Budget decor: Wallflower clock

By MoneySense Staff on March 9, 2012
Estimated reading time: 1 minute

The iconic sunflower wall clock of the 1950s adds a touch of analog in our digital age.

George Nelson, a founder of American Modernism, designed a series of iconic wall clocks between 1948 and 1960. These sculptural timepieces embody the 1950s aesthetic—combining eccentric whimsy with streamlined modernity—and in this digital age an analog wall clock adds charm to your home. To keep up with current design you can even group multiple clocks to complement the shape and scale of your living room. The 1958 Sunflower clock (originally named Clock 2261) is Nelson’s most monumental piece. It’s a graphic twist on an organic shape: undulating petals seem to vibrate from the centre like an optical illusion. Swiss manufacturer Vitra is authorized to produce re-editions of the original, with high-grade quartz clockwork surrounded by petals of molded birch plywood and laminated veneer, cinched by lacquered metal pins. Gabriel Ross in Victoria retails Sunflowers for $1,052, including battery. The budget conscious can find a Lotus knock-off for $90 at household design stores such as Morba in Toronto. It’s molded plastic, and it’s a third smaller than the 72-mm diameter original, but it’s less than a tenth of the price and available in white or black. You’ll have to spring for an AA battery though—it’s not included. -Ronit Novak