Current Objects of Desire August 24, 2008

The Autumn/Winter catalogue from Laura Ashley came today, and I’m already in love with most of their new products!

As it’s been such a poor Summer, I’ve promised myself some cosy bedlinen to snuggle up to as the nights begin to draw in. The dreamy duck egg blue colour on this Coniston Throw attracted me immediately, but unfortunately wouldnt go with the cream carpet and walls in my bedroom. Luckily The White Company have a very similar (albeit pricier) throw available in fawn or storm grey which would suit most neutral schemes.

I’m still hankering after an ottoman for our front room – I’ve picked out one I like from The Footstool Company but haven’t been able to convince myself to part with the necessary cash!

The last thing on my shopping list for Autumn is a cosy floor lamp to read by in the evenings. I like the tripod style ones but am not sure if they’re a fad or not? Online retailer Grattan has an affordable version currently on sale at £25.

A Little Bit of Luck April 21, 2008

Two nice things have happened to me this week. Firstly, I finally managed to find a tiler to do our bathroom! This, as you will have read in my earlier post, is a major achievement and I am very excited that the work is pencilled in to start in 2 weeks’ time! I was very impressed when the guy turned up with a portfolio of his previous jobs and was more impressed when he came in reasonably cheap! So next weekend I have the task of prising the old tiles off the wall which hopefully won’t uncover too many horrors (bad plasterwork, uneven walls etc)! The 2nd nice thing to happen is my discovery that Laura Ashley’s new Spring/Summer range includes a set of red gingham curtains! Hooray! I have searched high and low for years to find these, and even blogged about them earlier this year, so was delighted to finally find them in the shops ready made. They’re not exactly cheap (available in 2 sizes from £50) but just irrestistible! They say that good things come in threes, so I am eagerly anticipating my next bit of good news!

Monsoon Home Collection at B&Q March 28, 2008

With the Easter bank holiday being another washout (or in our case, a snow-out!) I decided that a trawl round the local retail park was in order. One of the stops was B&Q, where I wanted to buy new taps for our bath. I was interested to discover that my local store stocks a range of Monsoon Home lighting and accessories. To be fair, the prices seem a bit on the high side but if you’re looking for a statement piece to brighten up your home, then one of the lamps might very well fit the bill. I particularly liked the deco print on the Esha table lamp, shown right. To find out whether your local B&Q stocks the Monsoon Home collection, check the store finder here

Objects of Desire for March March 5, 2008

I’ve booked my tickets for the Ideal Home Show at the end of this month, and hope that I will return from London with armfuls of shopping bags, full of homeware goodies!
In the meantime, my thoughts are focused on the following potential purchases….I wonder whether I will give in to temptation and buy the lot?!

• The Newgate Quad Clock in chrome – this little 1930’s inspired beauty appeals to my love of Art Deco style shiny things, but £80 is a lot of money for a clock!
• A new picnic set – I am the proud owner of an empty but rather grand Fortnum & Mason ‘Weekender’ wicker hamper, and need some funky melamine plates and glasses
  to put in it. Picnic sets haven’t really hit the shops yet, however, so I will have to be patient.
• These gorgeous fairy lights from The White Company - They’re part of the new 2008 Spring/Summer collection (the kids’ collection, to be precise, but they are surely far too pretty and glamorous to be restricted to children’s bedrooms!) 
• A small sofa/ottoman for the bay window in our living room – I could do with some extra storage so an ottoman or wooden chest would be the sensible option here,
  but I’m also tempted to buy a small sofa to fill the gap. I’ve seen one I like from an online company called SofaSofa which comes in a chenille fabric for just £259. But I don’t know whether I’m prepared to make the leap of buying large furniture online without seeing it up close.

Decisions, decisions!

Luxury Xmas Decorations November 25, 2007

If you’re looking to glam up your Christmas tree this year, head over to Wedgwood where they have a range of divine Xmas decorations. Of course, they’re not cheap at around £20 a pop, but these are baubles that you will cherish for years to come. They’d also make a thoughtful family gift. Choose from cameos, fairies, snowflakes, bows, stars, or the quirky sets of 3 miniature Wedgwood teapots! All items are showing In Stock, but if you’re worried about them arriving in time for Christmas I would head for the high street. You can find a list of Wedgwood stockists here.

New from Alessi November 13, 2007

Amazon.co.uk emailed me today with details of the latest tablewares and kitchen accessories from Alessi. I’ve been a big fan of Alessi for some time now, and have collected a few pieces of my own (the “Bunny & Carrot” Kitchen Roll Holder, and a few of the Gianni storage jars) but I am now seriously tempted by the latest additions to the
collection. Among the new items is the “Mr Chin” kitchen timer (pictured right) for £22 which is the cutest thing I’ve seen for a long time! The Alessi website (www.alessi.com) sells the whole range, including many covetable items – watches, costume jewellery, even bathroom fittings- all of which are sleekly Italian in design and unmistakeably Alessi. One of the best things about buying from Alessi is that almost every item is collectable – many products are now regarded as modern classics, including the Phillipe Starck “Juicy Salif” citrus squeezer (now available in 24ct gold plate…how bling!) and the Michael Graves electric kettle. On special offer at the moment are these adorable Christmas porcelain figurines from just £8 per piece (also pictured right). How could anyone resist?!

Andrew Martin Range at John Lewis November 9, 2007

Following on from my earlier post about fashionable union jack prints on homewares, I’ve just been onto the John Lewis website and found these divine mugs and plates from the designer Andrew Martin. Both items are going straight to the top of my Christmas list! I love love love them!! And don’t forget – John Lewis is currently offering free delivery on all orders. The ‘Grand Hotel China’ collection is exclusive to John Lewis and most of the range features his trademark elephant logo. Prices start from £6.50 for a mug or side plate.

Festive Fragrance for the Home November 5, 2007

I spent a happy lunch hour today, trawling round Manchester in search of a Christmas present for my friend. I thought I would spoil her by buying some scent for her house. And boy, was I spoiled for choice! My first port of call was The White Company where they have their usual tempting gift sets of shower gel, hand cream, linen sprays and candles. But they also have more unusual and festive gifts in the shape of cinnamon bundles and Winter-scented clove balls, both for under a tenner. A bit further down the street, I popped into L’Occitane where they have gorgeous smelling bath treats, soaps and lotions but alas, the range is a little bit pricey for my liking (Tellingly, the website offers free delivery on orders over £59, which seems a bit mean when all you want is some hand cream for a mate!). My last stop was Heals, which stocks lots of scented goodies for the bathroom including Cowshed, Burt’s Bees and a wide range of lovely Molton Brown products. However, the object which caught my eye was this glamorous and covetable Archipelago candle (pictured right!) There’s a scent for everyone (the K shown in the picture is scented with Keylime and Neroli) and the fact that I can buy one with my friend’s initial on (C – for Cassis and Redcurrant – yum!) makes it even better. SOLD!

Let There Be Light November 4, 2007

Now that the clocks have gone back and the dark days of Winter are fast approaching, it’s a good time to cheer up your surroundings and invest in some new lighting. At the cheaper end of the scale, its easy to pick up a few candles – the shops are full of scented gift candles at the moment which will add both fragrance and light. Try BHS and Marks and Spencer for inexpensive church candles and tealights. Shopping online is a great place to buy inexpensive lighting. One of my favourite online stores is Litecraft, which has 5 outlet stores across the UK . Litecraft has the endorsement of ‘celebrity’ interior decorators Colin & Justin as they used to be frequent visitors to the store in Glasgow before they made it onto TV. Litecraft has also been appointed as the lighting manufacturers for Royal Doulton and the outlets sell this fabulous crystal chandelier for just £69 (usually £133.65 in the shops) with next day delivery. What a bargain!

The Joy of Christmas Catalogues November 1, 2007

My December issue of Ideal Home magazine arrived today, and I was immediately encouraged by the weight of it. Hooray – lots of Christmas goodies inside! However, the bulk turned out to be not one but 8 homeware catalogues. Normally people hate this kind of junk, but needless to say I couldn’t be happier: browsing through these inserts is nearly as much fun as reading the magazine itself….! Among the catalogues was the B&Q Xmas decorations catalogue, The Marks and Spencer (M&S) Christmas at Home catalogue, a brochure from bedroom accessories specialist Feather & Black (formerly The Iron Bed Company), and my favourite – a Christmas Gifts catalogue from Laura Ashley. Every page of every catalogue is filled with irresistible treats, among them the Laura Ashley 2007 teddy bear (pictured right) which is just £18 – how could anyone resist? Best of all, as a little Xmas present, the Laura Ashley catalogue includes 4 separate vouchers, each entitling the bearer to a generous 25% discount on home furnishings which can be redeemed on the high street or online. I’m full of festive cheer!