Father's Day gifts

Last week, I wrote a thing for the Independent about the difficulty of finding good house-y man-gifts – what with father's day (June 16) looming and all, it's chap-friendly one could be a thing to consider. 

There wasn't room to publish all of the nice things I found in my research. So I thought I'd share the lot with you here. 

For snap-happy chaps, or just fans of lovely looking antique gadgetry, Type in east London have a small range of these lamps. Each one is different as they’re made from real vintage cameras. £125 to £195, Type East

Interiors-themed things for fathers, sons, brothers and the others aren't perhaps an obvious choice – since browsing through the average gender-geared ‘gift’ section at online interiors shops, the impression you're left with is that men like their homes exclusively filled with leather, gadgets, golf ephemera and whisky glasses. 

Yeuch. Poor chaps. Even in some of the most stylish shops, there’s room for this naff, derivative theme. It’s as if there was no middle ground between pretty vintage perfume bottles and leather-clad decanters. With some hunting, of course, there’s lots to inspire – it just takes a bit of hunting down.

And Father’s day is a great prompt to scratch beneath the clichés and find good homewares and furniture that any design-appreciative man (and, indeed, woman) can appreciate.

Some classic shops or brands that specialise in the decidedly ungirlie side of design include Folklore, House Doctor DK, Pedlars, Labour & Wait  – or the new contender in that ilk, Objects of Use in Oxford. All good for a preliminary browse. Or perhaps one of our pick of objects will be man enough for the job…

This practical, industrial-style stool by Danish designers, House Doctor DK, is essentially a solid slab of wood and some sturdy metal legs (choice of five colours). A nice office or workshop perch, or a side-table for a cuppa. Each also has “have a seat” stamped into the wood. Sweet.

£79, Bodie and Fou

This award-winning solid steel “Bull Trophy” bike rack comes in different colours and finishes, and looks just as good as décor when the bike’s in use.

£79, Outline Works Ltd

Swedish illustrator, Ingela Arrhenius specialises in bold, graphic prints with a midcentury flavour. What well-dressed man could resist this chap? £18.95, Hus and Hem

I've written about this lovely lampshade company before. And the idea behind their Tee Lights is simple: take his favourite old band (or other) T-shirt – and get it turned into a beautiful, bespoke “Tee Light” lampshade. The one pictured was made for a fan of the late hip hop producer, J Dilla. (Each is a one-off.) £250, Belle & Videre 

Tala’s pleasing retro metal measuring cups don’t just include the better-known baking ones. This display-friendly Thali Measure comes in two shades (“coriander” and “tumeric”) and includes a recipe booklet, too. £15.95, Divertimenti

Echoing the classic plastic 1960s Uten.Silo by Dorothee Becker, this metal wall-tidy for bits and bobs has a pleasingly industrial edge. Designed by Danish company, House Doctor DK, it is good in any room for stashing everything from dressing table bits to nails to kitchen clutter.

£169.99, Bodie & Fou

British designer Nick Munro has created a range of homewares for the RNLI. Using the flag system pioneered by Lord Nelson, his two colourful tea-towel designs spell out ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ (and proceeds go to the charity). £10, RNLI Shop

A classic, framed, Getty Images print – if you can find the perfect, personalised image – is a stylish gift to give. John Lewis stock an inspiring range: this one – a 1967 shot of Eric Clapton’s Cream – could be good for guitar geeks. £200, John Lewis

The range of literary prints by Spineless Classics is a simple but excellently executed idea: a cult tome is turned into a work of art – by using the full text of the book to create the graphic. From £39.99 unframed, Spineless Classics

This beautiful cheese board is made from sycamore wood and colour blocked with white painted edge. It features a leather strap and comes with an aesthically-pleasing blue wooden semi-circle that can be fixed to the wall to act as a hanger. £150, Shop Folklore

How to... live with kids in style

Ferm Living's Aristo Cats cushion at Skandivis

Kids: can’t live with them – well, not in a stylish home. Or can you? I once interviewed a couple with a – chic, all-white – house full of sticky littl'uns. Their secret? Brilliant white walls – all the cheaper for touching up handprints, and a wipe-clean eggshell finish (bounced heaps of light around, too). What do other stylish parents suggest?

Toy Store-y "There will be mess," says Poppy Norton, of swish kiddie stuff shopping guide and discount hub Babystylefile, "so make it pretty by choosing nicely designed toys. And low-level storage means kids can help themselves." She favours the felt tub from Nubie (above, top left). Cheap, no (at £73). Chic, yes. Or tuck toys into a trio of Habitat's hot pink or beige laundry bags, £10, in bathrooms (or on any tiled surfaces as they come with wall suckers) or hang their recycled rice bag versions on hooks (both above, bottom right and left respectively) or try Ikea's Nasum baskets (£15.31).


Love the one you're with “Use what's there: an old dresser or a Victorian cold cupboard make good toy storage,” suggests Lucy Inskip of Housedoctor.co.uk, a national network of designers. "Anything that's beautiful on the outside. One client had built in storage made in the dining room, an otherwise under-used area (with a view to reclaiming it for her dinner service eventually)."

Mini moderns The modernist look of Bloom Baby products (above, top and bottom left: the Alma Mini Crib, £300; and the Coco Plexistyle , £195, bottom right) is good enough for adults and I love the Hippie Tipis at Scandavis £140.

Everything in its place "Make tidy-up time part of the children’s routine," Inskip continues. "Involve them by having storage boxes which they can throw everything in and do it to music to make it fun. But don’t keep all playthings in one space: it can be overwhelming for you and them.Books and soft toys can live in bedrooms, play-dough and paints in the utility or under-sink, outside toys in a playhouse or garden store and only a selection of toys at one time in your main day to day play area.”

A vintage year "Don't rule out mixing in vintage pieces," says Poppy Norton. "I think people rush out to get everything new for their bundle of new, but a well-loved piece of furniture can soften a room.

People in glass houses "If you are desperate for more space consider a conservatory," adds Lucy Inskip. "A lovely light daytime play area – and by night a candle-lit retreat... if you can stay awake that long. A conservatory doesn't usually need planning permission and is much cheaper than an extension or moving."

Grow up “Providing the children a table area doesn’t have to mean coloured plastic and Ikea chairs.  A large coffee table with an old school bench alongside provides a perfect perch for little bottoms. Having a vintage look for furniture in those pre-school years means any imperfections blend in. Antique trunks also make great toy storage”. As per images above, The Peanut Vendor has a gorgeous trunk  and this old factory trolley base, £185, which could work as a kid-proof coffee table.

The clean-up woman“Banishing valuable or potentially dangerous ornaments can lead to a dull looking room," adds Lucy Inskip. "Instead, add interest with child-friendly touches such as throws, cushions, rugs, wall art and beautifully accessorised shelving that little hands can’t reach.”

Colour me bad “Don't fear going ‘too dark’,” says Poppy Norton. “My son’s room is Farrow and Ball Charleston Gray – a great backdrop for bright artwork and a bold, feature wallpaper.”

Doodle do Murals can be cool (just don’t invest too much – they’ll hate it next year). One artistic friend painted her son a Super Mario; you could go ready-made at Funkylittledarlings.co.uk, as seen above: right 'Birdies' £60 per 100cm square; Lost Garden Wallscene ™, £165 for 2.44m x 2.75m; World Champions bespoke mural (price according to size/design).

Without walls “Open plan is great for families,” says architect Krystyna Brooks of Designyourhouse.co.uk. “Add an island unit to cook while watching the children play.” She also suggests underfloor heating and hiding homework in a fold-away computer corner. See her site for details of suppliers.

Ditch the deep pile At least downstairs. Mop-able vinyl now comes in fashionable brights. Try Colour Flooring (seen above) which comes in 18 gorgeous colours and costs just £19 per square metre.

Hipsters’ delight Nippaz With Attitude’s A-Z print , £34.99, includes Stevie Wonder and Malcolm X. Love their personalised 'Monster' posters, too, £49.99 (above)  They also do Ibiza and hip hop lullaby CDs. Who said having kids meant growing up?


* A longer version of these tips was first printed in the Independent on Sunday