Lovely Things

Vintage Hovis tins from Pedlars back in stock

They've been really popular and keep selling out, but Pedlars announced on friday that they've just had another, final shipment of original Hovis bread tins. The tins were taken from the Hovis factory around the 1960s and are now available to you vintage fans to recycle for use in your own bread making, as planters, storage or whatever you like. Small tins are 18cm x 9cm x 12cm and you can grab yourself a slice (ho ho) of history at £19.50.

Creative storage ideas from A Place For Everything + discount code

Spring is here and that often means time to clean, sort and get to grips with the 'stuff' we tend to accumulate over the course of the year. If you're anything like me, throwing open the blinds to take advantage of the extra light illuminates the piles of paperwork, books and other things not really sorted out properly over the last few months.

So begins the sifting and rehoming, shredding and tidying. The process reminds me that I'm not particularly creative with my storage and I'm sure I can make it work harder for me. Also, that it'd be nice to have storage options that are attractive to look at, as well as capable of swallowing up all the things I really do want or need to keep.

Enter these lovely options from the suitably-named storage specialists, A Place For Everything. I don't have any vinyl, but am pondering some other items that would work with these handmade birch LP storage boxes (above right) from Finnish designer Harri Koskinen. At £149 each, they're not cheap, but they are a beautiful way to store your music.

Click below for more and the discount code...

Pure silk floral print cushion 40% off at M&S

Well the countdown to Christmas has really begun, and it's time to grab those credit crunch bargains as presents for friends and fmaily, or perhaps just a gift for yourself. This lovely pure silk cushion from Marks and Spencer was £25, but is currently discounted by 40% so is just £15 at the checkout, which is a really fab price for 100% silk. It's available in blue and in the honey colour shown here.

Midcentury Modern show - Sun 16th nov 2008

It's Midcentury.Modern time again! That means a glorious day spent noodling around some of the best of  retro furniture and homeware. The show features mostly vintage pieces, but there are new items inspired by the period available too from a range of up-and-coming designers.

The show's this Sunday 16th November 2008 from 10am-4pm at Dulwich College, London SE21, with general admission costing £6 and early entry to trade from 9am (£8).

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.

Mid-season sale at Laura Ashley

There are so many sale seasons these days that I feel like it's rare to see anything at full price (except the things you've been eyeing up for ages of course, those things never seem to get reduced).

Laura Ashley's mid-season sale runs until 2nd November, with reductions of 20-50% on a range of homeware products so you still have a bit more time to grab some bargains from the emporium of shabby chic and vintage style.

Shown above (clockwise from top left): red striped ceramic biscuit jar £10.80 (was £15), medium pink etched storage jar £9.36 (was £13), 'Windsor' mantel clock £15.75 (was £35), set of two flocked storage boxes £18 (was £25), art deco style mirrored jewellery box £14.40 (was £20), red champagne glass £3.50 (was £7).

Marks & Spencer 3 for 2 on Christmas gift wrap

Marks & Spencer have some pretty wrapping paper and tags for Christmas, and they're currently part of a 3 for 2 offer, so you can stock up early in anticipation of all those late nights sat up wrapping gifts (what? You mean you don't love that part?).

Shown here is gold damask wrap which has a lovely traditional look with a pretty feather design. I also really like the vintagey 'brown paper' style background. For more, continue reading by clicking below...

Blog Action Day 2008: RugMark working against illegal child labour

Today Lovely Things is supporting Blog Action Day 2008 by writing about this year's chosen theme of poverty in the context of our homes and interiors focus. (If you're a blogger and would also like to get involved in Blog Action Day today, visit their site.)

Ensuring the products we buy are fairly-traded and made by people working in appropriate conditions can be difficult at times - retailers often aren't able to tell us much about where the product came from and who made it. That's why organisations like the RugMark Foundation help us as consumers to make better choices when we come to parting with our cash for home accessories.

RugMark is an international campaign dedicated to stamping out illegal and exploitative child labour in carpet and rug weaving factories in South Asia. Nearly 300,000 South Asian children, driven by poverty or kidnapped and sold into slavery, are being exploited in the handmade carpet industry. Kids as young as four are made to work in dangerous conditions in factories or loom sheds and can be further trafficked into the sex industry.

Since 1995 RugMark has worked to free 3000 children from this exploitation and runs accommodation, rehabilitation and education programmes to offer these children new opportunities in their lives. The organisation is funded by RugMark-certified rug sales and donations so it can make a real difference in the lives of children who've been forced to make a living in shocking conditions.

When you buy an imported rug, look for the certified and numbered RugMark label on the back. Not only does this number ensure no children were exploited in the manufacture of the rug and that the label is genuine, you can also trace the origin of your rug to learn about the area, craft process and the programmes in weaving communities that your purchase will support.

Visit the international RugMark site, RugMark UK, or find your country's RugMark site to read more about campaigns and programmes and for a list of retailers stocking Rugmark products.

Image shown is of a RugMark certified rug made in India. 'Quintessence' features a peacock feather design and is available from Wovenground in black or cream (shown), and starts at £256 for a 120 x 180cm pure wool handtufted rug. [21/10/08 This has been edited as it came to our attention that the previously featured rug was not certified by RugMark].

The holiday season & Christmas is coming...

Well, Lovely Things readers have spoken! The results of our poll on when we should start writing about Christmas are in, and the winning option, with 40% of the vote is...October. So, get ready for a range of pieces with holiday season themes: baubles and tree decorations, wreaths, decorating and our famous gift guides (including last-minute gift ideas, gifts under £10 and gifts under £20).

So to whet your appetite to begin with, take a look at the Heal's Christmas Gift Ideas brochure with a range of gifts and a few decorations we'll be seeing on the site soon.

(Pictured is the very Christmassy reindeer cake stand from Next in red and white porcelain, £10. Damn I want a mince pie now!)

Heal's warehouse sale - one day only

Yes, Heal's is at it again with another warehouse sale with up to 70% off. It's one day only, and that day is this Saturday 11th October 2008.

The lovely Suzy from Heal's has let us know that the sale will feature ex-display and damaged furniture with only small numbers of each item available. While we can't tell you exactly what they'll have, she's said the sale will include mattresses, beds & four posters beds, upholstered chairs, sofas, sideboards and shelving units, dining room tables, dining room chairs, coffee tables, console tables, side tables, outdoor furniture and parasols.

There'll be some designer items and some things that are exclusive to Heal's and as it's 'first come, first served' it's best to get there early (the last sale had around 100 people queuing outside before opening!). The sale runs from 10am - 4pm at the Heal's Distribution Centre in Edmonton, London N9 and if you're carless or buying large items they've arranged a delivery company to be available on the day to help you get your purchases home (payment in cash only for delivery).

Coloured and metallic tea light candle holders

I'm often asked where one can buy the pretty coloured metallic tea light candle holders we featured back in 2006, as they're no longer available from Heal's. Sadly I've not been able to find exactly the same set again, but I've done some digging and come up with a range of alternatives for those of you who love the look.

Pictured here are coloured 'cupcake' tea light holders from lovely store Rockett St George. They come in a set of four and cost £9.99. You can also buy a very similar set of six for £12.95 from Amazon or blendboutique.

Continue reading below for more brightly-coloured metallic candle holders...

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...

Flock cushion bargains at Dwell

If you're a fan of flock on a budget, look no further than these cushions that are on sale at Dwell. Pictured is the flock damask cushion in sapphire blue with black flock at £5.95 for the small (a not so teeny 43cm x 43cm), and £9.95 for the large (56cm x 56cm). Also available is the taupe version with the small for £7.95 and large for £9.95. Happy flocking!

Kenzo homewares sale at Brand Alley

Oh dear, this is dangerous! There's some lovely Kenzo porcelain tableware and glassware with great discounts at Brand Alley today until the 25th (all Brand Alley sales are limited time only, so you've got to get in quickly). Shown here are plates from the Tao Garden (left) and Azyade collections, reduced to 19.50 and 16.50 respectively for two plates, down from £47, which I'm sure you'll agree is a pretty big price cut.

I was going to include more images here, but everything's so pretty that I'll end up showing you every single piece, so just get over there and check it out for yourself. Make sure you take a look at the coloured stemware (especially the romantic Bangalore cocktail glasses at £20 for two) and there's some lovely colourful floral plates for you shabby chic fans.

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.

Up to 20% off everything at Debenhams

Debenhams is running a mini sale starting today and ending on Friday 12th, offering up to 20% off almost everything in the store and online at debenhams.com. Shown here is the olive smoke glass candle holder from Star by Julien Macdonald - was £30, now £24, and the green embroidered leaf cushion - was £20, now £16.

Soil Association's Organic Fortnight 6-21 September 2008

This weekend sees the launch of the Soil Association's Organic Fortnight, a celebration of all things organic in the UK from 6th-21st September. There's a whole host of events running all over the place focusing on food and drink, beauty and textiles. To find out what's on, or to host your own event, visit the Soil Association website. To celebrate this great event, read on to take a look at some lovely organic bedding for your home (the gorgeous image above is from Dorma - more details via the link below).

Affordable Art Fair - Autumn Collection 2008, London

If you're interested in original art on a budget, you'll be pleased to hear the time for the Autumn Collection of the Affordable Art Fair is rolling around. The biannual event showcasing art under £3000 can be a great opportunity to try and nab a bargain piece from a favourite artist, or discover something new. Pictured is 'Dans le Bois' (click link for larger image), by Seng Soun Ratanavanh - a lovely take on the Little Red Riding Hood story in greys with bright splashes of the eponymous red. It's Chinese ink and acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100cm and available at the fair for £2150, from Enviedart. The Affordable Art Fair - Autumn Collection takes place from 23rd-26th October 2008 at Battersea Park, London, with a private view on the 22nd.

Retro breeze: fans from John Lewis

Even on not particularly hot days, sometimes you need to get the air moving a little bit for comfort. This retro-style desk fan in cream has caught my eye and offers three speed settings for your perfect cooling breeze. It's 36 x 25cms, comes with a three-year guarantee and is also available in red, chrome and black. £45 from John Lewis.