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The Househunter

Let's leave the city and head for the Norfolk countryside to start our house tours this week. This three bedroom, single storey (award-winning) property is on the market for £895,000 via The Modern House. It's set in an acre of land and was completely in 2010. According to the blurb: "it is one of the
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Objects Of Design #306: Work and Play Notebook

A great notebook is an essential requirement in life I simply can't get through life without a beautiful notebook, and as it's the last day of the year it seemed fitting to show you one of my favourites. This leather case comes in a variety of colours with two notebooks. They're made by The Bookery
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Objects Of Design #305: Hammered Brass Bowl

perfect for party food There are so many uses for this pretty brass bowl. Standing a few candles in it will bounce the light softly around. Fill it with nibbles for a party or with fruit the rest of the year. Or what about in the bathroom or on a dressing table for all those
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Objects Of Design #304: Breakfast Set

Pedlars six piece breakfast set £45 Breakfast is, they say, the most important meal of the day but for many of us it's about standing in the kitchen shoving in toast with one hand while packing children's schoolbags with the other. Or slurping a cup of coffee while checking emails and getting dressed at the
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Objects Of Design #302: Missoni Noah Towel

Missoni Noah towels So how are we doing with the Christmas marathon then? By this stage you're probably thinking of venturing outside for the first time in a few days and for many of you that will mean a trip to the sales. Well, nothing seems to sum up sales purchases like new towels. These
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Objects Of Design #301: Vintage Platters

vintage serving platters Ah Boxing Day. That really is the morning after the night before. If you have planned it right you will be heading off to someone else's house where a drink will be handed to you on arrival, and a succession of delightful dishes will parade past without you having to lift a
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Objects Of Design #300: Sanders and Wallace Wine Glasses

No mixing up the drinks with these HAPPY CHRISTMAS So it's Christmas. Some of you will have been up for hours and already desperate for a little stiffener by the time you read this. Some of you will be basting turkeys, fending off relatives and small children and wishing it was all over bar the
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Objects Of Design #299: Bella Perle Glass Crockery

beaded glass bowls The sharp-eyed (and kitchen-obsessed) among you (and yes I count myself in the later category) might have spotted these on the latest series of Nigella when suddenly a glass, or pyrex, mixing bowl was no longer just a glass, or pyrex, mixing bowl. Because Nigella had these really really pretty ones and
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Objects Of Design #298: Clear Platform Flower Stand

a clear vase won't detract from the flowers Well you never know, it's at about this time of year when someone might turn up with flowers. Or you might decide to buy some for the centre of the table, in case, you know, anyone's coming for lunch over the next few days. This gorgeous vase
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Objects Of Design #297: Absolutely Everything Wire Rack

the absolutely everything wire rack I find it hard to imagine a place where this wouldn't be useful. Perfect in the kitchen: give each member of the family a shelf, handy in the bathroom for all those lotions and potions that seem to accumulate, tidy up the office with spaces for stationery/paper and pens, or
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Objects Of Design #296: Dahra Etched Silver Tray

a silver tray is not just for Christmas If there's one thing that will come in useful at Christmas, or when you're throwing a party at any time of year come to that, it's a tray. And this is a particularly fine example. The matt silver finish with its etched motif is perfect for ferrying
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Objects Of Design #295: Retro Barber Board

peg board: perfect for leaving messages These retro peg boards are just delightful aren't they? Perfect for the kitchen as a place to write reminders and messages, the set includes nearly 700 letters and the board comes in two sizes so there should be no problem putting together a shopping list. This is definitely going
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Objects Of Design #294: Chase And Wonder

Chase & Wonder screen printed washbags This was going to be a post about the rather delicious Chase and Wonder tea towels which would make a lovely, if rather prosaic, stocking filler sort of a gift as well as being extremely useful for the time of year and then I saw these, which, to be
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Objects Of Design #293: Vita Eos Feather Light

the Eos feather lamp has individually applied feathers The thing about Christmas and the inevitable influx of guests is that it forces you to take a look around and see if anything needs fixing. Now, obviously I can't speak for all, but I definitely need a new pendant light in the spare room and this
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Objects Of Design #292: Phantom Candelabra

white candelabra from Rockett St George: the candles are included An antidote to the excess of Christmas, this beautifully restrained candelabra brings a delicate touch to the proceedings. Perfect for the table all year round but also stunning in a bathroom where its minimal lines will fit right in. This one is definitely on my
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Objects Of Design #291: Glass Dome

recycled glass dome for food or fantasy I have been studiously ignoring this tendency to stick everything in glass domes, but then suddenly along came this dome, which is so pretty that not only did I have to feature it but I think I will have to buy it. I love the fact that it
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Objects Of Design #290: Italian Aluminium Tins

metal storage tins Does a biscuit taste better when it's called a biscotti? Is sugar less calorific when it's called zucchero? Maybe not, but these pretty tins will work perfectly in any style of kitchen from industrial to contemporary via a bit of 50s retro chic. And, once again, I barely need to mention this,
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Objects Of Design #289: Stripe Cone Bowl

Hand painted bowls for ice cream These'll liven up the table a treat. They're individually painted so each one is slightly different which means you can buy a set without it being too matchy matchy. Perfect for ice cream, yoghurt or any sort of pudding really. Even Christmas. Or fill a set with four different
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Objects Of Design #288: Chloe Bedding

Pretty bedding for guests This pretty bedding will add a sophisticated look to any spare room and when the guests have cleared out you can use it on your own bed for the rest of year. I love the monochrome look of this with the splashes of pink, but you could use any accent colour
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Objects Of Design #287: Marrakech Decorative Serving Plate

Marrakech Decorative Serving Plate Perfect for the Christmas table, this serving dish is the right colours for the time of year but will brighten up a dreary January too. Pile it high with fruit and nuts or just leave it lying around being decorative. It is, in case you are interested, dishwasher safe, which is
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