SHORTLIST - TEA TOWELS

Painterly designs and graphic motifs that will add decorative notes to your kitchen. Menagerie 100% linen tea towel, exclusive design by Michael Angove for Avenida Home.  Linen tea towel available at SCP, London www.scp.com 

What's hot in kitchens by Nathalie Wilson

No surface escapes French artist Nathalie Lete distinctive hand, linen tea towels included. 

I love the intro words by Rupert Thomas in this month's The World of Interiors special kitchen and bathroom supplement issue. "Domestic life's little luxuries also make an appearance, from shiny new cooking appliances to traditionally hand-printed tea towels and table linens.... Not only fit for purpose, all are good looking enough to enjoy living for decades, if not quite for centuries"

Gypsy Spirit

Lift your room and your mood instantly with a splash of boho colour, says thehousedirectory.com's Nicolette Le Pelley.

Hand Made in the UK using the finest materrials Folk Stripe Round Table Mats and Drinks Coasters by Alabasta are an exclusive design for Avenida Home.

Garden Florals By Amy Bradford

Prints, embroideries and appliqued fabrics featuring prettY blooms formed a counterpoint to the trend for modern digital florals that has reigned in recent seasons.  Work a traditional country garden look with trailing roses, clusters of daisies and romantic watercolour prints, on everything!

"Pink Rose" Round Table Mats and Drinks Coasters By Michael Angove for Avenida Home. Exclusively available at Article Design, Dublin and SCP, London (www.scp.com) 

Add witt and romance to a simple dinner - His and Her's Table Mats by Nathalie Lete.

The way I work and live - I read, travel, eat, walk, look, dream - I discover colours along the way. I think colour first and everything I make and do is inspired by my colour findings. Colour adds beauty to everyday living. New Year, New You does not necesarily needs to be exercise and diet, think colour first and add beauty to your everyday living. Be inspired! 

Article Dublin

Today’s introduction goes to a shop that houses as much interesting history as it does extraordinary gifts. In the thriving heart of Dublin, Article sits in a Powerscourt House that housed Richard Wingfield the 3rd in the 18th century. By 1830, this gorgeous building was sold to the government for official use and was eventually turn into a boutique shopping center in 1981.

The interior of the building still holds the charm and character it had when constructed a few centuries ago. This precise craftsmanship is still visible in the traditional Irish tendril plasterwork on the ceilings of the shop and much more of the space around.

Article shop opened in 2010 by John Adams in what used to be Wingfield’s dressing and bedroom and has been a source of inspiration to anyone who walks inside its confines. There is a wide array of carefully chosen gifts and home accessories available there and the place is bound to stun the visitors with its many details.

Last but not least, you can find contemporary British designers like Alabasta, and longside the National Gallery and V&A beautifully fitting in the displays of this shop. Some of the trays offered here are available to view on the Article Dublin website but make sure to visit 22 Powerscourt Townhouse, South William St if you find yourself near Dublin.

The Butcher’s daughter.

If you’re looking for something a little different for your table settings, our Butcher’s Daughter tablemats fit the bill. Bursting with eccentric and fun imagery, these unusual designs brim with humour and are sure to inspire a spot of table talk. The Butcher and The Butcher’s Wife designs feature a collage of quirky motifs set against a traditional chequered background. If you fancy creating a unique tabletop set, Butcher’s Daughter is also available as square drinks coasters. We also think this design works well with Nathalie’s Charcuterie Coq and Hen placemats and Deli worktop saver.

The family orientated theme is eccentric and fun – typical of Nathalie Lete’s underlying and addictive humour. Featuring the entire family from the butcher himself to his mum, dad, wife, son and daughter, these square drinks coasters make for an unusual gift, or will add a touch of eccentricity to your own table settings.

This new Avenida Home collection is available on our website and shall be showcased for the first time at Maison et Objet in Paris from 7-11 September, Hall 7, D63.

Alternatively for those living in the UK, catch the first glimpse of these products at Tent London 2012. For this first hand experience, make sure to visit us at Stand F17, Hall T1.

First-class dispatches from Lucia van der Post, the grande dame of luxury

Every household needs a tray…or better still, two, or three and there is no better trays than the iconic birch wood trays. Dill is the latest and most beautiful Chinoiserie design by Michael Angove, they come in natural and black and are available from Avenida Home.

NEW from Avenida Home

Why not bring a sprig of greenery to your table settings with Michael’s Dill round placemats. Set against a bold black background, the vivid greens and striking whites of the dill and feathery sword fern make this comtemporary Chinoiserie print jump out at you. Surprisingly lifelike, you’d be forgiven for thinking a butterfly had just landed on your table setting. Also available as round drinks coasters, go with the natural theme and pair your Dill coasters and placemats with Michael’s Feathers tablemats.