New on Design Storey

I’ve been meaning to do this post for ages but you know, time and all that. Anyway, many of you will know that last year I set up a shop – DesignStorey.Shop with the aim of curating the internet – well a bit of it anyway. Specifically, the part that relates to homewares and interiors. The internet, I think you will agree is vast. Huge. Giruddynormous and it’s simply too much to wade through. We’ve all been there with fashion – when you want a black t-shirt and you have to sift through 47 pages of them and you daren’t stop because the perfect one is – probably – on the next page. Or at the very least on the page after you stopped looking and had a biscuit instead.

Design Storey was born with the promise that there will never be more than 50 of each item – so it’s the 50 best beds and sofas along with 50 of the best bedside tables, vases and cushions. You get the idea. And alongside that curated collection is a few words explaining why each piece has made the cut – how you might style it, why it might last a lifetime of different houses and rooms and why it’s worth your money.

Today’s post is to show you the new products that have been added this week. From next week it will appear on a Tuesday so I’m adding a post back into the week and while it’s a shopping page it will still have all the usual advice and styling tips that come with any products I recommend.

So the new timetable will be Monday – Beautiful Rooms, Tuesday What’s New, Wednesday either a sponsored post or organic content, Thursday – podcast notes when there is a series running and Friday The Househunter. Coming to see what’s new?

Bobo Accent chair, Made

Curves and the so-called fat furniture is having a moment and there’s no doubt that in a room full of rectangles and straight lines, it’s a great way to soften a space. The question is how to make it look cool and classic rather than just part of a passing fad. The answer is to cover the whole chair in velvet (recycled since you ask) so it’s not just the cushions and the back but the legs and arms as well. For a contemporary look (if you don’t have small children) buy the cream boucle, for a more long-term look pick the navy. I’d like one of each. 

Nelson side table, Soho Home

Soho Home has perfected the knack of producing furniture that looks as if it ought to be vintage but isn’t. And while it’s expensive, this design style means it will last forever and work in any interior or be passed down/around the family. So it’s investment shopping that’s worth it. That is also a brown and cream calacatta marble which, I predict, will be ousting the most classic Cararra as it’s warmer in appearance which is where all the best-dressed interiors are going these days. There is another version coming too which, rather than this white with red, is a more red with white version so if you were in the market for an unmatching pair this is the way to go. 

Greyson floor lamp, Soho Home

A good floor lamp is hard to find. So often they are angular metal which looks a bit more office or contemporary than you might want. Or they have a wide base which means they take up too much room to be tucked at the end of the sofa, or the lamp so wide it sticks out too far from the corner. I know this because I have a beautiful standard lamp that has all these problems and I may have to move house just to accommodate it. But this has a narrow base, a narrow shade and its wooden bobbin form makes it an on trend classic. If you’ve solved your sitting room lighting problem but are struggling with a small WFH desk put this to one side instead of a task lamp and instantly win back more space for desk clutter. 

Lovise laundry basket, Made

All laundry baskets are better with lids. That’s just a fact. And a bit of rattan will bring character and warmth to a room traditionally full of hard white surfaces. This has a carrying handle and a narrower base, which helps when we have the smallest bathrooms in Europe. Buy this one for the whites and the black one for the darks and that’s saved you a sorting job. 

Spin stool, Ferm Living at Connox

This is a beauty. Made from mango wood it’s gently curving shape is simple but stylish and it’s one of the most versatile pieces of furniture you can buy. Use it as a side table in the sitting room, a bedside table or an extra stool it’s worth the investment as it’s one of those pieces of furniture that will be useful your whole life whatever the size of your home. It’s made from 100% FSC-certified mango wood and, if you buy from this link is 100 per cent climate neutral shipping.

Toppu Bowl by Oyoy, Amara

I have one of these bowls in a different shape and in black and white and every time it pops up in the background of an Instagram picture I get dozens of queries as to where I got it from. So now you know. It’s Danish and it’s stripey and we all know that every room loves a stripe – especially a black and white one. Use it for fruit, flowers like hydrangeas or herbs or just stick in on the coffee table with the remotes in it. It will always enhance any corner it sits in. A great long term piece. 

Lumiere candle holder by vaisselle, Amara

Last year it was all about cottage core as frills and gingham found their way onto all the fabrics and soft furnishings – that’s still a look so don’t worry if you have invested – after all what could be more classic than gingham? But those checks are now spilling over into all areas of design. If you’re unsure if this is for you the key is to start small. This pretty candlestick is a great example – you could claim it came from your Granny’s bedroom such is its vintage appeal but it’s also new and fashionable so you’re winning at trends.

Wilma Table Lamp, Pooky

Now lighting is one of the areas where you can make a huge statement and you should do but you also need those classic bases that will move around the house and work as ambient light in the sitting room, a bedside light or even, if you have space, the new trend in lighting in the kitchen. In line with the fashion for the un-kitcheny kitchen, so comes the unkitcheny light – good for when you have turned down the spotlights (because you did fit a dimmer didn’t you) and just want something a little softer to light the bowl of pasta. This one isn’t breaking any design ground but it will still look good in 20 years time when your family will be raving about the vintage lamp you bought so long ago. It comes in ebony (my classic of choice) but you might prefer the hot pink or lime green. And, of course, you can change the shade to match your mood or current décor. 

Bolleke wireless lamp by Fatboy, Amara

Tis the season to be outside where possible and good outdoor lighting – which used to be as rare as (and more expensive than) hens’ teeth has come on in leaps and bounds. This has three settings and a loop that means you can hang it wherever you need – from the nearest tree or umbrella or over the back of a deckchair. It’s cordless, portable and chargeable, which means, of course, you aren’t restricted to your own outside space but can take it to the park or the beach and hang it/out there. 

Componibili storage unit by Kartell, Amara

A successful interior design scheme mixes materials as well as colours and given that most furniture is made of wood unless it’s upholstered it can be hard to bring in more variety. These classic storage units bring both colour and texture. They used to come in rather primary colours but this olive green is a gorgeous muted shade that will look great in a neutral scheme – and will sit happily next to wood – as well as making friends with all shades of pink, blue and yellow. Also – masses of storage. I have had two black ones for years – they began as bedside tables and have now moved to my son’s room where they store a huge amount of stuff I dare not ask about. But, big, adaptable, useful. In the as yet un-added category “can’t go wrong with this”.