Friday, 14 February 2014

WEST ELM LAUNCHES UK WEBSITE

Yes my love for West Elm appears to be a reoccuring theme here on Peg- today I can't help myself sorry. The US interiors mecca has now launched their UK online shop / website - I've been poised for this news since they opened their first UK store on Tottenham Court Road. So now all of us Brits can enjoy a slice of West Elm home goodness, delivered directly to your door. I'll leave you with a montage  of my latest wants...

Click here to visit their website

Sunday, 9 February 2014

PEG PURCHASES {my home}

I've gradually been introducing some new additions into the humble peg home. One thing I've learnt about building a home is that is doesn't happen overnight. It can be a slow steady process, where your space evolves over time. And that's no bad thing as you often need to live in a space for a while to understand what will work. From my experience it is the impulse buys that don't stand the test of the time and it's the considered purchases that are for keeps (give yourself at least 4 weeks before buying an item- this way you know you truly like it or more importantly you want to live with it)...

Without further ado here are my latest investments and considered buys...
1. Bamboo pendant light £165 from Bodie & Fou: this delicate pendant brings a natural texture to our living area. Here I've used a filament light bulb to create more impact.
2. Patterned throw pillow covers $20 from Society6 adds some playful colour to the 
spare room / studio space.
3. Painting of jugs and ceramics by my very own mum Liz - mix personal traditional pieces of artwork with more modern prints.
4. Really happy with this new woodland meets bearded man print "ESCAPE" by Davies Babies from Society6 - framed in oak at www.frames.co.uk

What are your latest interior buys?

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

WISHFUL WEDNESDAY: IKEA

I always vowed that when I bought a flat I wouldn't shop in Ikea (invest in premium I told myself). Now I'm eating my words. Their latest collections are so practical and design led that I can't help myself. I'm planning on a not too distant trip to Ikea (anyone with a car want to take me?) and here is what's on my wish list...

IKEA
1. DIGNITET Curtain Rail £10 - The neat thing about the Ikea website is that inspires you to use mundane fixtures in creative ways- I am planning on printing some instagram pictures (must get images off my phone before I end up losing it!) and hanging them from these in our study.
2. SNAR Place mat £2.30 - I tell you finding a good placemat is like discovering a tenner on the street.
3. RANARP Clamp Spotlight £18 - I've decided these look more high spec than their price tag. Also great if you don't have room for a bed side table like me.
4. HOJDARE Basket £5 - For my growing collection of gift wrap
5. FABRIKOR Glass Cabinet £150 - Quickly running out of work tops to display your trinkets? Yup me too. This cabinet is perfect for making a feature of your collectables.

Spotted any Ikea gems? I'd love to hear about them...

Sunday, 19 January 2014

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TOP DRAWER / CRAFT / HOME LONDON

For peg readers that don't know Top Drawer, it is one the UK's biggest retail trade shows for gift / home inspiration aplenty. It attracts buyers right from small independent boutiques right up to giant lifestyle stores.
I like to pop along to suss out what's going to be hitting the interiors market next season and what gems we can expect entering our favourite shops for 2014. This year Top Drawer descended on the cavernous Earl's Court, along with another two sections to the show Home London (entirely dedicated to interiors and Craft (independent makers).

As there are hundreds of stands (quite literally) I've edited my stand out pieces for Spring / Summer 2014...

WAFFLE DESIGN
I first spotted WAFFLE Design's cushions in Folklore. I've always loved waffle bed linen but according to my mum it's a complete buggar to dry so I stayed clear. WAFFLE Design has not only overcome this by using it for cushions but introduced a coloured stitch design which makes it feel more graphic and contemporary. For me though, the quality is what makes WAFFLE cushions worth their bunce- super thick cotton and generous bouncy filling. New for 2014 are these gorgeous reversible 'Mindful throws'
Visit WAFFLE Design here

Top Drawer
SELETTI
You'll spot Seletti's distinctive designs all all manner of design led London shops and establishments - most notably Urban Outfitters (who sell their letter lights) Maison Trois Garcons and handmade pasta restaurant Burro e Salvia that have their cardboard lights hanging in a cluster above their counter (as seen above). You can purchase Seletti's recycled cardboard egg lights from madeindesign.co.uk from £22. Visit Seletti here

Top Drawer
ABIGAIL WARNER
I've known Abigail via the blogosphere for some time now and she is hands down lovely. She also designs the most stunning wedding stationary (completely bespoke) and a range of sweet seasonal cards (mostly with eye catching geo patterns) and wrapping paper. The attention to detail is second to none- note her lined patterned envelopes new for 2014. Visit Abigail's website here

Top Drawer
BLOOMINGVILLE STOOL
My heart sank when I saw this stool and remembered it was a trade show and I couldn't buy it. This burnt orange leather stool is from Nordic brand Bloomingville (which is now a concession in Debenhams). Brands such as Achica and Bodie & Fou also buy in their designs so fingers crossed they invest in this stool (hint hint). Visit Bloomingville here

Top Drawer
KERRY HASTINGS CERAMICS
Over in the new Craft area (new sister show to Top Drawer and Home) was a whole zome devoted to independent makers and designers. Being a total sucker for handmade ceramics I was immediately drawn to Kerry's creamy blues and white pottery work. Visit her website here

Did you go to Top Drawer / Craft / Home. What were your favourite bits?

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

GUITAR WALL

Balancing your taste with your partner / flat mate (if you live with someone else) can be seen as tricky but actually what I've discovered is amalgamating your interests / possessions makes for a really unique and interesting aesthetic.

Guitar wall
My guitar wall
In the spirit of this realisation, we've recently hung the epic Gibson guitar from the wall in our living room. Having been inspired by a recording studio and homes of music artists on Pinterest (check out below) I loved the idea of giving it a highly visible home and celebrating my boyfriend's love of guitar playing. I think it's fair to say that not only is it the most precious thing we own but it also one of the most stunningly crafted (handmade in the USA from African Bubinga and rosewood) so why not hang it from the wall and make a feature of it? It also adds to the natural nomadic look that the flat seems to be gravitating towards...

Guitar wall inspiration
Image source: Top picture Blood & Champagne / Bottom left Susanne Kings / Jessica Marx

If you are thinking about doing this yourself, it really couldn't be simpler. We ordered our guitar hanger here from Amazon (£6.49), chose the height we wanted it and drilled it into the wall (basic DIY stuff).

Do you have a guitar wall? If not do you like the idea of them?

Sunday, 5 January 2014

2014 CALENDAR CRUSH

Little bit late to the party I know but Happy New Year folks. Hope you've had a cracking start to 2014.

I have to admit I bought my 2014 calendar back in October (super keen I know) as I was in NYC getting in my fill of Rifle Paper goodies (my favourite US stationary brand). Fearing Rifle calendars wouldn't make it across the pond (first world problem) I invested in my mini Herbs and Spices calendar (No1 below) which is now happily hanging in my kitchen. You'll be pleased to know Rifle's beautifully illustrated goods (drawn by Anna Rifle Bond herself) have now swept across to the UK (I've spotted her stuff in Selfridges, Liberty, Not On The High Street and Paperchase) so good bye hefty international postage.

For all those still hunting out their 2014 calendar here are some I've admired on my internet travels. Best thing about buying them now is you'll probably get them at a snip...

2014 CALENDARS
1. Herbs & Spices Calendar from Rifle Paper $16
2. Secret Garden Calendar by Rifle Paper - Now £16.10 from Not On The High Street
3. Botanical Calendar by My Paper Kittens on Etsy £9.07+
4. Second Edition 2014 Dog Calendar by Gus and Abbey on Etsy £13.76
5. 2014 Robins Wall Calendar by the Paper Bird Society on Etsy £10.30 

Tuesday, 17 December 2013

PEG'S GIFT WRAPPING TIPS

What I love about gift wrapping is that it gives me the license to mix pattern and colour that usually I'd shy away from. It unleashes my aesthetic alter ego! Why? Because it's disposable (although I DO encourage recycling your paper people) and a bit of fun - so just go for it!

Gift wrap tips
Spotted: Genius gift wrap inspiration
Here are my top tips...

1. Clash traditional prints / paper with ultra modern flashes of colour (note my attempt below and the neon + feather wrapping by Decor8 above). This is a gift not an outfit so why not be outlandish? 
(easily achieved with Rifle's bold midnight floral wrap)

2. Inject some added 'surprise' to your parcel by attaching a sweet or mini bar of chocolate. 

3. Use bold / neon washi tape instead of standard cellotape. The Glue Gun Girl on Etsy has a thrifty range of fun washi tapes.

4. Add some 'theatre' to your presents like Handmade Charlotte's Mouse Gift Wrap (genius) or by glueing feathers, sprigs of herbs, paper pom poms, lego, dried lemons etc. The options are endless...

5. Opt for some interactive gift wrap such as the recipe gift wrap by Minted.com, encouraging the paper to continue it's life post pressie opening. I'm calling it 'Multi functional gift wrap'.


Gift wrap tips

Thursday, 12 December 2013

URBAN JUNGLE BLOG POST: HOMEMADE ROSEMARY HEARTS

Once a month a crew of 'Urban Jungle Bloggers' (which is gleefully growing) get together to pioneer a sprinkle of 'green' across their blog content. Pioneered by the lovely Igor (Happy Interior blog), Judith (Joelix.com) and Jocelyn (The Little Room Of Style). This month we are sharing our 'Green Festive Decoration Vignette' which finally kick started my intention to craft some homemade green inspired decorations for my little flat. Introducing my rather humble (and admittedly simple) homemade rosemary hearts, using John Lewis' handy willow wreaths...

Having already got some sprigs of rosemary in the fridge (one of my favourite autumnal scents) I decided to customise my little hearts using herbs rather than foliage. Of course if you have a garden you could snip some fresh rosemary from your outdoor wonderland, or even use sprigs from your Christmas tree (if it's real of course).

I used: John Lewis Heart Willow Wreath for the larger heart and John Lewis Natural Mini Heart Wreaths Pack of 3 (from crafts department), sprigs of fresh rosemary, clear plastic thread and scissors.

These really were as easy to make as they look (I'm not one for overcomplicating things). Simply weave the rosemary stems into the nooks of the wood where possible and then secure it to the wooden hearts by tying it with plastic thread. For the larger heart I snipped the ribbon handles from an anthropologie carrier bag (being resourceful) and for the little hearts I suspended on a white wall with long loops of plastic thread (this stuff is v.versatile!) and short  strips of checked washi tape.

How are you bringing a nod of green into your home this Christmas? 

Sunday, 8 December 2013

WEST ELM HAS LANDED IN LONDON!

I've been crushing over West Elm products from afar for the last 12 months and getting serious stateside envy. The Brooklyn born brand is owned by interiors giant Williams Sanoma (that also own Pottery Barn) and often branded as their cool hip younger sister brand.

On Thursday West Elm UK opened it's doors on London's Tottenham Court Road. Yesterday I made a bee line for the new store, like an interiors junkie possessed (OK maybe not a junkie but I was fairly excited). Despite giving myself a 45 minute window to sweep the store, an hour simply wasn't enough. West Elm have nailed the retail lifestyle experience; complete with a coffee bar, free nibbles, super friendly staff and a design service area. They even have a 'living wall' of free plants and greenery.

Highlights for me? Thick quality textiles, iron hexagonal mirrors, caged light pendants, Will from Bright Bazaar's Etsy wall gallery (curation of fun bright art) and copper cookware by British Designer Aaron Probyn. The beauty of West Elm is the breadth of choice - from hallway organisers and filament light bulbs to snow globes and wreath wood spheres. Also look out for their vibrant designer collaborations - having partnered up with the likes of Sarah Campbell on print and pattern and Lubna Chowdhary on tile based furniture and accessories.

Visit West Elm UK here

Monday, 2 December 2013

A SPRINKLE OF SEASONAL SCANDI STYLE

I have to admit I'm a tiny bit humbug when it comes to Christmas décor. Lashings of glitter, green and post box red scare me so I've compiled a little mood board below of seasonal scandi inspiration. I know I should just embrace the seasonal tack (that's part of the fun right?) but for now I'm opting for paired back, mellow and simple décor, whilst still a nod to festive... who's with me?


1. Wooden Wall Tree (space saving alternative to a real tree for those with a small pad like me) - Now £17.80 from West Elm. Decorate with homemade paper / knitted decorations.
2. Handmade Felt Advent Calendar Now £14.50 from Daylesford Organic 
(I never had a chocolate calendar as a nipper as I was allergic 
so the idea of filling this with sweet treats for loved ones is so nostalgic).
3. Real Buxus Christmas Wreath from £18 Rowen & Wren
4. Snug Trio 16.90 euros from Snug Online 
5. Handmade Donkey Christmas Decoration £12 from Daylesford Organic (adorable)
6. Gold Glitter Mini Clothes Pegs from LuluBelleDesign1182 on Etsy 
(I might just consider a sprinkle of glitter if they are on pegs!)

Saturday, 30 November 2013

MADE IN CLERKENWELL

On Thursday night I met a friend in Farringdon and by chance stumbled across 'Made in Clerkenwell' at The Goldsmith Centre. I had actually been given a heads up about the event by ceramic artist Janet Stahelin Edmondson (a friend of my mums) but having been in a channel vision post work coma I totally forgot about it until there it was staring right at me.
Janet Stahelin Edmondson
Janet Stahelin Edmondson's lace printed ceramics
Made in Clerkenwell is a bi annual open studios event, showcasing independent crafts and design talent. It includes everything from jewellery and accessories to my weakness - ceramics and exquisite pieces for the home. What I love most about this event is the chance to chat to the makers and designers that make these items, which are often crafted by hand and buy something totally unique for your abode. If you get the chance to swing by Made in Clerkenwell it is still on today and tomorrow (Saturday 30 November & Sunday 1 December)

I sadly only had time to explore The Goldsmith Centre (gutting as I wanted to see Janet Stahelin Edmondson's work as well) but there are 150 selected designer-makers spread across 3 buildings, including 21 Clerkenwell Green and 33-35 St Johns square.

It is great for picking up gifts for Christmas, whilst supporting independent talent, rather than just buying pressies from the retail giants on the highstreet. Here are some of my favourite pieces - My Peg 'ones to watch'...
Pottery by Ryan Connolly
Hand woven basket bowl by Maggie Smith Basketry
Penny Seume
Penny Seume
It took some serious willpower not to buy one of these beautiful cushions by textile designer Penny Seume, who I got chatting to at the end. Her prints wouldn't look out of place in Liberty and she already stocks in interiors mecca- ABC in New York. Her cushions cost between £60 - £70. The unique prints are taken from Penny's very own paintings, inspired by urban landscapes. The cushions shown above are part of her London series- note the adorable attention to detail on the back of old fashioned London lamp posts. Penny is also a lovely lady to talk to and so modest about her inspiring work. If ABC have already scouted her textiles, expect big things to come.
To take a look at Penny's website click here

Sunday, 24 November 2013

BLOOMINGVILLE LANDS IN THE UK

This week I have been soaking up a mini staycation here in London. A whole nine days of hanging out in the flat, doing those random chores you never get round to doing and making the most of the city (you sometimes forget how sublime your own patch is).

Whilst on my travels I swung by the new Bloomingville concession in Debenhams Oxford Street (after clocking their grand opening on instagram) Exciting because? Until now Bloomingville (from Denmark) has just supplied into various interior shops / online retailers and never before have we had an entire go-to Bloomingville one stop shop here in mother England. True to their light Scandinavian aesthetic, expect their signature geo shaped pieces (the hexagonal / house shaped wall boxes were winking at me) in pastel hues with a kick of flouro. The lighting, textured wood furniture and hand painted ceramics were also a delight - having admired so many of their lifestyle images on Pinterest, it was great to finally inspect them for real. For those outside London, I have also clocked online they have a new UK webstore - only selling a small selection of their full range but I'm poised for more...
Bloomingville UK
You can view some of the Bloomingville at Debenhams products online here

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

SPACE SAVING DINING TABLES


My friends Dan and Claire have recently moved into a light airy first floor Victorian flat in Tufnell Park (North London) and were just telling me of their struggles to hunt out a smallish dining table for their living area. I also grappled to find something suitably compact when we were looking for our flat but ended up going for this extendable Monty Table from Made.com. It’s rare to have a proper dining space in first floor London flats so something neat is desirable. However, it is worth pointing out that slightly larger tables in a small space actually create the illusion that the space is bigger (I’ve done my interior design research) so diddy tables aren’t necessarily the only answer, unless you simply don’t have the space to house them.
With this in mind, here are my ‘top’ space saving dining tables around, a few of them being extendable so you can cater for up to six people for a spot of supper…
Space Saving Dining Tables 
1. Bayonne Flip Top Table from Loaf.com £625
2. Street Table from Bodie & Fou £615
3. White and Nature Dining Table from Bodie & Fou £300
4. Hester Charcoal Dining Table from Habitat £450
5. Monty Extending Dining Table from Made.com £299

Anyone else been experiencing small dining table drama?

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

WISHFUL WEDNESDAY: OFF THE HOOK

These past few weeks I've been on the hunt for some hooks to hang up in our miniscule hallway (measuring approx 1.5m x 1m). These seemingly insignificant hooks / pegs are key to the moment people step into our little abode so I'm trying to take my time ('considered purchase'). I'm admittedly a smidgen messy and prone to dumping my coat / bag on the floor when I walk through the door (*past roomies / boyfriend nods knowingly*) so these might be my answer...
Hooks

1. White old fashioned coat hooks £6.00 from Loop the Loop
2. Hooks landscape and beach design £15.00 from Chocolate Creative
3. Driftwood coat hook rack £29.95 from Not On The High Street
4. Rope and metal hook £10.28 from West Elm

My hook tips...
1. Consider what you are hanging and whether the hook is suitable i.e. wide knobs are not practical for hanging coats / jackets as the loop on the nape may not fit over it (causing your coat to fall off - that's annoying) but might work great for bags, especially those with long straps.
2. Consider ease of putting them up. If like me you are a DIY novice those involving 
a simple nail to wall (note option 4) might be your winner.

Any websites of great peg / hook / knobs gratefully received folks!

Sunday, 3 November 2013

WEEKEND WONDERS: Keeping it local

Kept it local this weekend with coffee catch ups in Islington, spot of interiors shopping on Upper street and then some faffing about at home. Here are my weekend wonders...
1. Folklore - yes I'm obssessed with this shop (Islington's answer to eco-friendly interiors). The super nice shop assistant informs me a christmas delivery is en route for November. Lethal news for bank balance. Still thinking about their new ivory ceramics. Selling like hot cakes apparently so need to act fast. Thinking the soup plate for my earrings.
2. Arranged my new Egon Schiele self portrait print with my ceramics. He tragically died at just 28 years old, three days after his wife. Bit of morbid trivia for you! Some of his incredible work is on show at the National Gallery at the moment (Facing The Modern exhibition). His work blew me away so I had to have this.
3. Purchased this Task Lamp from John Lewis (£45) for the ever evolving office come 'inspiration studio' - the brass is smart and injects some welcome masculinity into the space. Also small in size so great for our pint sized desk.
4. Green chai latté in new tapas restaurant La Farola on Upper Street in Islington with my old time friend Romilly. Already planning a trip back to gorge on manchego and serrano ham.
5. Admiring filament light bulbs in La Farola.
6. Inspired: filament light bulb from Rockett St George (£7.95) to recreate the look at home. Thinking ambient lighting for living room? Any advice on filament bulbs welcome!

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

WISHFUL WEDNESDAY: Box Up!

In terms of being tidy, my mum is up there with the greats. My home when I was growing up was hailed the 'Show Home' for it's extreme tidyness. Sadly her tidy genes didn't quite come out in me but I have inherited her immense dislike for clutter. With a rapidly growing collection of handmade ceramics emerging in my home (with very few surfaces to cater for them) I'm feeling dangerously close to clutter territory *dismay*. Browsing Rigby & Mac's website New In section today, I may have spotted just the  solution - this set of 6 nesting boxes, which you have the flexibility of displaying as you wish (you may want to try separating them across rooms but I love them as a statement stack). It's a sure winner for displaying your china 'best', candles, maybe even a few beautifully patterned books...
1. Set of 6 square box shelves £175 Rigby & Mac
3. Anna Milk Jug £18 Toast
4. Nordic Espresso Cup £3.95 Rigby & Mac

Sunday, 27 October 2013

WEEKEND WONDERS: 27.10.13

Impeding gail force winds and a storm brewing ("worst in years" according to BBC- erk) in London was a fine excuse to hole up in the flat and do some DIY/ baking this weekend. Only after a Friday night slap up feast and a wee tipple on Friday night of course. Here are my weekend wonders...
1. My ercol for John Lewis Chiltern wardrobe arrived on Saturday - one of my most expensive splurges  on the flat so far so I was a teeny weeny bit excited / nervous about it's arrival. I can safely say I love it. I decided it was an investment piece that will stand the test of time, spacious and refined. Man points have to go to my fella for doing much of the DIY leg work 
(guys and drills eh).
2. Pretty posey from our friends Claire + Dan, setting off my 
new Cezanne print from the National Gallery (their gallery shop is amazing for prints from the greats).
3. On Friday night I abolished some rotisserie chicken from new restaurant Le Coq in Islington (all they serve is chicken but that is free-range, organic chicken from Sutton Hoo in Suffolk- uh yum). The pear, blue cheese and watercress starter was pretty sensational too.
4. Feeling suitably domesticated after an early night on Saturday, today I got my bake on, making Will from Bright Bazaar's apricot frangipane recipe. Dead easy and so moist! Best eaten with a dollop of créme fraiche. Loving Will's Bright Bakes series (check out his Spiderweb cupcake recipe for Halloween).

Fellow Londoners, go safe tonight (I can hear the storm coming as I type) x

Wednesday, 23 October 2013

WISHFUL WEDNESDAY: Naturally Speaking

As our living room décor starts to take shape, my thoughts are now wandering to the bedroom. I am a horrendously light sleeper and often take a while to switch off just before I go to sleep (when I seem to have all my ideas- although they never seem quite as genius when I wake up). I'm therefore hankering after a calming space, with natural soothing hues and texture (I've figured colour will just stimulate my thoughts more). On that note here is my wishful wednesday, naturally speaking...
1. Pallet Light Shade £30 from Decorator's Notebook
2. Cotton Crochet Throw £75 from Toast
3. Maiko Ivory Bowl (for my earrings / cotton wool buds) £10 Folklore 
4. Recycled Glass Vase £11 Garden Trading

Sunday, 20 October 2013

NEW YORK TOP INTERIORS SHOPS

I must have googled the title of this blog post more than 5 times before I headed stateside a few weeks ago. Using my NYC map from Liberty (recommended by my friend Liz as 'the only map you'll need to navigate Manhattan'- she was right) I started plotting the main hot spots and trust me it's a 
metropolis of design goodness.
 Using Broadway as the corridor of my quest, here are my favourite New York 
interior shops and why they rock...
ABC
Having already visited ABC Carpet & Home when I last visited New York I was dying to get back to my interiors mecca. Only this time I took the lift up to all six floors of ethereal beauty. Ornate rugs suspended from the ceiling bask in glory, porcelain dinning ware looks almost too delicate to handle and the dining tables were fiercely boho luxe. I especially adored the Japanese ceramics and cutlery, which looked like they'd been hand dipped in gold.
ABC
ABC Home
ABC Home
2. Fishs Eddy
I have to admit Fishs Eddy isn't my typical style but it's a fine example of All American homeware. Think of it is as the 'cape cod' look, specialising in dinnerware, glassware and kitchenware. Fairly nautical (not too surprisingly) and brilliantly merchandised. I thought the random box of chintzy china in the cove at the back was also quite fun...
Fishs Eddy
Fishs Eddy
3. Love AdornedThis isn't strictly an interiors shop as much as it is lifestyle. It's achingly cool. If Caleb Followill and Lily Aldridge were shopping in NYC this is where I'd imagine you'd bump into them. Think animal skin rugs, ceramics hanging from trees, crystals and trinkets. I was recommended to go there by a girl working on the jewellery counter in ABC on my last visit to NYC and it might just be my favourite shop on the globe. Big statement yes.
My favourite pieces? Ceramic tusks hand painted with quotes. Oh and my dream ring - I casually asked to try a black stoned blingy (musing how much it matched my bracelet) - yeah turns out I picked out one of the most expensive pieces in the shop, a black diamond (18ct gold). Turns out I have expensive taste. *quickly hands ring back to shop assistant who looks strangely like Julie Stone*
Love Adorned
Love Adorned
Love Adorned
Love Adorned
Love Adorned
4. Crate & Barrel
Crate & Barrel isn't big news in the States, being a bit like Habitat is to us here in the UK. However, I think its high time we had a Crate & Barrel in London because it's full of classic good quality staple items for the home, which are cleverly thought through. They've thought of practically everything including stacks of driftwood (I've been looking for driftwood) and whole walls just dedicated to placemats.
I bought these woodland inspired coasters from Crate & Barrel- just $5
Crate & Barrel
5. Haus Interior
Stepping into Haus Interior has the warm cosy feeling you might get visiting a friend's homely log cabin (not that I have a friend who owns a logo cabin) laiden with interior gems. There was even an adorable husky pup to greet me on arrival. The manager was hugely welcoming, talking through the boutique's gorgeous new scented candles, textured + natural wood home accessories and irresistible aztec textiles...

Haus Interior

6. West Elm
I'm a huge fan of West Elm (which I browse endlessly online) so I was super excited to see all their beautiful homeware up close in their store in DUMBO, Brooklyn. I have heard whispers they are opening in the UK (Tottenham Court Road) before the end of the year... eep. Contemplated purchasing these plates below but feared for their safety on flight home (now on Christmas wish list)
West Elm, DUMBO
I'm sure I've missed a whole host of other amazing interior stores. Excuse for another trip perhaps?! If you have any tips I'd love to hear them below...