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In the Dining Room

Objects of Design #153: Rope Handled Candle Holder

rope handled candle holder from handpickedcollection.com So as this series of Objects of Design comes to a close (starting tomorrow it's all about bathrooms) it seemed fitting to end with a candle holder. Now, as much as I love dining by flickering candlelight, I'm always terrified that they're going to fall over and set fire
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Objects of Design #152: Boho Rug

boho rug from roseandgrey.co.uk Made from cotton, this fabulous monochrome rug measures 230cm by 160cm so it's large enough to sit under many kitchen or dining tables. It's also a practical colour as the slightly mottled effect means it won't show the crumbs. I have a very elderly Persian rug under my kitchen table and
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Objects of Design #151: Work in Progress Plates

work in progress plates from re-foundobjects.com I love these plates. They're called Work in Progress and if you look closely you can see why. They were inspired by 19th century pattern books and come in six different designs. Now, given the price £21 each, I probably wouldn't buy a whole set, which might look a
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Objects of Design #150: Carafe and Drinking Glasses

Jeevika and Laksha carafe and glasses from nkuku.com If you are a fan of white crockery (as I am) then you can afford to introduce a little pattern elsewhere and these glasses are perfect for that. Made from recycled glass, they are pleasingly heavy and contrast well with the ultra plain carafe. They're from Nkuku,
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Objects of Design #149: Drinks Trolley

drinks trolley from idyll home Time was the idea of  a drinks trolley was undeniably retro and not in a cool way. But they seem to have worked their way back into our affections again. Perhaps they are now retro in a cool way and I want one. Especially now that you can find great
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Objects of Design #148: Bamboo Desile Folding Chair

bamboo desile chair from clippings.com Another folding chair that can hang on a wall and doesn't take up much space. Now this one is slightly less a work of art than the first one, but it's also slightly less a price too. This one is made from sustainable bamboo and can be folded out in
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Objects of Design #147: Phoebe Wall Lamp

phoebe wall light from fashion for home The curse of many a modern home, or extension come to that, is a ceiling that isn't high enough for a really dramatic light. I have bemoaned this fact before and regular readers will know that this is why we have a tin tile ceiling in our kitchen
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Objects of Design #146: Indian Event Folding Table

    original indian event folding table from discover attic Now earlier in this series we talked about folding chairs, admittedly in a slightly high concept kind of fashion, so here is its partner; the folding table. This is an original old Indian one, which is rather beautiful and would be perfect on my covered
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Objects of Design #145: Glasses

glasses from baileys home and garden I have never been one for fancy glasses. Not least because they're so easily broken and they don't go in the dishwasher. Mind you, if I'm completely honest, I'm not really one for fancy wine either. Give me a little tumbler of French vin de table any day, or
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Objects of Design #144: Hammered Metal Pots

hammered metal pots from nordichouse.co.uk When it comes to decorating the table, simple is best in my book. And, as much as I love flowers, they don't really last long and, let's be honest, they do tend to look better in the garden or field don't they? So I think these pots are a great
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Objects of Design #143: Grey and Gold Shelves

grey and gold shelves from ghostfurniture.co.uk Today we are going to have a little Sunday morning browse around Ghost Furniture, a company that "brings furniture back from the dead and makes it hauntingly beautiful". cocktail dress chair It's run by Di Overton and Harvey Roll from their home in the North Tyne Valley, Northumberland. After
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Objects of Design #142: Wooden Garden Chair

chunky wooden garden chair by House Doctor DK at Bodie and Fou It's the weekend and if the weather has been continuing as it should for July, then Saturdays are for eating outside. I rather love this chunky wooden chair and table and it would make a great addition to my deck. Made from teak,
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Objects of Design #141: Stockholm Carafe

  ikea stockholm carafe I just love this carafe. It's part of Ikea's Stockholm collection and was designed by Anne Nilsson, who studied glass and ceramics in the US, and this was mouth-blown and etched by hand. The idea behind the pattern was also to hide fingermarks, which is a really clever touch. It's 30cm
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Objects of Design #140: Boho Print Bowls

mix and match with your existing crockery Regular readers will know I do love a pretty plate or bowl and these fit the bill perfectly. Now they're designed to mix and match so don't go buying the whole set or you will defeat the object. buy a few in different patterns Pick up a few
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Objects of Design #139: Jigsaw Coasters and Trivet

four coasters that slot together to become one large trivet Now if I'm honest I've never really been one for a coaster. Possibly because we don't really have the furniture to warrant it. But then recently, and perhaps it's my age, I find that they are increasingly handy. Perhaps it's all the ice I've been
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Objects of Design #138: Folding Hanging Chair

BBB Pick Chiar from studiodror This is brilliant. You always need extra chairs and while I'm not averse to the Shaker idea of hanging them on wooden pegs when everyone has finished eating so there's more space around the table, that does inevitably lead to banged heads as people have to squeeze past and under.
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Objects of Design #137: Metallic Kitchen Accessories

metallic kitchenware: clockwise from top copper and glass storage jar, brass trivets, medium storage jar and brass knife holder Metallics has been a strong trend for a while now but it has mainly centred around wallpapers and lights, with little opportunity to bring it into the kitchen, which has remained resolutely chrome or stainless steel
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Objects of Design #136: Paper Straws

paper straws from pearlandearl.co.uk It's a small thing, one that perhaps hasn't even occurred to you but as you carefully put your paper in the recycling and wash the food containers, spare a thought for the plastic straw. Millions of them are thrown away every single day. And they end up in landfill. Now admittedly
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Objects of Design #135: Urban Firepit

urban firepit from primrose.co.uk Now that summer is here (or at least at the time of writing the sky is a definite shade of blue) there's nothing nicer than sitting outside of an evening with perhaps a glass of wine or even having supper outside on the balcony or in the garden. But there's no
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Objects of Design #134: Marble Board

Amory marble board from rowenandwren.co.uk My mother had a cookery book in which one recipe famously began with the phrase "First chill your marble slab". Well that was the end of that. Whatever it was we never had it. Years later when refurbishing a kitchen, she did include a marble slab set into the workshop
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