Feature: Hopper + Space's Modern Antiques

A few months ago I run into Hopper + Space  on Instagram. Ben and Joe have a lovely atelier in South East London, and they dedicate their life to rescue, restore and design furniture. From mid-century to late-century, they travel the UK looking for forgotten Scandinavian beauties and old Ikea modular concoctions.

I am one of those who thinks that this new idea of the “revival” is very much a creature of our post-Google times. We are the generation that has a background of watching cartoons for hours on end on TV. We are the generation who has grown up watching 80s and 90s films, who were bombarded by images of those lavish interiors.

Now, when the world is more complicated, an endless Tumblr dashboard of references, I find comfort in looking at the past, into those pieces made by a generation so distant now from mine. These are our new antiques.

British modernism. Concrete brutalism. Palm Springs chic. Ettore Sottsass’s Memphis crazy colour schemes. Winona Ryder’s house in Beetlejuice realness. This is what Hopper + Space is all about. And their home is such a wonderful reflection of this mix.

And they also have their own range of made-to-order pieces, besides selling one-of-a-kind items.

BLOC Club chair. £595 (Hopper + Space)
Jarpen Armchair. £395 (Niels Gammelgaard for Ikea, 1980. Hopper + Space)

Their blog and Instagram account are worth following, as they are very active.