Fur really is luxurious, especially for winter. While I wouldn't feel comfortable with real fur in my home, faux fur can give you the same decadent feeling, without harming any little beasties. Here's a round-up of some of the fake fur options for throws and blankets currently on offer to have you snuggling up over the winter months...
First up is Heal's who has a couple of options. There's this lovely silver, almost shimmering, rippled faux fur throw and cushion set (shown) starting at £100...
I love vintage patterns - especially when they're used in an interesting way. This glass wall clock by Karlsson has great contrasting patterns that looks like they're taken from vintage tiles or china. It's battery operated and has a 16 inch (41cm) diameter. Available from ASOS for £15.
Related: Shabby chic vintage-style clocks | Cheap & (shabby) chic mantel clocks | Lovely Things: Shabby Chic
It's great being able to buy from small, independent designer-manufacturers. Through little online shops, you'll often discover new things that aren't available anywhere else, like these retro coasters from Truly Ace by designer Amanda Vlahakis. They come as a boxed set of four for £8 and are available in a striped design or the fabulous rounded design shown which makes me think of watermelons. They're cork-backed and suitable for hot or cold drinks.
Related: Fabulous chairs by Aiveen Daly | Pink kitchen appliances | Store Discovery: Retro Decades
We've been featuring a lot of retro and cute stuff lately, so I wanted to break from that with something sleek and minimalist. Enter this square ceramic floor vase from Tesco Direct. At just a shade under £13 it's great value for a vase of 45 cms tall and is available in black only.
Into all things retro? Check out vintage-loving store Retro Decades. They stock a range of items from furniture and lighting, to clocks and art, and have a section labelled 'everything else' containing anything from a fabulously-shaped 'toot-a-loop' radio, to seriously vintage hand-held video games. Some of my favourite picks include the Arco style floor lamp (£175) which would look gorgeous on my landing, and the fab polished aluminium 1950s Launderette sign (£1745), which I think I'd struggle to get into my flat at all, given its seven-and-a-half foot length.
Related: Fabulous chairs by Aiveen Daly | Pink kitchen appliances | Ceramic hanging tealight holder
These substantial leather coasters from Roco Verre come in four colours: tan, chocolate brown, cherry red and black, so you can complement your decor or tableware. I really like the simple plain silver-coloured band and quality leather in a chunky but elegant design. They have a non-slip rubber base and they're ordered singly, so you can mix and match rather than having to go for a matched-colour set. They're £4.50 each from Contemporary Heaven.
Still Christmas shopping and need a few ideas for inexpensive gifts? Here's our gift guide to presents £10 and under...
Who can resist snuggling up with a hot water bottle on a chilly night? Especially when your bottle has its own woolly jumper! This rainbow-coloured, roll-neck hot water bottle cover comes with a standard size 750ml hot water bottle inside and costs just £9.
Ah Christmas shopping. It can be tricky finding an interesting gift without having to spend a lot of money, or a lot of time trawling websites and shops. And if you have a lot of people to buy for, the whole thing can really take it out of you. To give you a hand is our gift guide to lovely things for home and living, for £20 or less...
Not a sparkly, tinselly type? If you'd like to inject a bit of retro personality into your festive decor, these recycled vintage vinyl decorations might be just the ticket. Made by New York artist Jeff Davis, the records come ready to hang as a set of three for $18. Given that Christmas is looming large in the calendar, UK readers might need to buy with an eye to next year's decorative scheme. If you're in the US, take advantage of express shipping to have these in your hot little hands this week.
[via Retro to Go]
Laura Ashley has a range of offers on at the moment including up to 30% off on homewares, and three-for-two on a range of gifts and accessories. I love their casual dining tableware like this pretty lace-detailed tumbler at £4, available in pink and blue. The pink is currently sold out on the website, so if you think it's the perfect gift for someone (even if that someone is you!), pop into a store.
