Toast, Honition

Ok, so I went all the way to antiques haven Honiton (Kirstie Allsopp has been spotted there I hear) and it was a coffee shop that caught my eye. Well a girl's gotta warm up somehow!

Toast is a fresh new addition to this Devon town, that has just been opened by the team behind the local Otter Brewery. I love it already, after my first visit this weekend. It hits the nail on the head as the perfect stylish teatime spot for this town famous for its (totally potterable) antiques shops.

Toast offers a rather lovely ever-changing choice of cake...I had the most amazing jaffa-cake muffin which I can safely say was even better than an actual jaffa cake, controversial I know.

But it was the decor that really impressed me. Toast's spot-on interior doesn't stray too far from Honiton's antique-y style with original distressed wood pieces and tastefully cool xmas decs. A perfect spot-off for casual antique browsers, it's a lovely addition the the town...and my list of cake recommendations.

H&M Home, first look

I had my first sneak into Hennes (or H&M as it calls itself nowadays) Home today. I think I am sold...

The collection is a nice mixture of colour, graphic, classic 50s, leopard (everywhere!) and girly, all very affordable.

The Oxford Circus flagship showroom has an Argos-style system that smartly keeps the displays simple and nicely styled, with magnetic product cards rather than tiny blue biros!

No purchases made, but I could be swayed by this faux lace bed set...it would be lovely layered with pale pinks and a knitted wool blanket for the cold...mmm.

SCP warehouse sale, SE1

My indulgent Saturday lie-in meant that I left the SCP warehouse sale this weekend with zero purchases and a glum face.

The sale was amazing as predicted. The impressive modern furniture pieces were on offer for 90% off (beautiful dining tables for £180!)...but the early bird really did get the worm at SCP's warehouse.

Arriving an hour after opening time meant that I spent most of my time at the sale lusting over already sold items - I couldn't help but imagine what the already sold colourful would have look like next to my leather and teak sofa *sniff*.

Oh I'll learn and you'll find me camping outside the night before (Take That obsessive style) next time...

Lulu & Hitch, Hove BN3

Oh where to find an interiors shop full of classics and quirky accessories on a sunny day? The south coast again, that's where (for a London obsessive these jaunts to the seaside seem to be pleasing me a bit too much...)

Last week I stumbled across Lulu & Hitch on Church Street, one of the main drags, in Hove. A fabulous mix of cleverly spruced up vintage furniture pieces at very good prices and an even more affordable mix of gifts, smellies and co.

As loathed as I am to get Christmassy too early (yup I'm still hanging onto October on the 31st) at Lulu & Hitch they were already showing a very cute and original selection of Christmas decorations, perfect to add those special one-off ornaments to the tree.

Some very well-chosen antique gifts were also spied...

And tell me where you could find beautifully renovated furniture pieces like these (for under £200?!) in London then I will be a happy girl...

Decorex highlights

I know a review of one of the biggest interior design shows shouldn't begin with the loos but...

This year Decorex commissioned the fabulous Louise Body to decorate the toilets and oh did she. Her trompe l'oeil wallpaper was one of my show highlights - wish I hadn't been too shy to snap the urinals (hmm maybe not).

The show started with a route through Nina Campbell's amazing (grown up) Alice in Wonderland style foyer.

This monumentous elephant stood above the, as always fabulous, Andrew Martin stand.

I love the intricate designs of these prints from Sandberg.

Revolving fabric branch tree...obviously...

Anonymous woolly sheep...

Out of the Alice in Wonderland house and then home. Great Decorex indeed, more like this please!

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.