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kitchen essentials

Customise Your Ikea Kitchen

custom made grey doors for an ikea kitchen from superfront
superfront besta cupboard front for Ikea We're all familiar with the concept of the Ikea hack, a design phenomenon that is even supported by the store itself, but until now it has been mainly about DIY versions. I know people who have repainted their doors, or even had new ones made and spray painted. I
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Universal Expert

sebastian conran's universal expert collection
universal expert by Sebastian Conran Created by Sebastian Conran (son of our Tel) Universal Export couldn't be more British and yet I discovered it for the first time when browsing round the newly opened London branch of US store westelm. The name is a play on Universal Export, the fictional import-export company of James Bond which
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Objects of Design #344: Kitchen Essentials Part II

storage chopping board from westelm
raw wood chopping boards from westelm Every time I go into Westelm, I pick up these gorgeous plank chopping boards. I love the style, the weight and the splash of colour at one end. It's the perfect piece to kick off part two of the kitchen essentials started yesterday. Now I'm not claiming to make
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Objects of Design #30: Tock Wall Clock

Newgate Tock Clock There's your reminder. The clocks go back tonight, just in case you hadn't quite clicked. This very fine example is by Newgate and is called, not entirely unsurprisingly, Tock. I rather like it. It manages to be both retro and modern at the same time. Now there's no excuse for forgetting. Aram £57
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Objects of Design #12: Tom Frost Espresso Cups

Tom Frost wildlife espresso cups Aren't these espresso cups just gorgeous? Designed by Bristol-based illustrator Tom Frost, the set features an otter,a fox, a hare and an owl. I love the fact that they are all different but clearly a set and that each saucer continues the picture from the cup. set of four cups
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Objects of Design #8: Serving Tray

the royal vkb serving tray So you're heading into the other room with a tray full of glasses and a wine bottle precariously balanced as well, or out into the garden with nibbles and cutlery for the barbecue, and the tray is a bit heavy and the door's blown shut. And you need two hands
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Objects of Design #5: Sardine Run Water Jug

sardine run jug from howkapow Blue and white is such a classic combination and this jug, with its pattern of sardines, just brings a modern twist to that. Following on from yesterday's tea and coffee cannisters, it felt right to continue the drinks theme with this water jug. There is also a smaller milk jug
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Objects of Design #4: Tea and Coffee Storage Tins

The Danish storage jars will bring an industrial Scandi feel to your kitchen I don't hold with decanting everything into pretty jars and boxes unless a) it's to keep undesirable out (by which I don't just mean the children) or b) it's a particularly nice storage jar. Which these are. In fact the Danish design
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Objects Of Design #354: Lotte Cake/Cheese Dome

LSA Lotta Cake/Cheese Dome & Ash Base Feast yer eyes on that then! So firstly, what could be better for creating that cosy feeling and keeping the winter out than cake? Secondly, this will also work for cheese, which, with a little glass of something red, is also a wonderful treat. But thirdly, and therefore
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Objects Of Design #353: Marimekko Kippis Mug

Marimekko Kippis mug Kippis means Cheers in Finnish and what better way to greet a cold winter day than with a really good mug. Perfect for morning coffee, afternoon tea or anytime hot chocolate, I rather like the fact that it's a mug with a picture of a wine glass. I am also, as you
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Objects Of Design #351: Cable Knit Porcelain

Cable Knit bowl With knitting undergoing something of a resurgence at the moment, what better way to bring this cosy trend into your home that with this gorgeous cable knit textured bowl. Imagine it filled with a warming vegetable soup (even I like that idea and I hate soup) with some crusty bread on a
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Objects Of Design #343: Stacking Concrete Pots

sleek concrete desktop storage I just love these concrete stacking pots from new company Between Dog and Wolf, which was set up last year. It's from the French: entre chien et loup, a phrase often used to describe the passage of time from dusk to night. It's the space in which day and night co-exist
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Objects Of Design #333: Drawer Store

drawer store by Joseph Joseph There's no doubt that one of these is a very useful object, even a necessity for a cutlery drawer, but have you thought of buying a second one for that drawer of tat? I know you've got one. Everyone has. That drawer, perhaps in the kitchen table, or the second
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Objects Of Design #331: Keep Kitchen Storage Jars

Keep everything tidy with these storage jars I have always preferred to keep everything in glass storage jars so you can see the contents. And then I found these. I just love them. Monochrome, with wooden lids, is a combination I love and the retro pattern is so pretty. There are lots of different sizes
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Objects Of Design #26: To Dry For Tea Towel

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series Every kitchen needs a tea towel. Even if you reckon you're a dab hand at cramming everything into the dishwasher. Or even prefer to leave it all to drain. Sooner or later you will need to grab something to wipe your hands on. This site, run by husband and
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Objects Of Design #25: Eva Solo Drip Free Dressing Shaker

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series This Danish company makes too many beautiful things to mention but this simple glass bottle is one of the most useful. Salad dressing contains two of the stainiest, messiest and stickiest ingredients around - oil and vinegar. Yes, I  have made it in empty jam jars and mustard pots
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Objects Of Design #24: Jamie Oliver Tilt And Mix Bowls

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series You can say what you like about Jamie, and many do, but I'm a fan. I like his food and his recipes work. There was a bit of bother over those 30 minute meals, which took nearly an hour, and frankly his Flavour Shakers weren't all that, but on
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Objects Of Design #23: Smiths 10 Second Knife Sharpener

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series In much the same way that we have been through several and various potato peelers over the years, our drawers have played host to a number of knife sharpeners. This has been, for us at least, the best. Although as Smith's themselves would say: "The best sharpener is the
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Objects Of Design #22: Oxo Good Grips® Vegetable Peeler

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series For many years I had the unfortunate habit of throwing the peeler away with the potato peelings. This means I have tested a number of them and this is absolutely, "definitively", my favourite. I will issue one caveat here: I am left-handed, or as my mother would charmingly say
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Objects Of Design #21: Microplane Rotary Grater

Part of the Kitchen Essentials Series So you've probably already got a flat rasp or a grater, but this is for those days when you simply must have cheese on toast. And then everyone else wants some too. Or when you're making cakes or brownies and you need to grind up the chocolate and nuts
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