It’s the weekend and, whatever the weather, there’s no better way of relaxing than seeking a secluded spot outdoors.
Read more →It’s the weekend and, whatever the weather, there’s no better way of relaxing than seeking a secluded spot outdoors.
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Every so often, a shop comes along where you, literally, want to buy everything in it. This is exactly what happened when we discovered Plum & Ashby. Launched by Vicky White (above, with her beloved dog Bertie who has been the inspiration for many of her designs) after eight years of working in the frenetic world of fashion, it sells classic country furniture and accessories with a contemporary edge.
Add an element of fun to work with a playfully decorated home office. Here, shades of aqua, lemon yellow and tangerine make for a stimulating work space, while adding white has a calming effect, preventing the look from becoming overpowering. Opting for a versatile modular storage system, which can be added to or rearranged as your needs change, is always a good investment.
Anthropologie’s new collection homewares are perfect for spending sunny evenings lazing in the garden.
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Dedicated to design-led interiors, Makers is the only contemporary craft exhibition in the North and it’s one to visit if you are seeking out unusual pieces.
Head here to find imaginative furniture, like this Beating Wings coffee table by David Tragen, as well as textiles, ceramics, lighting and glassware. Meet the makers from 15th-25th May, noon-5pm, Cube Gallery, 113-115 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 6DW. Free entry.
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An impressive number of plants have been launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show over the last 100 years, so it’s no mean feat to distil that list down to just ten, choosing one plant to represent each of the last ten decades. That is what a panel of distinguished horticulturalists, including Roy Lancaster, Carol Klein, Rachel de Thame and RHS historian Dr Brent Elliott, has done so that you, the public, can help celebrate the eponymous flower show’s 100th birthday by deciding which of the ten plants should be voted the Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Centenary.
To find out which plants have been nominated, and to learn more about them before you vote, either visit stand GPG5 inside the Great Pavilion during the Show, or click here to do it all online. The winner will be announced on the RHS website, and at the show, on Saturday 25th May 2013.
CHELSEA STALWARTS
Prepping for a show as big as Chelsea is always a high-pressure exercise, but for three of this year’s exhibitors, there’s an additional incentive to be the best of the best in 2013.
Of the 244 companies that exhibited at the very first Chelsea Flower Show in 1913, McBean’s Orchids, Blackmore & Langdon’s and Kelways are the only three to have taken part in every single show since then.
GARDEN GNOME 2
First there was the exciting news that 150 Seedling garden gnomes would be making a special appearance at this year’s Chelsea – a first in 99 years. Now we learn that a rather smaller interpretation of this hitherto uninvited guest is to be given the singular honour of being dressed as a Chelsea Pensioner, and then cast as a good luck charm in sterling silver by British jewellery designer Sarah Fenton, of Scarlett Jewellery. No pictures as yet but clearly this is no longer a common or garden gnome.
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These hand drawn designs, which are available from next week, have been created for the National Railway Museum by Michelle Mason, and take their inspiration from the Railway Museum’s travel posters of the 1950′s and 60′s.
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This striking, masculine space by Lucia Caballero offers sculptural beauty in the form of the composite stone egg-shaped bath. A curved feature wall clad in Le Gemme mosaics from Bisazza accentuates the bath’s shape and makes a bold statement, while Arabescato Vagli marble on the remaining walls and floor add further drama.
Read more →Fresh in to The Conran Shop is a collection of super light geometric tables and shelves by designer Ron Gilad, which ticks all our boxes (excuse the pun) for modern, simple forms. ‘Play’ is the key word for Gilad, whose work always sits between the abstract and the functional, and these pieces manage to be both seriously pared back and delightfully light-hearted at the same time.
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It’s anyone’s guess whether it will be rain or shine this weekend, but we’re looking on the bright side with a recipe that works whatever the weather…


Juliet Thornback and Delia Peel began collaborating in 2003 with a range of hand-printed clutch bags. Four years later, Thornback & Peel was born and quickly became known for its intricate screen-printed pieces. Featuring whimsical designs inspired by the natural world and 19th-century wood engravings, its collection of napkins, lamp shades, tea towels and cards now has a cult following. As well as working with several brands and retailers, including The Conran Shop, the pair have their own online shop as well as a store in Bloomsbury, London, which opened last year.