Design notebook
A barbecue and frepit in a box
Souvenir shop Mayalma’s home accessories are hand-made by artisans using
traditional techniques in Mexico. The glassware, pottery
and soft furnishings are exactly the sort of special things that you imagine you might come across on your travels, when instead you end
up sifting through mountains of generic tat. Standout pieces
include patterned cushions and throws (from £55) and this cheerful Michoacan teapot,
£50 (mayalma.com).
Bathed in light The new lighting range from the bathroom company Balineum is hand-crafted in Europe, and most designs have an IP65 rating – making them suitable for use within 60cm of a water
source. There are 15 metal fnishes and numerous shades.
From £47, balineum.co.uk.
It’s only natural The historian and interior designer Edward Bulmer has worked on the restoration of some of the
country’s most important buildings, including Chequers, Kenwood House and Althorp, where he designed the Princess of Wales memorial. Bulmer is vehemently
opposed to the use of petrochemical paints, and his Pots of Paint range is one
of the few that takes eco-friendly to mean more than just being water-based.
Its natural pigments are made with only sustainably produced raw materials such as beeswax, plant oils and earth
pigments. The paints themselves have a clean, fresh smell that derives from their natural ingredients. From
£40 for 2.5l, potsofpaint.com.
Box of delights The Hot Box is the result of a collaboration between the tile specialists Bert & May and the east London-based architects Red Deer. Part barbecue, part frepit, it is ideal for cooking out and keeping warm on summer evenings. Clad in encaustic-cement tiles in Bert & May’s signature pattern, it comes with a cover and looks far prettier than a standard barbecue when not in use. From £250, bertandmaykitchens.com.
Sunny outlook The RCA-trained textile designer Sunny Todd works from a studio in Herefordshire alongside his wife, Emma, producing lively graphic patterns for interiors and fashion. Every shape is drawn and cut by hand and computers are not used at any stage of the design process, which makes the prints charmingly irregular. A new collection in collaboration with Flock includes these Toddstool foot stools, £280 each (fock.org.uk).