The Object: Meg plate
Donna Wilson’s weird, woolly creatures are not to every child’s taste, but her stuff for grown-ups always raises a smile. New for 2010 is the Summer Tea Party collection. The House Tea Cosy, Use My Beehive teatowel and Birds Nest Soup tray are just some of the cutely monikered accessories in the range, but our favourite is this bone china Meg plate, £20. It’s hand-made and printed in Stoke-on-Trent, where Donna does her bit to keep the Potteries’ flag flying (donnawilson.com).
The bargain: Patchwork Puffs
These lovely little Patchwork Puffs, by Danish design company Rice, are snapped up the minute they arrive in store, and no wonder. Quite the cutest of small seating options, and just about perfect for a child’s room, they cost £32.99 from quirky children’s boutique Olive Loves Alfie (olivelovesalfie.co.uk).
Trade Secret: handpicked (handpickedcollection.com)
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What’s that? Remember the Innovations catalogues? Well, handpicked is rather like that, but instead of weird, ugly stuff that no one would admit to wanting, handpicked is filled with gorgeous, covetable items for the house and garden. A panel of trendsetters and lifestyle experts has vetted everything.
Such as? These coloured Kuhn Rikon knives, £5.95, which have been created using a new method that bonds colour to the blade without affecting its sharpness.
Outside Edge
Rocking deckchair, £65, Graham & Green (grahamandgreen.co.uk).
Kitchen Kit: Shell digital scales
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Sleek, compact, practical and versatile – what more could you want from a set of scales? This Shell design, from £45, by Joseph Joseph, has a lid that doubles as a measuring bowl. As well as an easy-to-read digital display and simple controls, there’s an “add and weigh” function that allows multiple ingredients to be weighed in the same bowl (josephjoseph.com).