Come Dine With Me

With so many special occasions getting closer and closer in our calendars, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Fireworks Nights, and dare I say it, Christmas, it’s more than likely that we’ll be booking in family visits, dinner parties with friends, and beginning to plan the holidays.

The next few months are really a time for bringing people together and spending time with loved ones you don’t often get to see. So in preparation for these upcoming soirées, we’ve assembled our absolute favourite pieces of tableware and accessories from the best collections to shower you with ideas for transforming your everyday table into a thing a beauty. Even if you’re not having guests over, indulge yourself and marvel over these items. You’ll be drooling over your table setting, not just at the food!

Firstly I’m paying homage to Thanksgiving with this American classic style plate set from Ralph Lauren.

The elegant feather trim makes me nostalgic for winter walks with the family and spotting a flustered pheasant shooting up from the nearby ditches. The pattern is lively enough to catch your eye without being so overwhelming that it distracts from the beautiful food about to be served onto it.

Sticking to the feather motif but taking a little more of a flashy turn, these feather napkin rings, from Not On The High Street are a real show-stopper. They take elements of traditional English heritage with a splash of fun quirkiness, to make a playful addition to a formal table.

For a table with a touch more allure and mystery, here are some elegant accessories to spice up a table and create the perfect ambience for an evening of glamour.

Set the mood with these beautiful neo-gothic style candlestick holders from The French House.

A few dotted on the dining table or the surrounding areas will help to transform your home, and once a few beads of candle wax work their way onto the holder the vintage style will really come alive.

Mixing both vintage and more contemporary accessories together on the dinner table will create a really beautiful effect. I love this water glass set from Rockett St George, they’ll work for both everyday use and for when you’re planning something more special. The beautiful smokey finish on the glasses creates an old Hollywood style allure.

An elegant table needs an elegant centrepiece, and this stained gold glass bottle, from An Angel At My Table, is an ideal candidate; just right for adding a few English roses, or flowers of your choice.

All these events may mean digging out some recipes for some delicious meaty dishes, therefore what better time to invest in a beautiful carving set. This charming 1950’s style carving set from Baileys Home are a perfect addition to any table regardless of style as they’ll work in perfectly with whatever cutlery you already own.

If you’re feeling a little more mischievous and playful and want your table to reflect this, there are hundreds of quirky, fun tableware items to choose from. Rockett St George is an excellent choice if you’re looking for something with an original flair. This whale tray set by Thomas Paul is a wonderful contemporary piece for a modern home and table. Handy for carrying drinks or condiments but also great as an innovative statement piece when left bare.

Another little gem from Rockett St George is this cactus margarita glass.

If you’re not one for wine and are planning on serving up some cocktails these are absolutely adorable, plus they’ll look just as good on display as well as in your hand!

If playing host becomes a little too stressful then sit back and relax with a cup of tea poured from this outrageously cute little elephant teapot from Anthropologie.

It’s so sweet you can’t help but smile, and even if it’s not your usual style it’ll be great as a little one-off piece amongst your other tableware items.

Last but not least are these festive harvest-style napkins from Anthropologie, they’ll refresh any table in an instant and are the perfect extra touch it make a Sunday lunch with the family just a little bit more special.

The next couple of months are full of happy events, and with your cupboards and tables stocked full of glorious new things there will be even more cause for celebration.

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A not very scary Halloween

I’ll admit that I am not a massive fan of Halloween. There is too much orange plastic in the shops for my liking and I’m fundamentally not good with fear. However, a little bit of dark side on the interiors front is something that I am delighted to embrace. So sit back and prepare yourself for a few interiors products that are very slightly, only just a little bit, verging on the tiny bit frightening.

I love these raven book ends from Abigail Ahern – a little bit menacing is exactly what is required to guard your favourite reads.

  

This lovely light has just a touch of the Harry Potter about it – I love the combination of the dusky grey and warm blue. This is also my Abigail Ahern and can be purchased at Debenhams.

Unashamedly without purpose, a delicate decoration that is lovely all the year round but just perfect for Halloween night. Josh Harker Skull at Rockett St George

Looking delightfully innocent until close up, then delicate layers of white moths appear before ones eyes. Exquisite and edgy – how can we resist?  Timorous Beasties White Moth wallpaper

Penhaligons fragrances are my guilty pleasure and their Elixir candle gives off such wonderful heady, exotic and vaguely religious scents that I feel both inspired and indulged at the same time. Perfect for driving the demons away – no?

Finally, I can’t help but include the beautiful House of Hackney midnight stripe tea service with its carnival of creatures and glorious gold edging. What’s frightening for me about this is that there is no way I am going to be able to resist a purchase.

Happy Halloween everybody!

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Decorating your home for Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner and the clocks going back this weekend, we thought we’d give you some fun ideas to light up your both your home and celebrate in style.

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website

We love this image from Southern Living Magazine showing what its possible to achieve with a little bit of imagination, a sharp kitchen knife, a sturdy spoon and some fallen leaves!

 Alternatively, the High Street has some really reasonably priced and fun accessories. 

 Spider Tea Light Holders from John Lewis are just £3 each and a row of them along a mantelpiece would look great. 

As would this Spiders Web Lantern Candle Holder, also from John Lewis and priced at £8.  Really effective on a windowsill from both inside and outside the house.

If you are concerned about young children and the fire hazard of candles then these charming little LED lights make a super alternative.

Marks & Spencer has a great range of both stylish and practical party tableware which, if you are hosting a Halloween party for your children  would make life just that little bit easier.

However, if you are hosting a more grown up event then we love this quirky and very reasonably priced bottle cooler idea, again from Southern Living Magazine for cooling these all important drinks!

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Don’t be scared by orange this Halloween

It’s nearly Halloween, but don’t be frightened, we’re here to help guide you through this aesthetically challenging holiday. If cobwebs, pumpkins and bats aren’t your thing (they’re not ours either) we show you how to add a seasonal shot of orange to your home without scaring yourself silly.

The simple trick with orange, as with all things, is moderation. This vase by Designers Guild shows you how to add the perfect little burst of seasonal colour; mixed in with the blues and pinks of the other accessories it’s bold but not too intimidating.

Better still, introduce it slowly as part of a pattern. This floral wallpaper uses a small percentage of orange mixed in with with all the other shades which adds a lovely fresh, contemporary feel to the design.

If you’re feeling brave, hot pink is a natural partner to orange, and combining really strong shades of each can create a lovely ‘Indian Summer’ feel to a room scheme. Go easy on how much you add though, you want to evoke a late summer glow with your accessories, rather than bonfire night.

Ok, so this isn’t strictly orange, but this beautiful copper light shade by Tom Dixon has a lovely warm glow when lit and due to its pumpkin shape it’s made it onto my halloween list –  it’s the perfect way to introduce a coppery orange tone to a minimal scheme.

And finally Zimmer and Rohde show how a little can go a long way when it comes to orange. This single orange silk cushion packs a powerful punch and more than holds its own in the image above; as an accent colour it’s perfect for cutting through dark shades and adding a zingy little burst of sunshine.

Happy Halloween!

Images: Designers Guild, Osborne and Little, Dreams of Home, Zimmer and Rohde

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