Cutting it

Looking for more worktop space in your kitchen? The John Boos Brooklyn Butcher’s Block is a quick, easy and stylish solution. The 13cm-thick slab of solid American maple has an oiled finish to protect it from wear. The trolley measures 76cm x 61cm x 89cm, and has stainless-steel legs and clean, simple lines to complement contemporary kitchens. There is an integrated storage shelf and a towel rail.

£950, from Silvernutmeg.com; 01254 820478, www.silvernutmeg.com

Blow the budget

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• Inner vision

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Collected works

In his Sardinian home, fashion designer Antonio Marras likes to surround himself with more than a few of his favourite things

BACKGROUND

• Inner vision - out of the blue

• Inner vision - blow the budget

• Inner vision - cheap and chic

• Inner vision

For those of you who dream of adding a temperature-controlled wine room to your home but don’t have the space to build, Spiral Cellars has the answer. The Sussex-based company excavates to create a concrete cellar system capable of holding up to 1,600 bottles in optimum storage conditions. The system uses the surrounding earth as insulation and has an air-flow system that means no power is required to maintain the temperature. Choose either the Mini or the fully fledged Spiral version; both come in several depths.

Prices for a 2-metre deep Spiral Cellar start at £18,500, from Spiral Cellars; 0845 241 2768, www.spiralcellars.com

Out of the blue

When Josiah Wedgwood designed the iconic Jasperware range in the 1770s, he considered it his greatest achievement. Wedgwood has now added contemporary new designs, including vases, frames and votives, available in chocolate, taupe and turquoise as well as the company’s trademark pale blue.

Teapot, £75, from Wedgwood; 01782 223301, www.wedgwood.com

Back to basics

These affordable reproduction cast-iron radiators will add a dash of French polish to your home. Each is hand-cast from original designs, with special attention given to the detailing.

The Parisienne, £35 per section; the Lyons, £28 per section; the Marseilles, £28 per section; from The 21st Century Radiator Company; 01767 627500, www.21stcenturyradiators.com

Cheap’n’chic

Just outside the Hampshire market town of Stockbridge is Orchid’s 200-year-old, 3,500 sq ft barn, packed to the rafters with Oriental furniture and accessories. It stocks a range of pieces made in Indonesia from reclaimed teak, as well as carefully selected antiques from China. The company also has a store in London.

Lantern with glass candle holder (right), £30; Chinese antique wedding basket made from cypress, £42; from Orchid; 01264 811111, www. orchidfurniture.co.uk

Soft landing

The fabric company Malabar specialises in vibrant textiles made by traditional methods in India. Its latest fabric, Taishan, is an ecofriendly velvet, made from a mix of cotton, grown without the use of pesticides, and bamboo, whose green credentials are making it the material of the moment. It comes in 35 rich colours, perfect for curtains and cushions.

£37.50 per metre, from Malabar; 020 7501 4200, www.malabar.co.uk

If you buy onlyone thing...

... make it a traditional American patchwork quilt. Treasured Quilts has a huge collection of vintage and antique designs, full of character and homespun charm. The website gives the age of each item – some date back to the late 19th century – origin, type and condition.

From about £60-£160, from Treasured Quilts; 01962 861907, www.treasuredquilts.co.uk

designcounsel@sunday-times.co.uk

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