Brick Lane, E1

I headed EAST this weekend and found a few new gems while checking up on some of my old favourites...

First stop...Labour and Wait my fail safe shop for kitchenware, it never lets me down with the most stylish utilitarian simplicity that can't go wrong in my kitchen (or anyone else's really - you're guaranteed to see me laden down here on Christmas Eve).

This time the purpose for my visit was to check out the new store on Redchurch Street just off Brick Lane. Where you can now find your beautiful paired-down pots, pans, linens and even clothing in the signature 50s style in this new shop Mon-Sat.

While the original Cheshire Street store will be open on Sunday, for the super busy Brick Lane Sunday shopper I presume. The new addition is still as perfectly simple inside as the first store, the outside is another treat as the building itself is a reclaimed Truman Brewery pub, as you can see from the fabulous green tiles.

I also stumbled across Speedie's Retro Kitsch Furniture shop a couple of doors down. Any shop with deck chairs outside gets my vote...There is a great collection inside including full vintage kitchens (hobs, cabinets, you name it), tonnes of record players (amazingly still working I hear) and plenty of cool one-off pieces of furniture at really good prices for this central location.

I'm coveting this stool currently...

And am keen on these coffee tables too - typical of Speedie's 60s style. They also offer most pleasing London-flat-friendly-sized pieces, which is always good to hear.

Just around the corner (past the fixie polo players usually) is Unto this Last which deserves a proper post of its on one day when I have the chance to fully explore the contemporary hand crafted furniture workshop. In short: cool, original, hand-crafted, stacked wood pieces that they can adapt to fit any room I'm sure.

Brick Lane's markets as usual held a few gems and some over-pricing. I did rather like the cool Art Deco lines of this old gramophone though.

The Brick Lane area always throws up some new surprises. I love how this simple shop front design has escaped onto the building of a new store on the corner of Bethnal Green Road. Always something new round the corner...always worth a visit.

Midland Hotel, Morecambe

It's love. I visited the Midland Hotel on Morecambe Bay last week and oh yes it's love.

The Midland is a recently restored Art Deco masterpiece (and yes, Agatha Christie fans, it has actually been in Poirot!) I managed to take a sneaky peak into one of the amazing penthouse suites. Check. it. out.

Beautiful Art Deco architectural details.

Cool, classic font and inside...?

Oh the staircase! leading to the penthouse suite...

The bed...

Seating area in the sun...steel grey L sofa behind me too (in case you need to lounge natch)

And yes, the view. On the terrace. Hot tub out of shot.

Fabulous food and...
Cool bar.

I'm moving in.

South London snippits

My South London adventures continued today...but I found out that Bank Holiday Monday isn't apparently the best day to explore lovely independent interiors shops (fool that I am - I will remember next time).

Yet I still managed to press my face up to the window of a couple of Herne Hill's finest vintage and antiques shops and even found my to way into a delight in Crystal Palace too. (Hint for non-bank holiday visitors: Crystal Palace's Church Road has a growing selection of mighty fine 20th Century antiques shops - full report to follow soon no doubt.)

First face presser...the rather fabulous Bleu Furniture in Herne Hill. Elegant mid century furniture and accessories spied right under the rail bridge...I particularly fell for these dining chairs (1950s Italian on their website).

I have also not yet made it in to The Good Companion (more face pressing) furniture and arts shop with in-shop cosy café. It looks like the perfect spot for a good cuppa, with a novel and time to browse the eclectic selection of great looking art and furniture.

Finally up the hill at Crystal Palace I had a chance drop into Cartwright's, a great contemporary furniture shop on Church Road.
Could this pair of G-Plan tables at Cartwright's could put an end to my coffee table quest? Maybe, but I'm having far too much fun looking to give up just yet!

Roullier White, SE22

A visit to Roullier White in East Dulwich left me with an unusual urge to clean. The lifestyle boutique is packed to the brim with everything a domestic goddess would ever need: fabulous feather dusters, divine smelling candles, the famous Mrs White eco cleaning range (Mrs R White perhaps?), every size pyrex dish you'd need and a lovely collection of gifts to boot.

The old-school style of the store makes this a great shopping experience, with its proper counters, vintage display cabinets and even a working counter bell spotted.

Roullier White is definitely worth checking out, even just to inspire the domestic goddess within, at least for a couple of hours...

Welcome to Kemp Town

I haven't *actually* moved to Brighton. But visiting Kemp Town (and a certain cheeky road of antique shops) gave me another very good reason why I really could...

Rather than keeping to my usual Brighton haunts I found that venturing East away from The Laines was definitely worth it. I firstly stopped to check out Brighton Flea Market, a cool, varied collection of antiques, quirky collectables and a whole hoard vintage furniture.

I was actually sent to try to commandeer a recently spied vintage leather chair that had sadly already found a home...but I was still most impressed with the ever refreshed pieces of furniture - there was plenty to buy/ogle (delete as your wallet allows). Oh and if you go make sure you check out the full size diving helmet...

A couple of (antique shop) doors down you'll also find In Retrospect 60s and 70s original designs. An aching cool shop that introduced me to a G-Plan coffee table, that I now need urgently for my living room, and cluster of hip alarm clocks that I could just about allow to wake me up in the morning

Oh and in my imaginary Kemp Town life can I live here please? Brighton's famous Royal Crescent with a sea view - feels like home already.

Gallery of Nothcote Road, SW

Northcote Road Antiques Market. After finally receiving a fab jar for my teabags as a birthday treat, I discovered this market. Never have I seen so many a suitable jar...among a surprisingly huge collection of antiques in this deceptively small fronted market.

Lovely Huttons is a great gift shop where I found these melamine plates, perfect for picnics (maybe not today though, eh?)

Northcote Road also has some stand alone antiques shops like Carey B Antiques and Braemar Antiques with a very cool affordable selection - I think my obsession for birds can continue thanks to them...

Sale at Cabbages & Roses natch.

I also found out that I am not too posh for TK Maxx, despite the usual jumbly scrum, I spied this pretty smart London Transport teapot. No lid, mind, ah well...

Birthday treats