London map tea towel
Everyone needs a good stack of tea towels in the kitchen, but it’s even better when they’re interesting!
This 100% cotton tea towel features a London map – but look closer, and you’ll notice it’s rather unusual.
The whole of the map is made up of the written names of London places. It’s a clever idea and is guaranteed to provide plenty of interest as you endure the joys of drying up the dishes.
The London map tea towel is by Unity Peg and costs £8 from To Dry For.
I’ve only recently discovered the PIP Studio products, but they are delightful and becoming a firm favourite already.
Created by a designer called Pip from Amsterdam, who has the fabulous motto of wanting to create, “Happy products for happy people,” the procelain china is based on vintage designs. Liberty have a lovely collection of items in stock, ranging from bowls and plates to delicate cups.
The porcelain pieces can be mixed together very well, for a charming eclectic look, and are in colours such as pink, blue and khaki. They’re all edged in a delicate line of gold and are very reasonably priced.
The pink floral plate is £9.50, the blue blossom bowl (which is in a Japanese style) is £10.50 and the khaki breakfast plate, depicting a robin perched on a branch is £7.95.
Find out more about PIP Studio, or buy some of the porcelain range, at Liberty.
Lidded storage jar
I can think of lots of things that I’d put in this useful storage jar. It would be great to keep in the cupboard, or use out on the table for serving sugar or jam.
Made of ceramic, the white pot is sold by Sorbet Living and currently has 50% off the original price. At only £7, it’s a great buy.
Cutlery organisation
This great little willow basket is perfect for getting your cutlery organised. There are four compartments in the 15cm by 15cm basket that should cover all your basic cutlery needs (knives, forks, spoons and teaspoons), plus it has a useful handle, that makes it easy to carry to the table.
I’d use the basket indoors, as it would look great on my sideboard, but you could also make use of the handle to easily transport cutlery outdoors, to use for summer outdoor dining.
The cutlery storage basket it made from a nice grey willow and is only £6.99 from The Contemporary Home.
Retro scales
Given the choice between traditional style kitchen scales and digital scales, the traditional ones win me over every time. I’ve never found the digital scales quite so accurate and love the look of the traditional ones.
These retro ivory kitchen scales are stylish and functional, with a clear dial on the front and easy-to-use metal bowl perfect for measuring out baking ingredients. They measure in grams and kilos, and pounds and ounces, and are reasonably priced at £19.95.
If you fancy a bit more colour, then the scales are also available in red, black and mint, from Dotcomgiftshop.
Crochet lined basket
I’m rather taken by this basket, which is designed for putting your laundry in.
The hand-woven basket has been nicely lined with white cotton and finished off with a crochet trim. The lining will prevent any pieces of the basket getting accidentally snagged on your clothes. Use it as a practical way of storing your laundy ready for washing, or to bring the freshly laundered items back in from the washing line.
Of course, you don’t just need to use it for washing – with its pretty lining, this basket would work well for all sorts of storage requirements.
The washing basket is sold by Laura Ashley and it’s currently in their sale for £25.20 (was £40).
Kitchen chopping board set
Kitchen hygiene experts recommend using a seperate chopping board to chop each different type of food on, such as raw meat, fish, vegetables and bread, as it helps avoid contamination.
With this set of four chopping boards, you’ll be well equipped for all your chopping needs. The boards are all slightly different shapes, which is great for identifying which is used for each type of food, and they’re all thread with leather ties at the top so you can hang the boards up for storage.
The set of four chopping boards are sold by Jme for £39 (with free postage).
It does what it says
We love the elegance and simplicity of this glass decanter, or water carafe.
Ideal for a lunch table, desk or dinner party, this glass water decanter holds up to 1.5 litres of water and is stencilled on the front with the pure and simple wording, “Tap Water.”
The tap water decanter is available from Isabel Ballardie Interiors and is priced at £15.
Poetry tea towel
Kitchen Sink Dramas specialise in bringing the art of storytelling into the home and produce a range of tea towels and aprons containing plenty to read.
We love this tea towel, which aptly features the words of the poem, ‘Tea’ by Carol Ann Duffy. The poem is silk screened by hand onto 100% cotton and the piece is handmade in the UK.
If you think it’s too nice to do the dishes with, then you could always frame the tea towel instead and make your own wall art.
The Carol Ann Duffy tea towel is £12 from Kitchen Sink Dramas.
Other lovely literary tea towel offerings include the Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, the Secret Garden and DH Lawrence.
Traditional cutlery box
This wooden cutlery box reminds me of a similar item that my grandparents used to have.
The box is designed to hold cutlery (although you could easily use it for anything else) and has four sections inside for storing all your knives, forks, spoons and teaspoons. Underneath there’s a a full width, deep drawer that would be perfect for storing larger serving spoons or cake slices.
The top of the box has a nice etched glass lid, so you can see at a glance what’s inside. As well as having a functional purpose, the box is nice enough to leave out on display in your dining room or kitchen. You could use it for storing your ‘best’ cutlery, or your everyday cutlery.
The Wilbury cutlery chest is available from Graham and Green for £36.
