1.  Pepper Mill Tea Towel; 2. Bed But Hot Water Bottle; 3. Iron Tea Towel; 4. Grasshopper Tea Towel; 5. Key Tea Towel; 6. Beetle Napkins.

From top: Melamine Cups in turquoise; set of four Skyline Tumblers; Extravaganza Picnic Cutlery; lovely Wood Toast Rack.

From top: sweet Ceramic Bird Salt Dish; Skulduggery patterned Ironing Board Covers; Seletti Ceramic Egg Box; adorable Babushkups.

These Candle Holders made of vintage baking tins are so sweet, I want a whole set:

The colours in these 6 Kashmiri Beakers are gorgeous- how perfect for a picnic:

For that same picnic, this hand-painted Tiffin would be great for storing food:

I’m pretty sure I let out an audible “wow” when I saw this retro Double Recycling Bin. What a stylish (and useful) addition to a kitchen:

How’s this for a cute and educational kitchen accessory- the Seasonal Guide Tea Towel comes in two options, Fruits & Vegetables and Wild Foods:

I think this Wooden Cabinet would be great in a kitchen; the wire front and sides make it useful for storing food, as well as crockery:

The cast-iron Sarpaneva pot looks like something out of Harry Potter, which to be honest only fuels my love for it. A Finnish design classic, it’s as functional as it is beautiful:

Glassware is what Iittala is known for, and these Aino Aalto drinking glasses are a classic. Inspired by the rings made by a stone hitting water, they were designed in 1932 and are just as covetable today:

The storage Jars are a more recent design, and one that I’m crazy for. Imagine how lovely your pastas, grains and pulses would look in one of these:

Not strictly for the kitchen (though I suppose they could work for nibbles), I just adore the organic icecube shape of the Vitriini range of boxes. I’d use mine for jewelry and odds and ends:

Kastehelmi is a 60′s design that’s being re-released in 2010. The inspiration for these elegant pieces came from water droplets, but I think the result looks like lace:

Doesn’t it seem like walking into a Bison store would be a multicoloured dream come true? I love how fashion-led the products seem; they even have a colour palette which changes yearly! I’m feeling the greens, greys, and forget-me-not blue… you?

Clockwise from top left: Mano bowls, Spiro thermos cups, Cammeo containers, Lumina tealights, Mano teapot.

But I’m back now, and in the spirit of re-igniting my blogging mojo, thought I’d share a couple of items which caught my eye over the past weeks. Yes, I know it’s a bizarre time of year to be thinking about candles, but I just can’t help myself- these holders are so lovely and covetable. Read on and you’ll see what I mean.

I stumbled across these beauties from Loglike on The Beat That My Heart Skipped. Made from found vintage saucers and reclaimed, hand-carved Welsh wood, they’ve got a rustic-retro quality which I’m loving. Check out their Folksy shop for the entire range.

My second find was sinead o moore, who handcrafts lovely ceramics and sells them weekly at Greenwhich Market (and elsewhere). I was immediately taken by her porcelain tealight holders, paper-thin and egglike in their fragility. I’d like a pair of the turquoise ones, please.

Clockwise from top left:
Dunclare Black Dining Collection
Maynard Canister
Theberton Prep Bowls
Dunclare Pink Dining Collection
Serving Tray
Maynard/Sixty 2-Tier Tray
Dunclare Black Large Tumbler
Sixty Melamine Platter

First up, my all-time favourite. Smeg is an Italian brand that pioneered the fun-look, serious-performance fridge. With different lines to choose from, you can go for a sleek and modern locker-style number or the trademark 50′s-look model. I’m a fan of the latter, in white or cream.

An industrial-style fridge is always going to be a classic, and with good reason. Stainless steel works with many different interior styles, and adds a professional touch to a kitchen. I like the styles offered by German brand Miele, particularly the Grand Froid style, which would work for a large family.

Futuristic styles can be fun, too. The new Samsung by Gro fridge can be used horizontally or vertically, and the space-age styling would complement a super-modern, minimalist kitchen.

Probably the gold standard for designer refrigerators, Italian brand Meneghini makes unique models inspired by vintage iceboxes. Nigella Lawson has the cream one shown below, though I’ve got a soft spot for the tall, slim red model. Available to purchase at Robeys, the price (over 36K for the deluxe model) may make you think twice.

White or coloured?

Traditional wisdom says that white is the only way to go. It’s clean, minimalist and shows off food to its best advantage. It certainly can be beautiful, as in the Sophie Conran for Portmeiron collection, used by my own stylish sister:

But white tableware can also scuff, scratch and stain easily. Luckily there are alternatives if colour (or practicality) is your thing. A beautiful neutral, as in this Vera Wang for Wedgewood Naturals range, can look lovely:

As can a fun or bold print. I like the graphic-yet-natural feeling of Rachel Barker’s range:

So, where do you fall on this debate? What do you look for in a set of tableware?

(All images in this post from John Lewis)