NEW mugs from Welbeck Tiles

Ooooh, have a look at these hot-off-the-press (or hot-out-of-the-kiln?) mugs from Welbeck Tiles (the shop we know and love for jelly tiles, cutlery tiles, coastal postcard tiles, etc)…

In pretty ice cream pastel hues, these new mugs feature vintage advertisements from British seaside resorts. Smart hotels, ‘gay’ shops selling ‘gifts that please’, hosiers and tea gardens – these font-alicious adverts hark back to a bygone era of seaside grandeur…

There’s nowt like a spot of ‘surf riding’. These mugs aren’t for sale yet, but keep your eyes on the Welbeck website – they’ll be available later this summer. – Ellie

NEW Natural History range

Beetle tea towels, American aprons and plenty of stationery porn – the new Natural History collection has arrived. Think hummingbirds, handwriting and curious coral accessories…

(Homer Simpson:) “Mmmmm. Eames rocker. Blue coral cushion. Dark blue walls. Mmmmm.”

I spotted these hummingbird cushions and prints at Top Drawer earlier this year – don’t the prints look great grouped together like this? (Lloyd Grossman:) “The symmetry between the bars of the love seat and the bars of the bird cages is not to be ignored. This subtle allusion to issues such as imprisonment, freedom and the concept of escape is crucial to our understanding of this exquisite piece. The birds above the bench appear to have escaped their cages; they seem to be free, but on closer inspection, we realise they’re still trapped – framed forever behind sheets of cold glass. Yah.”

(Lady GaGa:) “N, N, N, Notebooks, N N N, Notebooks.”

I’ve admired these American Ice Milk aprons from afar for some time, so it’s great to finally find a UK stockist. They look more like cocktail dresses than aprons! Knowing my luck, I’d probably just slop lasagne down the front if I owned one…

There are so many lovely products here, but my favourite is still the beetle tea towel. So much so that I’ve turned it in to a cushion for my sofa! – Ellie

NEW: Lisa Stickley stationery

Yes. I know. It’s true. No, really. I wouldn’t lie about this. It would be CRUEL. Lisa Stickley has indeed designed a range of stationery and it’ll be in Selfridges and at Lisa Stickley London this autumn.

Having just ordered 100 Penguin postcards (possibly to frame, possibly to send, possibly to hoard in my pointless-yet-continually-expanding chest full of stationery), I don’t strictly speaking NEED this range, too. But we’ll see. (Translation: I will be buying it anyway because I am WEAK.) – Ellie

Foxy wallpaper

Good news, wallpaper addicts! Turkish company Studio Nommo has just launched an online shop and now delivers wallpaper internationally, so you don’t have to live in Istanbul to get hold of some of the coolest wallpapers around…

This new collection of papers features designs from young and inspirational designers and illustrators – it’s a real breath of fresh air. It’s hard to choose but my favourite is this magical foxy design by Ashley Alexander…it reminds me of Cole & Son’s Woods wallpaper, but with a twist! It would look great in a children’s room.

I love the way these designers treat wallpaper as a canvas for pictures…no boring repeated leaves/flower patterns in sight here…instead, you’ll find illustrations that tell stories; houses, sunbathers, typewriters, windows…

Check out this blackboard-effect computer wallpaper – who knew technology could look so good? And I’d love a feature wall of the teapots and kettles paper in my kitchen…

Pop along to the new Studio Nommo website to see the full range and explore the designers in more detail. You can also shop for gorgeous wall stickers, and design your own wallpaper by uploading an image or photo – just remember to click the ‘English’ language button on the home page, or you’ll be a bit confused by all the Turkish. Like I was. For quite some time. Oh dear… – Ellie

TREATS for Friday

Apologies for the lack of blogging action this week, chaps, but life has been very busy at Ideal Home HQ. To make up for our absence, here are a few LOVELY things to end the week with…

Perfectly pretty cupcakes from new Kent company Estella Cupcakes…

Some cute new products from Brit mail-order company Patchwork Harmony, including vintage tiles, chair place-card holders, and stylish vintage children’s alphabet blocks…oooh, there’s nothing quite like a Malted Milk…

Pretty Mother’s Day rosette cards from Bluebell 33…

Lovely retro Roberts radios in NEW colours: Leaf, Cocoa, Duck-Egg, Cassis, Saffron…

Lastly, Australian bed linen company KAS is launching in the UK this spring. Check it out…

Have a lovely weekend. I’ll be back on Monday with a very HAND-y post. – Ellie