We'd like to say hello to the hundreds of you who signed up to our mailing list at this year's Vintage festival on the South Bank. Together with some top mid-century furniture dealers, we introduced thousands of vintage fans to the aesthetic of mid-century design, and of course the magazine. A rare weekend of summer sun made this event all the more fun, and with a bit of hairspray and a trilby hat, we got right into the vintage spirit ourselves!

The content for the next print issue is shaping up nicely. This month it was a privilege to see some one-off pieces by Robin Day in a stunning architect-designed house in North London and meet the owners of a unique American ranch home, deep in the Berkshire forest!

Our mailing list has significantly grown this month, so please continue to spread the word, and if you haven't already done so, do follow us on twitter or befriend us on Facebook.

Photo © John Hinde Ltd

We did manage to sneak a peak at what was going on inside the Festival Hall at Vintage too, and we were pleased to find a couple of mid-century treats. We have long been a fan of British designer Lucy Turner, who has collaborated with classic brand Formica to transform '50s and '60s furniture by niftily using laser-cut laminate decorated with her own designs. A classic bit of upcycling if ever we saw it!

We also spotted some highly collectable prints from the recently released archive of '60s and '70s photographer John Hinde. With their dreamy colours and stylised narratives, our dear editor had to be dragged away before making an impulse purchase.

Each month, we aim to bring you a range of articles on a variety of mid-century-related themes. This month Huma Qureshi explains how she'll continue to feed her furniture habit once the newly-wed budget kicks in!

Moving house is a massive milestone. So too is getting married. And I'm about to do both in less than three months time.

The wedding part is seemingly under control; having decided that we didn't want to spend every weekend for the next year planning the minutiae of the event, we decided to book everything within a month. That's right. Just four weekends.

This cannily means that we have more time to get our first home ready, which we are moving straight into after the big day. For a furniture freak and designaholic like me, this is far more exciting than deliberating over seating plans and table linen. Don't get me wrong; I'm still a perfectionist when it comes to my wedding, but it's telling that I've spent more time choosing bathroom towels in Heal's than I have picking out my wedding dress.

The upside to moving in October is that we can make the most of the summer sales happening right now (those bathroom towels were reduced, I hasten to add). But the downside to having a penchant for mid-century classics is that no amount of summer sales can make even the most understated of iconic pieces affordable when you're on a tight about-to-be-newly-wed-and-redo-the-kitchen budget.

Take Ercol. Since the living room is relatively small (let's call it cosy), I figured a nod to a mid-century style reference in the form of nested side tables would more than suffice. But buying them brand new means they'll cost us nearly £400; a similar set on eBay is only about £50 less.

But then again, there's a reason why this style costs - it's in the quality of the materials, in the curves of its form, in its timeless design. I have however sometimes, just sometimes, found an affordable classic through scouring markets or staying up into the small hours looking for niche finds online. Among the bits and pieces coming with me in the big move is a favourite 1970s footstool covered with bright blue Marimekko fabric, a total bargain at just £40 that I picked up this way earlier in the year.

And for everything else? I've bypassed eBay and its unattainable Ercol and have moved straight on to Etsy. I've sourced vintage Sanderson linen cushion covers at £15 a pair, bright-pops-of-colour retro prints with typography that makes me weak at the knees for just £10 - not to mention no end of crafty bits and pieces for the wedding too.

So with a little bit of imagination and even the tiniest of budgets, I've learnt that a taste of mid-century living is entirely possible (even if I can't afford those side tables): a vintage fabric print on the wall, a ceramic retro vase on the table. After all, as any bride will tell you, it's the little details that make the difference...

by Huma Qureshi

There is still a chance to win a highly collectable pair of 1950s cushions - just subscribe to Midcentury Magazine before 31 August. Made by Jane Foster Vintage Cushions using fabric designed by Marion Mahler and David Parsons, the pair would normally retail at £90.

It's just £6.95 per year for UK readers and a little more if you live overseas.
To subscribe, click here.

What to do and where to do it: here's our list of exhibitions, markets, and other fun things.
If you have something to recommend, please email listings@midcenturymagazine.co.uk.

In celebration of Butlin's 75th anniversary, this exhibition combines the work of contemporary photographer Anna Fox with that of '60s photographer John Hinde, who created stage-managed narrative souvenir postcards of Butlins.
www.pallant.org.uk

If you missed this exhibition at Pallant House, you can now see it in West London. Celebrating Robin and Lucienne Day, the glamourous designer-celebs of the ‘50s and ‘60s, the exhibition showcases furniture, fabrics, wallpapers and even carpets.
www.ealing.gov.uk/pmgalleryandhouse

Kenneth Grange is Britain’s leading product designer. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is responsible for designing some of the most iconic and familiar products and appliances that shape our daily lives, among them Kodak cameras, Kenwood food mixers, Parker pens and the new London black cab.
www.designmuseum.org

Led by the Barbican Explorers, these architectural tours explore the Barbican via the Highwalks, and explain the history of the site, the history behind the original design and the ideas that inspired it. Tour costs £8 and lasts 1hr 30mins.
www.barbican.org.uk

The Vintage Event Fair features a handpicked selection of stallholders specialising in on-trend vintage fashion, accessories and objects of desire from the ‘40s to the ‘80s. There is also live music, hair & make-up stylists and a pop-up Gin & Tea Room.
www.thevintageevent.com

Long running bi-monthly antiques market with over 700 stallholders offering a wide range
of furniture, silverware, jewellery, ceramics, kitchenalia, vintage fashion, clocks, paintings, cameras, books etc.
www.kemptonantiques.com

A nostalgia and selling event on the site of the old Hornsea Pottery works. Members of the society will be selling items and their will be staff from the Hornsea Pottery Museum on hand to answer questions.
www.hornseafreeport.com

If you fancy travelling further afield, check out the annual Berlin Design Fair where you can see (and buy!) classic 20th century pieces.
www.design-boerse-berlin.de

Coinciding with the last day of the Southbank Centre’s Festival of Britain anniversary celebrations, an afternoon of talks provides an overview of the original festival from the perspective of several expert speakers.
www.c20society.org.uk

So it’s farewell from us until next month. In the meantime, do check out our Directory of where to source the best mid-century and mid-century influenced design: www.midcenturymagazine.co.uk/directory

The information provided in this newsletter is accurate and correct to the best of
the knowledge of the Midcentury editorial team. In no event will we be liable
for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with any of the content.

© Midcentury Magazine
PO Box 53583, London SE19 9BJ

To unsubscribe from the mailing list, click here