Make room for a ‘shroom

As a Brownie, (in the late 1980s, before Political Correctness reached Worcestershire), I was forced to skip around a large wooden toadstool in the village Scout Hut, singing: “I am a helpful gnome, helping mother in the home.” I think this traumatic episode, combined with weird Enid Blyton books (which I always hated), cemented within me a great dislike of toadstools, mushrooms and funghi in general from a very young age.

It is therefore with great surprise, dear reader, that in 2010 I find myself drawn inexplicably to ‘shrooms – like a moth to a flame. The woodland trend (of which we have previously spoken at great length of course, being fully tapped into the Zeitgeist and all that) is in full swing and, some might say, has actually got a bit out of hand. Walk down any high street and you’re practically bombarded with owls, squirrels, bowls made of bark and funky folk-y designs…and, of course, retro 1970s-style ‘SHROOMS. The little toadstools above are kitsch salt and pepper shakers, recently featured in Living Etc, in case you crave them.

Trawling for toadstools…from top left, working clockwise: Toadstools in a basket, Hunter Gatherer; Mushroom Magick book, Anthropologie UK; Wooden ‘shroom, Dotcomgiftshop; Mushroom pouffe, Anthropologie USA; Toadstool hottie, Dotcomgiftshop; Woodland mushroom doilies, Dotcomgiftshop. Have a lovely weekend. – Ellie