New in Design Storey

Here are this week’s new additions to Design Storey where my particular favourite is the graphic table lamp (scroll down) and I have also included a cute little padding pool for half term.

We are used to bold patterned wallpaper but often don’t want to put it on all the walls for fear of overwhelm. Why not flip things round and put the pattern on the sofa instead. It will liven up plain walls, won’t show the dirt and means you can redecorate time and time again because you can simply pick out a different colour from the fabric to refresh the whole room. Ultimately cheaper than changing the walls and realising they no longer go with the sofa. 

Extra tip – as the legs are tall and thin you see more floor which means the room will look bigger – vital when it comes to modular sofas as they tend to sink to the floor and dominate the room. This is altogether more elegant. 

Paisley Fringed Canopy, Cox & Cox

It feels like we have been looking at safe (boring) grey garden furniture for years and I get that it’s an investment but gardens are for flowers so why not add more with your garden furniture? This parasol brings a bit of 70s flamboyance to your outdoors (who remembers the long hot summer of 1976 when the Government exhorted us all to share baths and let our cars stay dirty) and will cheer up a bit of parched grass no end. And, if you’re holidaying in the UK this year, this will allow you to spot your crew on the most crowded of beaches.

Ambi Wooden stool, Nkuku

You will never go wrong spending money on a good wooden stool. Tall ones can double up as plant and lamp stands and short ones as bedside or side tables. This is made from sustainable mango wood and while it looks perfect au naturel you could also paint it again and again as the mood takes you. Perfect for the renter who is trying to build up a collection of furniture that will work in any house no matter what its size or ownership. 

Lamont kitchen larder, Graham & Green

A few years ago no house was complete without an en suite (or at least a second bathroom). Now that we have all grown accustomed to that the focus has shifted to the kitchen and, in the absence, of space for a dedicated pantry – a larder cupboard. This freestanding version is perfect for those who aren’t redoing their kitchen so can’t have one built in but might, all the same, have space, to add one. This could also go on a landing or spare room for bedlinen etc. It’s on of those pieces of furniture you will always find a use for. By the way – the difference between larder and pantry? Pantry is thought to come. from the French for bread “pain” – dry goods while larder is from lard – wet things like butter and dairy. Technically that would make this a pantry cupboard.

Reeded Glass Soap Dispenser, Cox & Cox

Perfect for the downstairs loo where, let’s be honest, those solid bars of soap can end up looking a little grubby if they’re used for gardening and toddler hands. Instead, buy a big refill that you can stash in the cupboard, fix this to the wall so it won’t slip onto the floor or sit in a pile of soap sludge, and welcome to your elegant cloakroom. Trend tip: this antique silver is more classic and won’t date like the antique gold one which is already on sale.

Sunny Life Paddling Pool, Anthropologie

This is fun. If you’re one of those parents who despairs at all the primary colours your children are drawn to then see if you can tempt them with a few animals camouflaged in the garden. 

Green Poppy Head Plant Pots, Graham & Green

These have a proper 70s vibe to them – partly the colour and partly the embossed design. Perfect for kitchen herbs or small plants elsewhere or even as utensil and pen pots. 

Trio of bubbles sand candlestick, Rockett St George

A good candlestick can become a personal touch in a rented flat and follow you from house to home over many years becoming a familiar part of your homewares collection that signifies home to you. This is so pretty and would look great next to its taller green sister.  

Mark D. Sikes Ceramic Lamp Base, Anthropologie

When certain patterns become a trend it can be hard to avoid seeming like you are jumping on the bandwagon. The key, if you love a particular style that has, unfortunately, become ubiquitous, is to try and incorporate it in different ways. Graphic checks likes these have been popular on bedding and cushions for a while (indeed I remember flagging them after a trip to The Hoxton Hotel in Paris in 2019) but using them on a lamp is a new way to bring them in. This lamp, which is on back order but worth waiting for is you love it as it’s a classic in the making, is the perfect antidote to a maximalist floral scheme or will bring a hint of pattern to a more pared back monochrome room. Can’t go wrong really.

Gold Bar Ceiling Light, Graham & Green

If the idea of three pendant lights over the kitchen island or table is beginning to feel a bit cliched then why not a modern take on the old strip light of old. Only this one has reeded glass to soften the glare and brass fittings. It’s the strip light but not as we know it. You can check your space via the dimensions but be aware that it weighs nearly 20kg now if only my kitchen ceiling were higher.