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Decorative Objects
Whether it’s vases or plant pots, candlesticks or pretty things to display on your shelves, there should be plenty to delight you here.
Hand-Painted Striped Stoneware VaseJohn LewisYou may have seen it mentioned but stripes are in. Now this design is also a classic that’s having a fashion moment, so don’t panic – you can opt in or out depending on how you feel. If you want to nod to a passing idea then small items like vases or mugs always work well. In addition, this can always become a Christmas decoration item if you go off it. Or use it to jazz up a plain corner and fill it with tumbling pink peonies and hydrangeas in season.
Kombu MirrorLa RedouteLarge mirrors can be fiendishly expensive, so La Redoute is always a good site to start on – and at 80cm tall this counts as large. It’s also 40cm wide, so would work well over a bathroom basin for example. It’s super plain but the (faux) leather loop is a detail that elevates.
Love is the Drug Trinket TrayBella FreudThere is a lot of bad (and lazy) typography about and no I will not keep calm and carry on when it comes to this subject. However, when it’s done well (and Bella Freud does it well), it’s great. Her distinctive font and phrases make her ceramics collectible – whether it’s this pink trinket tray or the green Fairy Tale of New York version. Great presents for yourself or for others at any time of year.
Gleaming Primrose MirrorAnthropologieMirrors are horribly expensive, but if you get a good one you will, barring accidents, keep it and use it for years. I have a huge gold-framed one that is currently in its fourth home – and if you think of the large ones as furniture rather than accessories, it helps lessen the financial pain a little. This tall one will work brilliantly propped up against the wall (not literally – fix a holding hook) in the hall to bounce light around, as well as in a bedroom or bathroom. Get it in black or gold, not white – that doesn’t work as well.
Winnie Wall Candle Holder Rowen & WrenMade from solid brass with a barley twist, this candle holder would look gorgeous as a pair over a mantelpiece even you are, like me, too much of a catastrophist to ever actually light the flame. Would also bring a romantic glow to a dining area, whether that’s in a separate room or just to hide the washing up in a more open-plan space.
Raga Ragged Wicker BasketLa RedouteBuy these at once or whenever you spot them on sale. I use them in my wardrobe shelves as “drawers” and have amassed around ten of them. When full price they are £95 but they are often discounted, although they do sell out fast. Also brilliant for laundry, kids’ toys, towel storage and pretty much anything you can think of.
Textured Standing PlantersCox & CoxEvery room should have something metallic to bounce the light around in dark corners and add a sense of luxury to the space. These are made from aluminium.
Metal Watering Can H&M HOMEYou can’t move for articles telling you how important house plants are to your wellbeing these days. But it’s very hard to find a pretty watering can that won’t break the bank. Here you are. Comes in black, gold or silver. Costs 25 quid.
Jacobson Solid Walnut ShelfLa RedouteThis is for everyone who looks at beautifully shot and styled image of shelves in interiors magazines only to realise that each shelf is £500 and that’s before you’ve bought anything to put on it. You could also buy your own timber and brackets and stain it, which is cheaper – but this has a rather elegant wing shape which is hard to DIY.
Chara Hammered BottlenkukuMade from clear glass and antique brass, these will look pretty on a shelf in a group, even if there’s nothing in them. Styling tip: vary heights and sizes and stick to odd numbers for best effect.
