Form in a tea cup

This classic Storia tea service, by the Danish ceramics firm Kahler, was originally produced in the 1930s, but the design, with its distinctive spiral handles, is timeless.

Sugar bowl (H57mm x W131mm), £22, teacup and saucer (H75mm x W162mm), £24, from 95% Danish; 0800 085 9054, www.95percentdanish.co.uk

Cheap’n’chic

Give your bathroom a seductive boudoir feel with a group of these ceramic scented candle pots. The lids snuff the candles out and prevent dust and water creeping in when not in use.

Moroccan Musk ceramic scented candle pots, £2, from Woolworths; 01706 862789, www.woolworths.co.uk

Style squared

Wall tiles, but not as you’ve seen them before. Inspired by pop art, this floral pattern by Bisazza, the noted Italian design studio, is bright, fun and stylish: the natural sheen of clear glass enhances the playful pattern, and the pearly sheen of the gloss tiles gives a lustrous texture.

Glass Flowers mosaic tiles, in green, blue-green or pink, £1,162 per module (291.2cm x 129.4cm), excluding installation, from Bisazza; 020 7584 8837, www.bisazza.com

Cool water

The open spot of this surface-mounted tap creates a cascading waterfall effect when running. Simple and beautiful.

Love Me Basin Monobloc by Crosswater, £223.18, from Inspirations Bathrooms; 0845 262 4677, www.inspirationsbathrooms.com

Take it literally

Don’t you love products that do exactly what they promise to? These bookends are the perfect way to support your favourite tomes when you don’t have a wall to lean them against. Slip the metal stand under the books to keep them upright.

Bookends (H22cm x W10cm x D21cm), £17.50 for a pair, from Dutch by Design; 0844 884 2340, www.dutchbydesign.com

Eco chic

Made from recycled jelly moulds, these lights are a great (and green) way to add personality to a room, and look equally good used singly or grouped. The flex is covered in silk, rather than rubber, and they take a 40-watt bulb.

Pendant jelly lights, £45 each, from Re; 01434 634567, www.re-foundobjects.com

Back to basics

The French-inspired look is usually expensive, but it has finally been made available to the masses, thanks to the Rochelle bedroom collection by Next. In solid ash and ash veneer, its wood-grain finish gives a contemporary edge to a classic style. As well as this chest, the range includes a double bed, a dressing table, a stool, a bedside cabinet and a wardrobe.

Rochelle chest of drawers (H100cm x W90cm x D47cm), £449, from Next; 0844 844 8333, www.next.co.uk

Designer China

Janice Tchalenko, one of Britain’s most renowned ceramists, has come up with a tableware range that is both versatile and glamorous. The hand-decorated floral design is given added depth by her signature glaze technique. There are plates, bowls, platters, jugs and mugs, in two colourways: dark blue (pictured) and light blue.

Large oval bowl, £49, large jug, £25, platter, £35, and oval plate, £15, all by Janice Tchalenko for John Lewis; 0845 604 9049, www.johnlewis.com

Blow the budget

This desk takes a classic utilitarian design – the humble trestle – and gives it a stylish contemporary twist. The legs are chrome, and the top is made from 18mm toughened glass.

A-Frame desk (H75cm x W180cm x D90cm), £1,695, from Andrew Martin; 020 7225 5100, www.andrewmartin.co.uk

If you buy only one thing...

Here’s a truly ingenious bit of kitchen kit. Shred your carrots (or whatever) on this polished stainless-steel grating bucket and they collect inside, instead of all over the worktop. Why didn’t someone think of it before?

Eva Solo grating bucket, £24.50, from Amaroni; 01205 260384, www.amaroni.com

designcounsel@sunday-times.co.uk

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