Site Spotlight Archives

Site Spotlight: Retro Record Players at Rockit

Retro kitchen appliances (those mint green and sky blue Smeg fridges and toasters) aren’t the only old time looks making appearances in up-to-date interiors. Vinyl sales have surged over the past few years, and with that resurgence must come a whole lot of vinyl record players, because while vintage models have an authentic look, they also have an authentic sound, which not everyone appreciates.

Australian webstore Rockit specializes in retro and contemporary turntables, offering record players styled to resemble record players found in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s from brands that include GPO, Crosley, and Mbeat. The site also sell bundles that come with speakers and vinyl record cases for a complete setup.

Retro Record Players From Every Era Available At Rockit

S H O P P I N G

1 Crosley Dansette Junior Portable Record Player, $369
The retro ’60s style looks like it came straight from the vintage store. However, this one has dynamic full range speakers and a headphone jack.

2 GPO Go Turntable, $199
You can take this record player with you anywhere, even the beach, thanks to its a built-in rechargeable battery.

3 GPO UK Stylo Turntable, $99
Go back in time like a Brit with this compact, 3-speed turntable with built in speakers,

4 Crosley Player 2 Turntable & Stereo Speakers, $229
This sleek ’80s style record player comes with dynamic full range speakers and adjustable tone controls that allows for you to adjust the sound to best suit whatever type of music you choose.

5 ION Audio Photon LP Turntable, $209
While you spin the tracks at three different speeds on this dreamy disco-style silver turntable, spinning technicolour LED lights will set the mood.

6 GPO Bermuda Turntable, $449
With its 1960s style, the Bermuda can be used as a stand-alone piece. or remove the legs to create a portable turntable. It plays 3 speeds, has a built-in full range speaker and can record your vinyl to digital.

7 GPO Westwood Bluetooth Speaker, $199
This vintage style speaker will add a huge 25 watts of sound to your vinyl experience. With bluetooth connection and auxiliary in, it’s versatile enough to be used with any device.

8 Crosley Lancaster Entertainment Center, $279
This old-fashioned wooden system plays 3 speeds of records, AM/FM radio, cassette tape, CDs, and you can connect an MP3 player or smartphone.

9 Record Case, $99
Protect your vinyl in this retro inspired record case with soft velvet inner lining and removable lid.

Site Spotlight: Modern Throw Pillows at Simply Cushions

Ever wonder where to buy those Nordic style throw pillows you see in those beautifully sparse Scandinavian rooms posted all over Pinterest and Instagram? Try Australian (and New Zealand) shopping site, StyleCarrot partner) Simply Cushions.

Taking a break for the angst ridden events of the day, I perused Simply Cushions, which offers over 300 different modern throw pillows made from 100 percent cotton linen. I particularly love the geometric designs with restrained palettes.

If you like to be kinda coordinated, the site offers them in groupings of four and six. This is a selection of my favorite modern throw pillow styles from Simply Cushions:

Nordic Style Pillow Covers By Simply Cusions

Simply Cushions also offers kid-friendly throw pillow designs. I have always loved British illustrator Ashley Percival’s owl characters. So cute. (And I didn’t realize Ashley is a guy til I went to his site just now.) I don’t have little kids anymore but I think many of these cushions could work elsewhere.

Modern Kids Throw Pillows by Simply Cushions

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Site Spotlight: Modern Clocks at Purely Wall Clocks

Australian retailer and StyleCarrot partner Purely Wall Clocks offers a huge range of clocks—they offer over 250 clock designs.

Most are modern wall clocks though there are also a number of retro clock designs too. My favorites are the Scandinavian inspired minimalist designs, as well as the highly graphic black and white clocks. The site also features a number of oversize, large scale wall clocks.

Here’s a sampling of modern clocks from Purely Wall Clocks:

Scandinavian Style White + Wood Clocks

Modern Scandinavian Style Wall Clocks

Scandinavian style clocks feature natural materials such as pale wood as well as reclaimed wood, both paired with white. There are ball clock styles, cut lattice work designs, round clocks in solid frames, and even wall clocks shaped like houses.

Graphic Black + White Clocks

Modern Black & White Wall Clocks

Taking cues from school or office clock designs, one might think graphic black and white clocks would be the most straightforward, but maybe not. Some of these clocks have fun with numbers, dashes, and blank space.

Modern Multicolor Rainbow Clocks

Modern Multicolor Wall Clocks

It’s never to early to teach kids to tell time, the old fashioned way. These multi-color wall clocks are super fun for playrooms or nurseries. A color for every number, or just plain mayhem.

Site Spotlight: Modern Furniture at Interior Secrets

Australian shopping site and StyleCarrot partner Interior Secrets, which launched in 2009, features an array of sleek furnishings for homes and offices at competitive prices. In fact, it’s said to be Australia’s most comprehensive online collection of modern design.

The site offers pretty much every kind of modern and contemporary furnishings from dining chairs, desks, tables, entertainment units, beds, nightstands, and also lighting, accessories. While many of the furniture styles are clean-lined, they also carry a selection of rustic, reclaimed furniture and industrial style furnishings.

Here’s a survey of favorite modern furniture styles.

Modern Dining Chair Replicas

Interior Secrets showcases a wide range of modern dining tables and chairs, including molded plastic Eames replicas (upholstered and naked), Jens Risom lookalikes with webbing, and Scandinavian styles in natural wood. There’s a good array of light and dark wood finishes as well black, white, and a well-edited selection of colors, plus counter and bar stools too.

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Modern Office Furniture Eames Jacobsen Replicas

If I were plus counter and bar stools too I’d definitely go for a clean and tailored look. (It might help combat my midday napping tendencies brought on by my cushy sofa.) Interior Living carries the most popular modern desk chairs in fun, vibrant colors, as well as desks, workstations, and sleek office storage pieces.

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Contemporary Entertainment Media TV Units

The modern entertainment center has evolved. The hulking, wall-hogging, black and mahogany veneer monstrosities of the ’80s have given way to long and lean media units that can hide the clutter of today’s smaller cable boxes and Apple TV consoles while providing a resting space for flat screen TVs should you not opt to mount them on the wall. These contemporary media storage centers from Interior Secrets have a bit of a mode, ’60s vibe.

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Replicas Of Modern Furniture And Lighting

Sometimes buying signed original just isn’t an option. Interior Secrets sells replicas of iconic modern furnishings. Lookalikes include Finn Juhl, Eero Aarnio, and Le Corbusier chairs, George Nelson clocks, and Jean Prouvé and Isamu Noguchi tables, among other favorite modern furniture designs.

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Just In: Lumens Modern Lighting Sale Going On Now

I seem always to be researching lighting for one situation or another. (Currently I’m choosing lights to brighten up and modernize our Florida condo.) Luckily sites like Lumens make choosing modern lighting easy, from basic fixtures to on-trend statement lighting. This StyleCarrot affiliate has asked me to create a post on its modern lighting sale, going on now. (This post is sponsored, but I am a devoted Lumens customer.)

The Lumens lighting sale offers 40+ modern lighting brands at up to 40% off. I’ve combed every lighting category in the sale for my favorite picks for modern chandeliers, modern pendant lights, modern sconces, flush mount fixtures, table lamps, floor lamps, and more, from brands and designers including Artemide, Tom Dixon, Muuto, Sonneman, Flos, and others.

Some of them I have been coveting for years, others I am lucky enough to own. I helped a friend choose #1 for the playroom in her Manhattan apartment and it looks fantastic —clean, curvy lines with some shine. I really wanted to install #3 in our house on the Cape, but had to go with something less expensive; I still love it though. I’m a sucker for anything resembling gray flannel or concrete so #4 is a fun fave (plus I got to visit the Muuto offices on a press trip to Copenhagen).

Speaking of Danish Design, the matte black sconce (#13) by Arne Jacobsen for Louis Poulsen is a longtime classic. And I’d definitely label #7, Tom Dixon’s copper pendant, a newfound classic lighting option. And one more… I included #8—spare brass sconces with a white glass globe— by contemporary lighting design master Michael Anastassiades in a design mockup for my family room makeover (see “related posts” at the bottom). This could be the perfect opportunity to purchase a pair.

Here are my 15 favorite modern lighting styles from the Lumens lighting sale.
Modern Lighting Ideas On Sale At Lumens