Interiors Archives - Page 4 of 6 - Conversations through the middle

Interiors – summer sunshine home accessories

July 24, 2012

Well the sun has been shining for the past few days and at last it’s hot around here, so rather than go with what’s new for autumn/ winter I thought I’d pick a few favourite pieces from this year’s spring/ summer collections.


You can never have enough cushions in my view

Tropical Delights floral cushion in ochre, £60, from PlumChutney


If you don’t have a beach hut this could be the next best thing

British Beach Hut roller blind, size to order, £115, from Digetex Home

This is just simply sunshine in a jug

Handpainted stoneware jug, £45, from Berry Red

These are so beach tent-y and remind me of the seaside

Linen and cotton covered door stops designed by Lucinda Nicol, £18, from West Egg


I love the exotic pattern and again, you can never have too many cushions

Kashmiri hand-embroidered cushion, £36, from Fairwind


Cakes will taste even better than usual on a stand like this

Whitby ceramic cake stand, inspired by holidays at the seaside,
£29.95, from Hunkydory Home

What more is there to say?

Martin Wiscombe Love the Beach aged-look wooden plaque, £14.99, from Mollie & Fred

Interiors – comfy knitted throw, velvet chairs and traditional accessories

July 17, 2012

This cuddly knitted throw is by Tesco and is part of the company’s autumn winter range. I love the cable detail and though you can’t get a great idea of its size in this image you just know it’s going to be big and warm. I did take my own photograph of this at this year’s Christmas in July a couple of weeks ago but alas, my iphone has stopped working and I have lost everything on it (but that’s another story). The matching cushion is below – I don’t love that half as much as I can just see my dog pulling it to pieces.

These retro clocks are by the Dot.com Giftshop and should be online soon ready for Christmas. They remind me of the clock on the wall in my junior school, only that one wasn’t a pretty pastel colour.

Also from the Dot.com Giftshop, these butter dishes and storage canisters caught my eye. I forgot all about butter dishes – we always had one when I was growing up but I never use them. Perhaps I’ll have to treat myself now though as these are so pretty.

With winter not that far away (or is it here already) these sunny colours will inject a tropical twist into your home. They make me feel happy just looking at them and the chair and stool are so soft and velvety to touch. They are from Oliver Bonas and are available in all the colours you can see swatched on the stool below.

Interiors – Dotty about dots

July 10, 2012

I love polka dots. If there’s one pattern that doesn’t seem to age this has to be it. Delicious splodges of colour – uniform or random – that go with everything and look just as good on fabrics as they do on pottery, furniture, walls or canvas.

I’ve been thinking about dots a lot recently – ever since my daughter decided to ban me from calling her Dotty/Dot, her nickname since she was a baby. So in recognition of the fact that my Dot is growing up, and a mixture of sadness and happiness that we are moving on to a new phase in her/our lives, I’ve decided to indulge myself by gathering together a plethora of polka dots pieces to cheer me up. They would also look great in any home.

This lovely mug is from Laura Ashley’s AW12 homes’ collection and is part of a set that also includes a jug, cake stand and cup. www.lauraashley.com

Add a spot of style to your cooking with this casserole dish from Berry Red. www.berryred.co.uk

Tea always tastes nicer out of a teapot I think – and what could be nicer than this blue-on-white Blue Penny design from Aston Pottery. There’s also a matching mugs, cups, saucers, jugs, storage bowls, serving plates and more in the collection, which also comes in several colour combinations. www.astonpottery.co.uk

Dotty cushions – what could be comfier? My very own Dot would love this one. Love Letters are by Jonny’s Sister and they’re available in a variety of patterns, covering A – Z, all handmade in England. www.jonnyssister.co.uk

These fabric bowls are obviously not for food storage, think of them more as decorative accessories to store bits and pieces or just look pretty on their own. Available from www.nellypepper.co.uk

Passionate purple – wonderful. This plate is from Berry Red and its name – Naomi Plum Side Plate – indicates there are other pieces in the collection so I’ve had a look and found a jug, dinner plate and latte cup. www.berryred.co.uk

This cute ceramic Spotty Dotty toast rack holds up to five pieces of toast and is dishwasher safe. It’s from I Like Chickens and can be found here.

Good old Tesco, they make it easy to pick up a few polka dots with your weekly shop. This set – each piece is sold individually – was launched for the Diamond Jubilee but should be in shops throughout the summer. www.tesco.com

This beauty is from Matalan and is just right for holding your morning coffee with its chunky shape and easy-to-hold handle. I’ll have to get one for work – it will look great on my desk. www.matalan.co.uk

Compared to this, my plain old toaster is just plain old boring. From German design company Efbe Schott, this vision in red provides a cheerful start to the day as well as scrumptious toast and warm croissants. It has all the tech features you would expect, too, including electronic browning control, removable bun rack and crumb tray, and a defrost button. Find it at www.redcandy.co.uk

It’s not just pots and accessories that get the polka dot treatment, why not extend your love to furniture too? This Italian retro dining chair is decorated by hand and is made of wood with a metal frame. It’s from Alexander & Pearl and comes as a set of two. These would look fab in my kitchen, find them here.

I’m loving this lime cushion, the red edging gives it, well, an edge. The cover is removable for washing and you can use it in the garden – great for picnics. Find it at The Contemporary Home.

Measuring cups that look good as well as being practical, what more could the home baking fan want? These are by Spode and launch in August at www.spode.co.uk

Perfect for pasta bakes or lasagne, this polka dot oval dish from Emma Bridgewater is finished on the outside in classic blue and has a capacity of 1.7 litres. Find it at www.emmabridgewater.co.uk

This pretty yet substantial looking metal tray is also by Emma Bridgewater. The handles give it an extra safety aspect.

Finally for today, see how lovely this polka dot design looks in this bathroom. Beach Spot Mural is from Digetex and comes from its new Coastal Beach Collection. It’s not necessarily cheap – from £129 though I’m unclear whether that’s per roll or the cost for the entire wall – but it’s certainly stunning. www.digetexhome.com

Happy home – beautiful products for the kitchen and living room

July 3, 2012

I love looking at kitchen ware and bits and pieces for my home. They don’t have to be expensive (often the best things aren’t), they just have to have something – I don’t always know what it is – that draws me in and makes me give them space in my life. Last week when I was in London for meetings, I passed a charity shop on Brompton Road that had several pieces of Cornishware in the window – that’s the blue and white striped pottery, so called because it brings to mind the sea and sky of Cornwall. But I didn’t go in … aargh. I really, really wanted to, but my feet were killing me and there was no way I could have carried any of it home (too much to carry already). That particular design reminds me of my childhood, I think it was auntie Peggy who had lots of it in her kitchen. I’m in London again tomorrow so perhaps I’ll get a chance to go back and see if it’s still there. Fingers crossed.

Here’s a few more bits and pieces I’ve seen lately that are now on my wish list.

Cushions, cushions, cushions. You can never have to many of them in my view. These beauties are from Deckchairstripes and would look great scattered nonchalantly on the living room floor, just right for flopping on.

This teaset comprising a teapot, sugar bowl, milk jug and butter dish is purrfect for cat lovers (we have two – moggies that is not teasets). From the Cats collection by artist Laura Lee, the set is made from English bone china and is hand painted in black and white. www.lauraleedesigns.co.uk

And here’s the teapot up close:

This gorgeous Bees cake stand is also by the talented Laura Lee. I can imagine this on my table for high tea (oh yes), with lots of delicious cup cakes and strawberry tarts (we’ll not bother with the cucumber sandwiches). Again this is made from English bone china and is handpainted; it’s a limited edition piece.

Cake again, this time in the shape of a mug. This is sooo suited to my daughter, I’ll have to buy her one, cake being one of her favourite foods.The Eat More Cake mug is designed by illustrator Vicki Gausden; you can even have the handle personalised. McLaggan Smith Mugs

Finally this week is the Alessi La Rosa fruit bowl. I love Alessi’s designs as they are so out of the ordinary and they make a statement in any kitchen. This would look perfect on my worktop, just in front of the window. It’s almost too pretty to put fruit in though. Made from solid steel and finished in red epoxy resin, it is designed by Emma Silvestris and you can find it at Red Candy.