Design Porn: Chisel & Mouse

Recently, I wrote about pop up London landmark cards by Paper Tango. They're classic in their design, letting the buildings stand out and do their thing. Chisel & Mouse go one step further. They've taken their inspiration from landmark buildings (not just in London) and turned them into wonderful models cast from plaster.

Chisel & Mouse are actually Gavin & Robert Paisley. They started out as hobbyists and now they're professional model makers working from their Sussex studio. I think this Whitechapel Art Gallery model is my favourite.

They've turned some of the most famous buildings into works of art that you can keep on your desk or bookshelf (hell YES I want a mini Guggenheim on my desk). And they use local and UK resources.

I love the touches of colour in some of the models. I didn't realise that the Hoover Building could look so pretty, but it really does.

Every time I look at the Empire State Building, I'm reminded of that scene in An Affair To Remember. (It's the nearest thing to heaven that we have in New York.) Actually, if I had this in my house, I'd probably act out the whole film with LEGO men.

And here's the Willow Tea Rooms, designed by Charles Rennie MacKintosh and arguably the most famous of Glasgow's tearooms. There's a whole load more buildings that Chisel & Mouse have made miniature, but they've also got a little list of buildings that they want to create including The Queen's House in Greenwich (down the road from Sluttery HQ) and the famous Isokon building in Hampstead.

Each model is made by hand and usually take a week or so to be delivered. Prices start at £99. You'll have to supply your own LEGO men.