OK, so we know we’re always telling you how great Hungarian designers are, while urging you to dive into the local design scene head-first. Well, now we’re going to go against all that, and tell you to go French… just in time for Christmas.
Budapest company Badaboom’s made up of two stores, each stocked with quirky design gifts hailing from French designer-manufacturer Pylones. While there are cookoo clocks (covering a farmyard spectrum of animals), the result of a Hungarian designer and a British company, the rest of the stores’ treats are of the Paris-based company’s stock.
Established in 1985, Pylones deals in witty, unusual design-products sold across the globe, from New York through London to Tokyo – a condition being that they only supply items to one company per country. And here, Badaboom were the lucky ones.
A trip to their Hollán Ernő and Haris köz stores reveals a kaleidoscopic treasure trove of unusual gifts and trinkets, featuring a happy, crazy family of characters – from dog-adorned cake slices to vegetable peeling belly dancers. After the initial high-frequency color shock, you’ll begin to notice that the range is, in fact, varied and huge. And, though focus is clearly upon design (of the wacky variety), it becomes clear that most items are functional – useful, even. That is, when you’ve worked out what half of them are. Umbrellas are disguised as furry pink cats, cigarette lighters as twinkling fish and cheese graters look more like jester-colored ladies in metallic ball gowns.
OK, so it’s not the kind of place to head if you’re looking to kit out your whole flat – that may bring on mild epilepsy. It is certainly, though, a great place to pick up unusual gifts with a smile-inducing, personal touch. From the tiny (think colored liquid filled jewelry, or fiery-red-haired girl emblazoned tweezers with a handy sucker to attach to your mirror so they never get lost) to the less so (things like signature Pylones pattern covered toasters, trays or handy mini-fridges).
So, get your stockings at the ready as these multi-colored, off-beat design dens are full of dead cert festive smiles!
Tel.: +36.1.239.1657