Easter Treats and New Things

Today a round up of some new things for you as Spring has sprung, the blossom is out and the (unaffordable) heating is off. So in no particular order we have new tableware, fabric, wallpaper and, well, a table actually as well as details of a chunky 25 per cent off my interiors course. Read on …

This rather lovely barley twist table ( a classic design that is having a fashion moment) is handmade in Yorkshire using traditional techniques from solid oak for Folie Chambre. Works as a side table, bedside table or plant stand. It’s one of those pieces that you will use for ever in different rooms in different homes. It’s £345 but there is 15 per cent off (Easter15)  until Tuesday 19 April so if you want to invest now is the time.

A table like that always looks good at the end of a sofa and I was reminded this week of the furniture from the London Transport Museum which is mid-century in design and upholstered in the famous fabric from their tubes and buses. Hard to know if you chose your favourite line or your preferred fabric. This is the Kensington sofa and it costs £2,500 for a three seater. And, let’s be honest, if you’ve ever worried about linen or velvet upholstery then it has to be said that the stuff they use on public transport has got to be the toughest you can get so have at it with your toddlers and your pets!

Next up and a new wallpaper and fabric range from rug designer Wendy Morrison. Her gorgeous rugs are all handmade in India and are what you might call investment pieces. So if they are out of reach, perhaps you can bring some of her vibrant designs into your home via her wallpaper or material which cost £225 for a 10m roll and £120 per metre of fabric.

Pattern is definitely having a moment in interiors and as long as you love the colours you have chosen there is no need to worry that you will go off it. If you think the pattern might become a little much then there are ways round that – put it in a smaller room where you don’t linger so you don’t get tired of it, or, in a bedroom, use it behind the bed so you see it when you come in and not when you are lying down. That way you get a shot of fabulousness when you come in but you’re not staring at it all day long. Unless, of course, you find a pattern that inspires you so much you want to look at it all day. And there are plenty of those around too.

More fabric and this time from Buchanan Studio, whose first range includes five patterns in 12 colourways including some fabulous checks alongside their stripes and florals in velvet. Checkmate is printed on luxurious cotton
velvet. All the other fabrics have been digitally or rotary screen printed in England across heavy weight 100% Belgian Linen, sourced froma sustainable mill renowned for the highest quality. The industrial processes of spinning and weaving linen have very little impact on the environment. Every part of the flax plant is used and the resulting linen products are 100% biodegradable or recyclable. Buchanan Studio’s choice of mill has achieved official Carbon Neutral status, as well as the internationally acknowledged Masters of Linen® accreditation.

Coming now to tableware  – it’s Easter after all and social media goes wild for a bit of tablescaping ( I know I know) at this time of year. New from design studio Poodle & Blonde are these two ranges, Bellisima and Dalmation are so pretty. A 12 piece set is £100 or it’s £40 for four pasta bowls.

If I were buying new crockery (and I need little excuse let’s be honest) I rather like a match of the crema (pink) wavy stripes with the cocoa spots of the dalmation. And I need hardly remind you that if you mix and match your patterns it’s less of a disaster if you break one. Everything they do is designed in-house and made in the UK.

Ok so we’ve had a sit down, laid the table, chosen the wallpaper and now you might want a drink. A couple of years ago I bought the Aarke water carbonator because I drink sparkling water all the time (dentists I do not want to hear from you; I barely drink alcohol and don’t like fruit juice so I need some fizz) and we were feeling bad about the plastic bottles. Enter this Swedish-designed carbonator which, I have to say does look mighty sexy on the worktop, and solved the problem. Now they have upgraded the design to this one above which not only  you can operate with one hand (leaving the other free to pour your Gin or mixer of choice) but it now works with their glass bottles which are definitely pretty enough to sit on the table. The carbonator pro costs £250 and we spend around £10 a month on the gas canisters to make the fizz but, over the three years we have had it, it has saved us money and hopefully is helping the planet too.

Finally, as it’s Easter and the start of bank holiday season, Create Academy are offering 25 per cent off all their courses – including mine – until next Monday 18th. It normally retails at £127 so even with my bad maths I think that makes it less than £100 for five hours of video content including lessons on everything from why your doors are a crucial element of your interior design to finding your red thread, planning the layout and lighting and not forgetting a proper video tour of my house.

So now we’ve redecorated the house you can finish with a course on how to style it all over the long weekend and I’ll be back tomorrow with some fantastic gardening tips from Gardener’s World presenter Arit Anderson, who tells us how to use our fashion and interiors knowledge to create the perfect garden. It’s from the podcast and it’s a great episode so look out for it.