Name your house

If your house has a name, either in addition to a number or as an alternative to it, ensuring the name is displayed clearly can really make a difference for helping postmen and visitors successfully find your home.

Signs like this one are handmade to order from Delightful Living, on Not On The High Street. They make the signs from reclaimed wood, which is gently distressed to give it a vintage feel. The exact size of the sign will vary depending on the length of the name you’d like put on it and you can choose whether you want the words in one single line, or split over two lines.

When the signs are finished, they are waterproofed wtih a clear matt seal, so they’re protected from the elements.

The personalised house name sign is £40 and you can find out more at their store at Not On The High Street.

One of my all time favourite ranges of ceramics is the blue and white Clipper designs from Whittard.

Different designs in the range have come and gone over the years, but with the standard blue and white colouring, everything mixes and matches very well together. But a few years ago, the worst scenario happened and they stopped selling Clipper.

For a while, it was still possible to pick up odd bits and pieces in Whittard discount stores and I’ve hunted through many to find vital bits to make up the set (and extras to account for any accidents and breakages). I’ve also found the occasional item on Ebay, which has been great.

But now I’m thrilled, as the wise folks at Whittard have brought good old Clipper back again. There are some new designs, like this lovely blue and white stripe, and some old favourites, like polka dots. There might not be quite so many unique pieces any more (I haven’t seen bowls or serving dishes yet), but it’s great to know I can get replacement cups and saucers or mugs once more.

The handpainted blue and white six cup teapot is £15, the cup and saucer is £6 or a nifty two-in-one teapot and ceramic cup set is available for £15. For more fabulous Clipper designs, check out the Whittard website.

Antique style world map

Styled in the form of an antique world map, with its aged look, this piece thankfully won’t set you back an antique price to buy.

It’s a poster and it’s available from Play.com for only £3.99.

You could use it as it is, or pop it in a nice frame. Either way, it’s a bit of a bargain.

As far as measuring spoons go, these have got to be some of the cutest ones available.

The set of four spoons have all the essential qualities of a good measuring spoon – four differing sizes of spoon – but have the added advantage of also being delightfully charming too, with cute little birds perched on the top of the handles.

The bird measuring spoons are produced by Bombay Duck and you can buy the boxed set of four from Wysteria Lane, where they promise to lovingly wrap them in tissue paper and ribbon before posting it out to you.

Treat yourself, or buy them for a special gift.

Clever basket liner

This doesn’t look like much, but it’s quite a good idea. The white waffle basket lining, from The White Company, is designed to go inside baskets, so any odd bits of wicker or basket material don’t stick into the things you put inside the basket, such as clothes or toys.

It’s being sold as a liner for laundry or washing baskets, but you could use it for any basket that you feel could do with a lining.

The pure cotton waffle liner, which is designed to be snag-free, is suitable for a basket measuring up to 64cm by 35cm and is currently half price, at only £8, from The White Company.

If you like country, shabby chic and floral homeware styles, then you may well like the new Posy Gingham range of tableware and crockery, from M&S.

In shades of pink, red and blue, the products feature posies of flowers and gingham designs. There are lots of items available, so you could build up a matching set, or pick and mix with a few pieces.

The cup and saucer is £7.50 and the stoneware mugs are £19.50 for a set of four. View the whole Posy Gingham range here.

Vintage fabric pouf

Plumo have just launched their new Spring/Summer 2010 collection and we’ve fallen in love with this large patchwork pumpkin pouf.

Made in Denmark from a random selection of vintage velvet, floral and striped fabrics, the large pumpkin shaped pouf is ideal for use as an occasional seat, footstool or floor cushion.

The eclectic piece measures 70cm by 30cm and serves a practical purpose, as well as being great to look at. You can’t guarantee exactly which fabrics will have been used in each one, but that just adds to its charm.

The only slight downside is the price (£198, eek), so it looks like we’ll be saving up for a while. Go check it out for yourself at Plumo.

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Wallpaper is a great way of adding colour and design into a room. It doesn’t necessarily have to be used on every wall – having wallpaper on a single wall can prove to be a great statement and add extra interest without being overpowering. Plus, it’s less work to do and costs less!

We’ve noticed that Next have a few nice wallpapers in their current collection, including the Bloom floral design. Available in a choice of purple (which isn’t too purpley – it’s more plum) or teal, it lives up to its name by featuring big flower blooms.

The paper is sourced from renewable, sustainable forests and a roll of each wallpaper is £15 from Next.

For more wallpaper ideas, check out Fresh Design Blog.

Louis XV style chest

This Louis XV style chest is painted in a lovely duck egg blue hue, with a distressed finish, which helps give it a nice rustic look. We like the fact that the top is left as plain wood, which provides a good contrast.

The chest has a distinctive curved front, with three large drawers, and has black handles. It’s a very nice piece, which would fit in well with any rustic styled room, and it’s available from Rose & Grey.

A functional wall sticker

Wall stickers, or decals, have become terribly fashionable and are a great way of brightening up walls and adding points of interest, without having to do tons of messy decorating.

They come in all shapes, sizes and designs, but we rather like this coat tree wall sticker. Once you’ve applied it to the wall, why not buy some pegs or hooks and make the sticker functional, as an actual coat stand?

It’s fun and quirky and it will help tidy up your coats or clothes too!

The coat tree wall sticker is available from Beth Stevens.

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