Lifestyle Buys
12 January 2012: I’m all about lovely things for the home right now, so here’s some ideas from The White Company:
Stoneware Heart Bowl, £20
Vintage Rose Quilt and Cushion, Was From £30 Now From £21
Four Seasons Scent Diffuser Collection, £30
Provence Lamp, £80
Nesting Laquer Trays, £65
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17 October 2011: Now that the weather is drawing in in the Northern Hemisphere, I’m obsessing about my interiors. I want stylish, I want chic, I want comfortable, so hurrah that Crate & Barrel now ships in the UK. Hurrah. Here’s a little cushion edit to start you off:
Holden Brown 23″ sq pillow, £95.02
Fiori Chartreuse 20″ sq pillow, £34.15
31 August 2011: Summer? What blooming summer? As we shiver in our rainswept London apartments, we’ve put together a selection of lovely Designers Guild rugs, all (happily) reduced in the sale.
Barcino Cinnamon Blanket, £40 reduced from £80
Battista Saffron Blanket, £72.50 reduced from £145
Bernadini Turquoise Blanket, £72.50 reduced from £145
Belvedere Noir Blanket, £57.50 reduced from £115
Lansburgh Fuchsia Blanket, £115
Bergius Wool & Cotton Mix Blanket, £115
Lansburgh Violet Blanket, £115
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17 June 2009: Ah, Harrods…Although the immediate impulse is to assume that everything in the store is gold-platedly expensive, actually there are some amazing bargains to be had in the summer sale. Here’s a few things that caught our eye:
Argento Four Slice Toaster, £39.95 reduced from £59.95
Ramekin Dish (Medium), £1.95 reduced from £3.95
Le Creuset Starter set, £299.00, reduced from £379.00
Arthur Price Pulse cutlery set, 60 piece, £129.00, reduced from £329.00
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09 June 2011: Here’s some stylish garden party accessories, and some wedding present suggestions further down from The White Company. And there is free UK delivery on all orders now. (International postage is charged at cost and is shown at checkout. Payment will be accepted in sterling only (£).)
Set of two small glass pots, £20.00
Set of three Portobello Dipping Bowls, £15.00
Handmade comport, small £25.00, large £45.00
Handmade glass cloche and plate, £55.00
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01 April 2011 Here’s some floral suggestions at various price points for late spring birthdays:
Marks & Spencer are offering free delivery if you order by Friday
Waitrose are offering free delivery, even on Sunday:
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26 March 2011: Laura Ashley do great lighting. (And there’s 25% off in their big sale online until Sunday).
Loving this Archer Gold Leaf Lamp with Black, gold lined, Shade £52.50 was £70.00 (save £17.50)
Suzanne Clear Crystal Lamp with Pink Shade £48.75 was £65.00 (save £16.25)
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25 March 2011: 10% off online orders for LLG readers at Habitat! That’s helpful on big ticket items like this rug:
Foliage rug £520
Ornate, hand knotted rug with damask pattern.
Code: XM1A
Customers can get 10% off full price items when using this code at Habitat.co.uk.
Valid until 31st March 2011
Terms and conditions: Promotional codes and offers cannot be used on sale items. Promotions apply to full priced items only, can be used once only and are not valid in conjunction with any other offer. Promotions exclude Habitat kitchens and flooring, great value products, our VIP collection, home delivery and gift vouchers/gift cards.. Products and promotions are subject to availability, delivery times and where applicable, production times. Habitat reserves the right to reject any application. All orders are subject to acceptance under Habitat’s full terms and conditions.This code can only be used online and IS NOT valid at any Habitat stores.
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I’m obsessed by desks and furniture in general right now. I came across this one on John Lewis’s site today which is oak, and an astoundingly good value £99. It would make quite a good side table too, I think.
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Completely in love with Liberty’s new textile collection.featuring collaborations between the Liberty Design Studio and a selection of up-and-coming and award-winning illustrators, including Quentin Blake and Emma Chichester Clarke.
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Not cheap, but ravishing — and if you consider you look at lampshades every day, the aggregated cost could, possibly, be justifed…this is the 100& natural silk Harlequin Marbree Shade in Natural. It comes in three sizes, ranging from £50 — £70.
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Avalanche roses and creamy white miniature gerberas, along with white carnations, lisianthus and eucalyptus are perfect for a spring bouquet from iFlorist:
If you like something simple, then these pretty roses are a special offer with £10 off and are just £24.90
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Here’s a suggestion for wedding gifts if you are based in the UK (or need to send a present in the UK). I was browsing through The White Company’s site when I found their amazing glass section, full of lovely bowls and decanters at a great price. They are exactly the kind of thing I love, and I think would make great wedding presents.
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I love the citrus-y scent of verveine, and The White Company have an entire range of verveine scented products. I particularly like their reed diffusers, as they just sit there giving off lovely scent for days without requiring a flame (& so no danger of burning your house down). Extremely good value, as they last for a really long time.
There are also some amazing deals on fragranced gift sets, that look a whole lot more expensive than they actually are.
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I desperately need new suitcases, and so I asked Twitter what they recommended. Interestingly, a strong & vocal majority plumped
for Marks & Spencer’s hard cased polycarbonate shell range of cases.
I want something that’s not black, so it stands out in the carousel, something not expensive so it doesn’t shriek ‘rob me’ to the baggage handlers and something hardwearing yet lightweight considering the amount of travelling & lugging of luggage I do unaccompanied.
So that is what I am buying — 2 x large, 1 x medium and the cabin case. So, for the first time in my life, I will actually have matching luggage. They come in red, navy, bright blue & silver: I’m going for silver.
Small: £49.50 Medium: £59 Large: £69
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There’s a certain breed of father who totes around the same battered overnight bag for years and years. Whilst vintage is good, there comes a point where all bags need replacing. For the father who likes hard working, traditional and beautifully designed pieces, I’m going to recommend Sandstorm Kenya.
This is the Sandstorm Large Weekender Bag in Canvas and Leather. It’s £165.00 and is available in Olive Green, Safari Tan and Urban Black.
Established in Nairobi making luxury tents for East Africa’s leading safari camps; Sandstorm Kenya went on to combine the same traditional skills and materials to create a ange of Mens luxury safari-grade luggage and accessories, followed by a women’s collection too.
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I’ve just bought Hardcourt Confidential: Tales from Twenty Years in the Pro Tennis Trenches
McEnroe is a former Grand Slam doubles champion and singles semifinalist. He is currently the U.S. Davis Cup captain, a tennis commentator for ESPN, and head of the United States Tennis Association’s player development program. And, of course, he’s John McEnroe’s brother.
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If your father — or your partner if you are buying on behalf of infants — has discovered the wonderful world of male grooming, then take a look at Timetospa.co.uk, the official Elemis online shopping site.
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My father loses wallets like I lose umbrellas, and I’m always looking for simple, not too expensive replacements. These leather wallets from Aspinal of London are particularly good. From £45+
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The Dyson Air Multiplier is currently on sale at Purelygadgets.co.uk for £179, reduced from £214. It’s a great fan for a family home, as it works very differently to conventional fans. By using Air Multiplier technology it creates a smooth powerful airflow with no unpleasant buffering. There’s no need for fast spinning blades, which means not only is the fan safer, it’s also very easy to clean.
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Even though it’s bloody cold today & I’m swaddled in cashmere, I like to think of Spring. I suggest drinking tea from this blissful Emma Bridgewater Daffodil 1/2 Pint Mug.
£15.95 from Emma Bridgewater & lots more lovely flowery mugs here
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May I recommend this ravishing Château chair from Graham & Greene? Not cheap at £638, but rather lovely…
Or maybe a pretty velvet sleep mask for a less steep £12.95?
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Ah lovely Smythson. I do like this Mothering Sunday card. (UK: April 03, 2011. US: May 08, 2011 — don’t forget!) Most cards out there are hideous, all shiny & splashed with to a great mum messages, so I think investing £9.50 on a chic die-stamped greeting card that could be left on a mantelpiece or notice board all year is rather splendid. And of course Smythson cards are always delicious to open as they come with super thick tissue-lined envelopes.
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This Cath Kidston gadget case makes rather a nice change from black nylon for holding a camera or i-phone. It has a super soft , non scratch lining and a slot for your memory card. 8 x 13 x 4cm. Just £8.
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I’ve always had a thing for satchels, and I love this leather Elsie satchel by Toast. It’s not super cheap at £325, but it’s made from strong, soft, supple vegetable dyed leather which, with time, will darken and generally age well. There’s a buckled strap closure, large, unlined main compartment with one zipped and two open internal pockets, one large external pocket at back, a handle & a long, adjustable, buckled shoulder strap.
Click through for lovely big pictures!
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Extremely messy but obsessive about storage, I like to have a place for everything. I particularly like these glass storage jars from The White Company for storing cotton wool:
Small: £16 & Medium £20
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