Lovely Things

Peacock wreath and ornaments at La Redoute

I've been seeing a lot of bird, and particularly peacock-themed Christmas decorations this year - it seems our love affair with these glorious birds and their dazzling colours is nowhere near over. My favourites so far are these beautiful peacock tree decorations from La Redoute. They're made with velvet and embellished with beads and real peacock feathers and are two for £9.

You can start your peacock theme right at your door with this unusual wreath also from La Redoute. It's velvet-backed and detailed with beads, sequins and real feathers, finished with blue ribbon and costs £17. Both items are included in the current 'buy three, get cheapest free' offer.

Zara Home Autumn/Winter 2008/2009

We wanted to show you some of the great looks from the Zara Home Autumn/Winter 2008/09 catalogue as I know Lovely Things readers are always keen to see what's new and to get some great decorating ideas for your own homes.

There's a fresher feeling this season than you'd often expect for A/W looks which is really modern and autumnal, in opposition to the 'cuddly' feel we often see for winter. The setting in a huge warehouse space is luscious (makes me want to live without walls!), with an open, airy feel for some shots, and a tucked-away secret delight with others.

As always, Zara gives us a variety of options in their look book, from eclectic colour and retro-modern to a touch of chinoiserie and traditional romance. As is my favourite thing about this time of year, we see delicious colours with deep jewel tones, plus some fresher palettes such as light blue with tan and neutrals.

Continue reading below for more images from the gorgeous Zara Home A/W catalogue...

London Design Festival 2008

The London Design Festival started last weekend and runs until 23rd September and gives you a great opportunity to indulge yourself with gorgeous design and explore new approaches to products and interiors. The festival shines a light on the creativity and great design talent found in London and beyond via hundreds of events in its extensive programme.

This year we'll be at one of the flagship events, 100% Design - one of the UK's foremost contemporary interiors events. We'll also be visiting Tent London. The exhibition features a range of different design disciplines that incorporates Circa a big vintage design show and the event's heart: Content which allows up-and-coming and established contemporary designers an opportunity to showcase their products. Both events run from the 18th - 21st September and 100% Design is at Earl's Court, with Tent London at the Truman Brewery.

Lovely Things reader poll: When should we start covering Christmas?

It's always a tricky one where Christmas and the holiday season is concerned. I don't like to start writing about it too early, but I know some of you get organised months in advance, especially when it comes to decorating and securing the best tree ornaments. Given that we're already starting to see readers visiting Lovely Things via search terms that bring up our previous Christmas articles (like the ever-popular blue Christmas decorations feature from two years ago), I thought it best to ask you for your opinions using a simple reader poll. So please give us your honest opinions, and feel free to leave additional comments too.

Wallpaper-style chinoiserie tiles from Fired Earth

Want a pretty wallpaper effect for your bathroom or kitchen? Take a look at Fired Earth's lovely handmade and hand decorated chinoiserie style tiles from tile maker Alice Gibbons and decorative artist Adam Calkin. Dragonfly, butterfly, bird, foliage and floral tiles are ordered individually or in small sets and can be combined to form panels of 4-36 tiles, which together create the full 72-tile decorative panel. The best bit? As this series is the Fired Earth product of the month for August, the tiles are currently 15% off. Prices range from £20.75 for the insect tiles, to £335 for the 12-tile panels.

Reader question: Turquoise 'Elizabeth' wallpaper

Our pieces on wallpaper from Next generated quite a bit of interest, but some of the patterns we've featured are no longer available on the Next website and enthusiastic home decorators are still clamouring for them. Reader Nimi asks: "I want to order the turquoise/brown elizabeth. How do I do so?"

While this wallpaper (shown above on the left) is no longer on the Next site, you can still order it online. The best prices I've found are £15.99 a roll at wallpaperandborders.co.uk and £12.99 a roll on ebay.co.uk. Best of luck with your decorating project Nimi.

Spring/Summer 2008 at Zara Home

Spring has arrived at Zara Home and we're seeing a Moroccan theme for many of the looks in the Spring/Summer 2008 catalogue.

For summer there's lots of colour and pattern, but with a cool rather than cosy feel. Like previous collections, there's strong white furniture groupings alongside the colour splashes, and again, a lovely opulent edge, despite the High St price tags. There's lots here with the slight vintage-ness that Zara Home does so well, but keep your eyes peeled for more modern items, with a touch of retro style.

Visit Lovely Things again next week to check out our picks from the spring collection and the fresh green-themed Zara Home outdoor dining looks. Click below now to view more colourful Moroccan S/S 2008 looks from the catalogue...

Zara Home to sell online from October 2007

I know this news will make Lovely Things readers extremely happy, Zara Home recently announced plans to open an online store next month. Woo hoo!

Around 2000 products from the current line will be available in 13 European countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

More news as we have it...

Colour and pattern - Next wallpaper

Sumptuous, vintage-style wallpaper is still really popular and there are some well-priced options available at Next. Several of the styles we featured last year are still available, and they've expanded their range into new colours and patterns and upped the price point slightly. Above is 'Elizabeth' in turquoise (£17), also available in bronze/brown, and 'Midsummer' in black (£17). More Next wallpaper via the link below...

Daily Telegraph House & Garden Fair 2007

Coming up at the end of June is this year's Daily Telegraph House & Garden Fair. Attractions include the 'Clouds of Scent' concept garden by designer Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, featuring a series of giant floating shapes hanging from the ceiling, workshops on interior colour schemes, lighting and gardens run by the KLC School of Design, plus a spotlight on contemporary young British designers and their work as part of the ISOS Collection. I'm impressed by the promo motif design they've gone with this year - half flower, half lamp ('Supernova' by Ferruccio Laviani for Foscarini). Gorgeous! See the show at London Olympia from 27th - 30th June and book tickets through the site.