Dress the room
In an overly complicated and anxious world, it is refreshingly easy to mellow the mood of room with a well placed lamp or re-energise it with a cheery vase. I'm not great with houseplants myself, unless they're the sort that thrive on neglect, but a hardy spider plant in a pretty pot on a bookshelf is not outside my capabilities, and instantly uplifting.
Burleigh "Asiatic Pheasants" lamp with shade - £280
Still going strong after 175 years, Burleigh is one of the oldest and last remaining British potteries. Everything is handmade in Stoke-on-Trent, from start to finish. It the only factory to decorate using the iconic tissue transfer technique, just one of the highly skilled processes involved in making each piece. This wonderful lamp is new, but it is a discontinued line.
Chinese crab pot - £60
The blue and white pot to the right in this photo has the striking patterns of an authentic ginger jar, but it's a heavier earthenware with a thick rim and domed lid suitable for use as a soup, vegetable or rice pot. I've called it a "crab pot" only because it has a crab on its lid!
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