It's back to the future this summer. Retro designs abound, many by famous brands which have recreated their original designs or "reimagined" best-selling products from their past as a 150th-anniversary exclusive for John Lewis.
So, naturally, you can expect a Teasmade - though with a vintage model going for £999 on eBay, it's not surprising the Swan reissue for just £59.99 is out of stock on the John Lewis website. They were in stock, however, at John Lewis in Brent Cross, where I met buyer Paul Rutherford.
"This Le Creuset casserole is an original 1950s design," he says, of the Coquelle, whose shape looks angular against the brand's contemporary curves - although Volcanic, that shade of orange-red most associated with the brand, has endured for more than half a century. The newest Le Creuset colours, Marseille - a gorgeous shade of turquoise - and Cotton, a matt white, evoke sunny Mediterranean holidays.
By contrast, Wesco is a fairly recent addition to John Lewis homewares, but there's no denying the retro appeal. Steel breadbins, storage canisters, scales and a great kitchen wall clock are a delight, particularly in cream and fire-engine red - and many are very old designs, which the company, founded in 1867, has produced as sesquicentennial specials for the store.
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