Back in time this Autumn

Whether you're a fan of the Eighties or not they're here again if music and fashion are to be believed. Now expect this Autumn/Winter to bring a whole host of Eighties inspired interior trends; from neon furniture to shaggy rugs. It seems that every few decades, fashion trends come back, gain momentum and re-emerge. So when crop tops, neon high top trainers and acid wash denim leggings started creeping into the fashion world last year, critics took notice. "A bit like Sleeping Beauty, they [the Eighties] have been roused from their fashion coma by the mwaah-mwaah air-kiss of style," says fashion writer Hilary Alexander.


Take this Louis Console Table part of the 'Heal's Discovers' range, created by British designer John Reeves. "Stylised around contemporary baroque, this decadent piece has three drawers and a seamless lacquered finish. Innovative in design, the traditionally turned table leg is divided into four and inverted on each corner to create a striking leg profile" say respected furniture house Heal's -we say, you couldn't have imagined having an shocking blue table three years ago but now it seems like quite a 'cosmic' idea.

In the Eighties, the theme was "anything goes" when it came to texture and scale; the more tactile and the more playful the better. Hairspray sold like hot cakes and velvet was the fabric du jour. This season's homeware collections mix and match silks, metallics, velvets, leathers and sequins so be prepared.

Crystal chair not built with comfort in mind

This stunning natural crystal chair has been created by submerging a polyester elastomer chair skeleton in an aquarium.


Grown entirely within the laws of nature and fit for purpose as a home furnishing, we feel that although it’s completely sustainable in source material it’s probably completely uncomfortable for use as a chair!

In fact, our bums hurt just looking at it.

Winching aside, this incredible creation entitled Venus by Japanese artist Tokujin Yoshioka is no surprise for his previous collaborators at Hermes, Toyota, BMW, and Swarovski were similarly stunning interior pieces.

However, it's not all about discomfort, at Yoshioka’s Second Nature exhibit in Tokyo, he displayed lamps and other interior design pieces that aren’t so reliant upon having cheeks of steel to endure sitting on them.

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Kooky creations from Straight Line Designs

With furniture concepts straight out of Alice in Wonderland or a Tim Burton flick, we’ve pretty much fallen in love with Straight Line Designs.

It’s fortunate they ship worldwide because these Canadian creators of frankly the most fun furnishings we’ve seen in a long while take our breath away.

With tables that take a tinkle on your rug, beds shaped as beehives, cabinets in the shape of carrots, and drawers that melt on to the floor we’re wondering just what they’re likely to come up with next.

Made from the finest materials, primarily maple solids and veneers, these fully functional pieces of furniture would be an absolute dream to have in the home.

We’re particularly excited about their latest offering, the little black dress(er) which suspends from straps on a wardrobe rail.

Not exactly the nifty nightwear that usually comes to mind, but one we’d definitely keep in the closet.

The Enlightened One

Check this cool lamp out. We recently featured a new range of funky plastic moulded lamps, but Buddha here exudes a little more class. The Buddha Head Lamp is made from polyethylene, a strong and durable plastic which can also cope with high temperatures. It’s available in three different colors including the yellow as pictured and also white and a reddy-orange.

Smart Space at Fairmont Battery Wharf

Kim Vallee took these quick shots of a space maximising room layout at the newly opened Fairmont hotel in Boston. We think the colours are subtle and it certainly looks comfortable. "The most clever design idea is definitely the closet. It has doors that open from both sides: from the bathroom and from the bedroom. This is an idea that you must remember if you are renovating your master bedroom with its ensuite bathroom." We love the shorts by the way!

Best for classic home furnishings on the high street: Laura Ashley

We’ve always had a sore spot for high street staple, Laura Ashley, and their iconic classic home furnishing lines.

Managing to pair classic and contemporary styles seamlessly each season without appeared tired or twee in their inspiration; the items they deliver are quality, enduringly fashionable pieces of furniture that build stylish homes effortlessly.


Their new collections are no disappointment, with bedrooms, living and dining design ideas to lust after.

As they bridge the gap between designer home furnishing and the likes of Ikea, Laura Ashley has something to offer every budget as even the smallest addition from their subtly styled ranges appears a statement in the home, thanks to the detailed craftsmanship of their products.

Best for unique home furnishings online: etsy.com

We reckon we’ve found the ultimate in stylish home furnishings. Ladies and gentlemen, may we present Etsy.

A site dedicated to selling bespoke artisan pieces from across the globe, this site is the Amazon equivalent for the artsy among us. They list a million new products each month!

Pick uniquely designed pieces from your local area, or choose something from another continent with the location finder; alternatively, and this is our favourite find, use the colour picker to select items to fill your home with according to specific colour themes.


Just drag your mouse around the screen until you find the exact shade you’re looking for, and click!

Magically it matches the shade to images of products within the site and does the hard work for you.

We like. A lot.

Greener outdoor spaces with recycled decking

It seems there’s a use for everything as American garden furniture company Trex manage to produce reams of high quality garden decking from our throwaway plastic bag habit.

The result is incredibly impressive; with the authentic appearance of wood (even under close scrutiny) this original product can be fire proofed, stain, scratch and mould resistant.


Cleverly composited from a balance of plastic and reclaimed wood, they can recycle 140,000 plastic bags to produce a 500-square-foot composite deck.

Reportedly one of the largest plastic bag recyclers anywhere in the US, you can see they're putting waste to good use.

Annoyingly, we’re likely to be more damaged by the sun than their recycled product, but it’s worth all the extra hours we’re likely to spend in the garden.

Purrrfect Polystyrene furniture

We stumbled across this amazing line of furniture created from expanded polystyrene (EPS) that includes living room tables, chairs and bookcases, all innovatively crafted with characters cut from solid white blocks.


A cat coils itself around books as small birds peck at personal belongings, all resulting in a visually striking yet minimalist feel.

Fill In The Cat is a real achievement for NEL, a collective of Mexican independent designers, who we think are definitely one to watch…

Floral prints are back with a vengeance

Zoe Wood from the Guardian has noticed how the quiet growth of floral print is steadily taking over the high street. One designer that can profess this to be true is purveyor of "kitchenalgia" Cath Kidston, who has seen sales and profits have jumped more than 60%.

Accounts filed at Companies House show profits at the retailer increased from £2.9m to £4.6m in the year to March, as its floral biscuit tins proved a "tonic for recesssionistas."



Kidston's teapots and oilcloths, which epitomise the image of the 1950s housewife, celebrating baking, tea and buicsuits, have become addictive for a generation of women whose busy working and home lives have led them to idealise rather than practise domesticity.

There are 27 Cath Kidston stores in the UK and Ireland, with 10 new retails outlets opening in the last 12 months. The prints have also risen in popularity in Japan, where Tokyo, Nagoya and Yokohama have outlets.