By Adrian Justins
Philips Hue smart Edison bulbs, £44.99
Philips has modernised Thomas Edison’s incandescent lightbulb of 1879 that used an electrically heated carbon filament. Thanks to low-power LED technology, the vintage style Hue Edison bulb consumes just 7 watts and can be operated by light switch, voice control or an app. It can also be hooked up to a Hue Bridge controller for integration with other Hue bulbs and smart home devices such as automatic curtains and blinds. Unlike Edison’s original, which lasted only 14.5 hours, the Hue bulb has a lifetime of 15,000 hours.
Ruark R810 radiogram, £3,000
When radiograms emerged in the mid-20th century, they offered the benefit of an attractive wooden cabinet with the then cutting-edge transistor radio and a record player (the word is a portmanteau of radio and gramophone). By the late 1960s, however, the radiogram had largely been displaced by modular hi-fi systems and music centres. The R810 from Essex-based company Ruark revives the concept.
Made from sustainable wood, the veneered cabinet is available in grey lacquered finish or walnut with handmade walnut grilles. It is compatible with streamed digital sources and radio — but rather than long wave and medium wave in the original radiograms, the R810 uses the internet, DAB, DAB+ and FM.
Samsung The Frame TV, from £899
Samsung’s The Frame TV is available in six screen sizes from 43in to 85in and has a matt screen that absorbs reflections and provides glare-free TV images. When not in use as a TV, The Frame can act as a digital display, with some 2,000 artworks available to download (from a subscription service). Alternatively, the Sisterhood Art Gallery has a selection of retro television fascias (available from £3.25 on Etsy) that can be uploaded to the TV and displayed on the screen. A motion sensor automatically switches the TV off when the room is empty.
Smeg variable temperature kettle, £179.95
Smeg’s variable temperature kettle sports the enamelled finish of the brand’s iconic 1950s style fridges. The kettle has seven settings ranging from 50C to 100C for brewing different drinks, such as different varieties of teas, at their optimum temperatures. A keep warm button maintains the water at the selected temperature for up to 20 minutes. The kettle is available in black, white, cream and pastel blue finishes.
Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat games console, £499
Mortal Kombat is available on modern consoles such as the Xbox and PS5 but the iconic 1990s arcade game is also available in a more authentic setting — Arcade1Up’s 30th Anniversary Midway Legacy Arcade Machine, supplied by Liberty Games. The modern version, which at 154cm tall is three-quarters of the size of the original, has a 17-inch LCD screen and replicates the original’s buttons and joystick controls for two players. Unlike the original, it has WiFi connectivity for playing online with other gamers and comes with 14 classic Namco games including Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 3.
Photography: EKeiser@Lukkien.com
