balancing act that she achieves brilliantly.

The other marvellous thing about the lovely Ms Blunt is that she's something of a bellwether for future trends. She moved into her home near Columbia Rd when it was still an obscure East End market. She opened her shop in Broadway Market just before it became the ultimate nexus of all things hip in London. She's always one step ahead of the rest of us.

So, it's always stimulating to see what Stella is selling in her shop. And right now it's all about colour.. Painted vintage furniture, objects from the 40's, 50's and 60's, even the shop walls - they're all singing with saturated hues.

It's a very unusual palate, and I'm finding it hard to describe. Deep Citruses? A More Muted Miami? However you look at it, all that rich colour is inspiring. And, knowing Stella, will probably end up filtering through to the mainstream in a few years time.

Always worth a visit - Stella's shop can be found at 75 Broadway Market E8 4PH

Removed

There was quite a bit of consternation earlier this year when Bates the Hatter closed their doors. One of the classic Jermyn Street gentleman's establishments, Bates was a shop that seemed completely displaced in time. Throughout the narrow interior, dark wood shelves were crammed with every sort of old school chapeau, from Panama to Homberg via Boater and Fedora. This was the sort of perfect Victorian interior only ever seen in Dickensian adaptations and slavishly retro bars in Brooklyn.

Sadly, it's another victim of 'regeneration' (ugh). The shop has been shuttered, and the business has moved into a shared premises with Hilditch and Key. But fear not, decor fans! I'm glad to report that most of the shop fittings have found a very good home.

They've been salvaged and re-used by our old friend Nathaniel at M.Goldstein, who is happily displaying his wares from them in his shop in Hackney Road. As far as hauls go, this must be one of the all time greats. Not only was Bates legendary, but the fittings sit so perfectly in the space that they almost look made to measure. A few of the salvaged pieces are for sale, and I'm desperately racking my brains for an excuse to buy the awning for the studio - if only I could think of a canny way to re-purpose it for interior use.

As if the furniture wasn't amazing enough, some of the shelves' interiors have great bits of ephemera attached, adding extra flavour.

Always nice to have royal approval...

M. Goldstein -The New Curiosity Shop

You've heard the phrase 'One man's trash is another man's treasure'? Well, we at The Curious Eye have a similar saying - 'One man's junk is another man's aesthetically pleasing display object'. Admittedly, it's not quite so catchy, but it gets the point across.

Never was it so true as at M. Goldstein on the Hackney Road. Nathaniel, the shop's owner, is so skilled at finding and displaying 'junk', that it's almost like entering an art gallery. A gallery filled with found objects and discarded curiosities - our idea of fun.

Everything in the shop seems to have a story behind it - from the old display unit for wellington boots to the shopping lists of a 1940's school teacher. There's a lot of history in these objects - making them all the more fascinating and romantic.

Next time you're in Shoreditch, check it out. Definitely a must-see for fans of the esoteric, the quirky and the creative.

Check out mgoldstein.co.uk for more details of this little treasure trove

Lapin & Me - A Particular Taste

Here at The Curious Eye, we're very fussy. We don't like people with too much good taste (as they're generally rather boring). We don't like people with too much bad taste (because vulgarity only goes so far). What we like most is finding people who have particular taste.

Which is why we were very happy to discover Lapin & Me, just off Colombia Rd in Ezra Street. The minute you walk in, you can see that someone with very distinctive style has created the space. In theory it's a kids shop - but I have a strong feeling that there will be just as many adults who appreciate the merchandise as their children. 

The whole space feels like a tribute to sixties graphics, french retro style and a touch of japanese kookiness. One corner displays Little Golden Books, another homes a wild selection of vintage dolls, and there are toys and clothes that manage to be cute without being cloying. Somehow it manages to be both quirky and chic at the same time - quite an accomplishment.

How appropriate that the owner is called Madeleine - a name that takes me back to Bagpuss and childhood dreams of magical toys. Lapin & Me is highly recommended for the next time your inner child needs a treat. 

Lapin & Me , 14 Ezra Street, E2 7RH  www.lapin&me.co.uk

Belgian Window Displays: Retro-A-Go-Go

I don't know why I love the Annemie Verbeke window displays in Antwerp so much, but they definitely strike a chord. I think it's the odd combination of 70's kitsch and avant garde that gets me going. A sort of David Hicks meets Andy Warhol with a little bit of 'Are You Being Served' thrown in there.

And speaking of 'Are You Being Served' - isn't this Brussels hairdressers exactly the sort of salon that you can imagine Mrs Slocombe going to?

I bet they do a lovely lavender rinse.

Brussels - Vintage Chair Installation

Excellent window display at the amazing Stefantiek vintage furniture store in Brussels.

The Art Of Bunions

We found these Dr Scholl posters in Brimfield Market, Massachusetts.  

I'm sure the designer never realised that one day, his rendering of callouses would be considered to be worth framing - but I find them enormously aesthetically pleasing. The photo-realist illustrations, the perfect use of colour, and the typography are all top notch.

My favourite part are the little graphic arrows - a very stylish touch (and most educational too). 

Isn't it nice to know that, in the right circumstances, even athlete's foot can be a beautiful thing?

Paris: Wild Sales Display