I’ve always had a hankering after those beautiful cardboard models that architects make when designing buildings. They’re miniature, their pure, unadulterated white is unsullied with the grime of life or car pollution, and they represent, what I imagine to be, an inordinate amount of hours slaving away with a ruler and scalpel. The latter I can fully appreciate and comprehend. However, whilst these little lovelies may not be made out of card nor the originals, Chisel and Mouse have endeavoured to bring you the next best thing. Handcrafted plaster ornaments of facades of the nation’s favourite and most beautiful buildings and not all the most well-known. I was most delighted when I spotted them in The Guardian Weekend a few months back and was delighted when their name recently appeared in my inbox. A mere sapling of a company, Chisel and Mouse started in 2011, but are already being seen across the internet and the pages of the glossy nationals. And rightly so. I hope that their branching out into American Art Deco will see them traversing the lands across the pond too. Deservedly so. Which brings me to a thought. This is the sort of thing that ought to be available to tourists, should they wish to purchase some gifts, come the the couple of big National events. Instead we are as usually being over run with multi-coloured, cheaply-made (most likely in China), heavily-branded, plastic toot, that no one in their right mind would truly desire and given a few months will no doubt be covered with dust and forgotten in the corner. Let’s wave the flag for British handmade goods that will be coveted and cherished.
1.) Whitechapel Art Gallery, (77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX), 19cm high, 19cm wide, 4.5cm deep & 1.2kg approximately, £95, 2.) Regency Townhouse, (13 Brunswick Square, Hove, BN3 1EH), 24cm high, 10cm wide, 6cm deep & 1.5kg approximately, £129, 3.) Buckingham Palace, (Buckingham Palace, London, SW1A 1AA), 26cm high, 17cm wide, 5cm deep and 2kg approximately, £99, 4.) Hoover Building, (Western Avenue, London, UB6 8BW), 18cm high, 21cm wide, 5.5cm deep & 2.1kg approximately, £135, 5.) Broadcasting House, (Portland Place, London, W1A 1AA), 24cm high, 16cm wide, 9cm deep & 3.5kg approximately, £105, 6.) Battersea Power Station, (188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BP), 28cm high, 20cm wide, 5.5cm deep & 1.5kg approximately, £99 images with thanks to Chisel and Mouse
