About Arren Williams
If Arren Williams were to walk through one of those new scanners at the airport, security personnel might be surprised to see chairs, tables and lamps floating around in his head. As one of Canada’s top stylists, editors and trend reporters, he is always on the hunt for the next great find that could take a room from blah to spectacular.
Ring-a-ding-ding
design diarycanada
(Jul.14.10)
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Why, oh why, do most modern telephones look like props from a low-budget science fiction movie? All that silver and black business, and tons of extra buttons to fiddle with. Call me weird, but I just don't need something that unattractive hanging around my house. I want a phone that can sit pretty on a side table next to a lovely lamp, rather than something I'd rather shove under a pillow on the sofa.
Vintage is a cool way to go, but be warned: you'll be taking a step backwards in the technology department, since original rotary-dial phones can't cope with the push-button world we now live in. Consider hooking one up as a secondary phone, and not one you'll ever need to check your voicemail on.
Hit up eBay Canada for a revolving door of vintage working telephones, like this one in black. All it needs is a bit of spit-and-polish to make it look good, and then you can invite your friends over for cocktails and tell them how the 500 Series phone – first intro'd in the late 1950s and designed by Henry Dreyfus – is now considered a design classic.