Alongside lots of classic furniture Pure Design Classics also do reprinted 1950s-style fabrics and wallpapers. This Tiki fabric (£47 a yard) reminds me of my Auntie Connie.

Posted by Ros

There's now scarcely a fashion retailer who hasn't ventured into the interiors market. Cheapo fashion superstore Matalan has joined the fray with some refreshingly interesting (and cheap) homeware. Large items of furniture like this tub chair and footstool set (just £99) are only available in selected stores so check before you set off with a pick-up truck.

Posted by Ros

Is it a work of art? A room divider? A curtain? It can be anything you want. Designed by the Bouroullec brothers and produced by Panton-chair manufacturer Vitra this DIY structure is made out of clip-together plastic seaweedy units. The cheapest online source I can find is Pure Design Classics who do 6 pieces for £15 or 50 for £60 in white, black, green or red. You need 25 per square metre.

Posted by Ros

I've only recently become a bit of a Monsoon shopper and have yet to make it beyond their clothing sections. If you're thinking of making your bedroom a bit cosier for Autumn, then this pale blue embroidered Kimono throw for £150 will certainly add a touch of delicate comfort.

This £8 picture frame adds an elegant final touch. Now all I need is a cup of tea and a copy of Wuthering Heights.

Posted by Carole

Now this is the medicine cabinet I wanted, not the clear plastic ( but cheaper) one, which I eventualy bought. This Heals piece of pharmacy chic costs £45 and would have given me a lot of pleasure as I rummage for the Calpol. My plastic one is starting to crack a little....

Posted by Carole

Mark out any day beween the 21st and 24th September as 'Cannot be Missed'. If there is only one housey event you can go to this year, then go to one of the 100% Design shows. Do not try and squeeze it in between work and shopping - big mistake. Instead book an afternoon off, phone a friend who will enjoy sipping wine and gawping at lots of beautiful and well crafted, some affordable, some not so - design. I will be the one drooling as you pass me by.

Posted by Carole

I spend a lot of time scraping up peas and sweetcorn that Erin has joyously hurled onto the floor. So I need this pea plate as it has lots of clever little numbered pea holes, which you can flick your peas into and score. Erin gets a game and I get less crap on the floor - a winner all-round. It's annoying that I can't find a price on the Soop Group website, but they do have a list of stockists and will be at 100% Design.

Posted by Carole

I find myself growing into John Lewis stores as I get older. I can spend ages in the basement (kids permitting) looking at all the wonderful kitchen gadgets I will never use. Now I will get on that escalator and finally make it to the other levels to see if this locker style bedside table is as good as it looks. Costs £80 and is part of a vibrant blue and red Akrobat range of 'young peoples' furniture - still feel that could be me!

Posted by Carole

Don't fall down because they have a solid base and design. Bebble Footstools are the creation of Stephen Biddulph and come in an original design (£149)and 'Editions', which are a special collection of original artworks, also priced at £149. Why not make it really special and choose your own photo or artwork which can be printed on the top for £199. Not sure any foot of mine will be getting much rest on that .

Posted by Carole

Item Home have created a set of unusual pieces based on the light and acoustic properties of bone china. Susurrus is made from 300 porcelain bells with a steel or lattice suport and can be used in or outdoors. It is a bespoke installation and costs from £700 -£1,300 - a lot of money - but then you do get a lot of soothing chiming and tinkling throughout the day.

Posted by Carole

Turning is the big current trend and the legs of this Variation table (£1,379) by hip Japanese design company Trico shows the process of turning in four stages. Brilliant. This one is from Thorsten van Elten but the Japanese Trico site has the table base in a kit form. Even better. Shame I can't read Japanese.

Posted by Ros

Twiddly bits are back. After years of straight lines, furniture legs are shapely again. At just £108 this Spin low table with extravagantly turned legs from Habitat's autumn/winter range will make a statement in the sitting room.

Posted by Ros

Pinch Design have a great eye for detailed and elegant furniture. It comes as no surprise that they were awarded best Newcomer by 100% Design in 2005. I like the form and functionality of this wavy sideboard, which can be viewed under the 'sideboard' category. It's priced at £1,279 and is available in white, oak or walnut with straight or ski legs. I would undoubtedly get a lot of use and pleasure from Russell Pinch's unique and timeless designs.

Posted by Carole

Blast. A fantastically simple Danish sofa bed with style from Ocean. The back is in two parts and has three positions so sitters can recline to individual requirements or make it altogether flat for a bed. Dry-cleanable covers come in a wide range of colours. Your weekend guests will be delighted. £795.

Posted by Ros

In the UK even people with dishwashers still insist on putting the kitchen sink in front of the window. This is probably why it's all but impossible to find those continental cupboards that contain a draining rack to position over the sink. If anyone knows where to get them please let me know. This Poli metal drainage unit (£110) from the French fashion catalogue La Redoute's AM.PM interiors range comes close although it doesn't hold much crockery. It comes in a version with plain shelving too.

Posted by Ros

This funky magazine rack (£35) is made from recycled naff fitted carpet by Carpet-Burns (see Iron lady). While you're storing your mags in it it won't be harming our environment. Long may you store.

Posted by Ros

Kelly Atkins's eureka moment came while foolishly ironing on the synthetic carpet in her student accommodation, turning a patch of carpet hard and flat. Now her company Carpet-Burns produces HTC (heat-treated carpet) panels out of faulty and end-of-line stocks of naff carpeting. The stuff would take 250,000 years to bio degrade if sent to landfill. The result is a smooth material with where-have-I-seen-that-before smudged patterns. It can be used in much the same way as MDF for things like flooring and wall-paneling. It can also be moulded. More happy accidents please.

Posted by Ros

With a name like Moriarty you couldn't but come up with fiendish ideas. Lauren Moriarty brought herself to our attention with her rubber lace cushions and has now come up with these Butterfly Effect lampshades adorned with butterflies that appear to flutter. £39 from the fantastic Hidden Art Shop outlet for designer makers.

Posted by Ros

We currently have 5 telephones and still I can never find one. Several of them have also developed a low level hiss which cuts out half the conversation. So rather than constantly phone hunt, we could get ourselves a fixed phone, which will not end up in the laundry bin or down the chair. Telephone Lines specialise in period, collectable and very funny phones. This 1930s Bakerlite phone costs £149 and can also be sourced in a variety of other colours. Maybe it's time for the static phone to take its rightful place in the home.

Posted by Carole

Take-me-home is a great idea, based in Brighton they pick out lots of lovely mid-twentieth century furniture, vintage and contemporary pieces and then offer them to you. You can view their catalogue online or visit them in their home-cum-showroom and snaffle these 4 1950s MK 11 Hillestack walnut veneered stacking chairs, designed by Robin Day for 'Hille' for £750.00. Not bad for some classy chairs to perch on in the parlour.

Posted by Carole

I never knew that these storage unit are called Componibili's and have been in production for over 30 years. I last spied it in Habitat but if you look at Pure Design classics you will see a greater range of sizes and a silver option too. Designed by Anna Castelli Ferrier for Kartell and priced from £48 - £74, means they are not only classy but affordable too.

Posted by Carole

These striking silk cushions have been designed by Thomas Paul for Heals who also stock a wide range of Clarissa Hulse designs. Thye're not cheap at £85 each, but think of how long you will have them for and how much pleasure they will give you. Not convinced - then log onto Velocity and check out what they think of Thomas Paul in Seattle.

Posted by Carole

Pascal Tarabay has transformed the traditional cuckoo clock into a witty and entertaining time-telling piece. It can be yours for £120 from the Conran Shop and will even promise to be quiet at night due to a light sensor.

Posted by Carole

The humble bread bin has been coloured and flattened to my delight. I am determined to de-stainless steel my kitchen, so this is a good place to start. The baby blue Brabantia bread bin costs £19.25 and surprisingly comes with a 10 year guarantee. You can find it at the Homewares stores along with some slick bodum coffee/tea generators and a very unusal set of saucepans designed by Garty Rhodes. The kitchen is finally getting some more colour to it's surfaces.

Posted by Carole

Posted by Carole

Graham and Green have been around since 1974, but I have yet to visit one of their 4 stores or purchase online - until maybe - now. This Lotus flower ball chandelier is strikingly beautiful and would make a sensational centre piece in a large room. It is made out of Capiz shells, measure 65cm by 65 cm and costs £395, the medium size is 55cm by 55cm and costs £325. This would provide a lot of interesting light and plenty of visual pleasure.

Posted by Carole

Dutchman in London Thorsten van Elten
has an eagle eye for design oddities. Amongst them are these ironic post colonial wire Antlers for hanging coats on by Alexander Taylor. Guaranteed to raise a smile at £49.

The perfect thing to complement this item would be young designer Jon Male's English Hide rug, which was originally his parents' old carpet cut into an animal skin shape. It is now hand-knotted in Nepal for Rimo Designs, although they don't seem to show it on their site. £950.

Posted by Ros

This wins the Housebible Idea of the Year award. Like so many good ideas Bemz's replacement slip covers for IKEA furniture were a maternity-leave inspiration. Delivered anywhere in Europe the washable covers are all in natural fabrics. They come in a huge range of colours and patterns and are – take note IKEA – prewashed, preshrunk and guaranteed. This version for a Klippan sofa costs £101.38. Not much to pay for a whole new look.

At Milan Salone del Mobile this April, Moooi launched a similar idea by wacky Dutch designer Marcel Wanders. He plans to design a new collection of 'dresses' for his sofa each season. I expect they'll cost a little more.

Posted by Ros

As well as cushions and melamine tableware, pioneer in digital print design Ella Doran applies her photographic art to roller blinds. Change your view with a custom-made blind with a choice of exotic images – from £200. If you ask her nicely she might even print your own favourite holiday snap.

Posted by Ros