The Perfect Tea Towel: Sian Elin

I love a good chevron I do. So the bright, cheery pattern on this tea towel from Sian Elin has caught my eye. Bonus Perfect Tea Towel points added too, as it is made and printed in the UK.

Chevrons Tea Towel, from Sian Elin, price £12

Mondays are for Mugs: Anthropologie

Now here's a pretty perfect place to put your cuppa. Anthopologie *always* get mugs right and I reckon and this beauty is no exception. It's asking for a soothing herbal tea with a slice of lemon don't you think? Terribly nice to have a calm Monday once in a while. 

Palette Sketch Cup and Saucer, from Anthropologie, price £22

Faves: Folklore

Let me start with an (admittedly pretty tenuous) analogy: Folklore is a new kid to the block, but the new kid that turns up already wearing cooler jeans than you, has the trainers your mum won't buy you and is teaching you new words. 

But this is the design world. So it looks like this:

Lovely, eh?

Even though Folklore only recently launched on the design scene it's already fitting right it and looking so simply cool. This new brand taps perfectly into the niche in the market for functional, beautifully made homeware products with a nod to sustainability. And boy to they do it well. 

They sell lifestyle products from well chosen designers, that cater for simple living but certainly don't scrimp on good long-lasting materials. They have a slick, easy to use website showing beautifully styled and photographed products and a elegantly simple styled shop on Islington's always expanding Upper Street. 

My (current) faves from Folklore are this Dakota Linen Cushion:

And Washita Linen Cushion: 

I love the geometric patterns, they are made from linen and flax which gives them a comforting worn look that could fit right in anywhere...

This is a new kid definitely worth getting to know. 

Dakota and Washita Linen Cushions, from Folklore, price £68 each

The Perfect Tea Towel: The Hambledon

If you are eating biscuits while washing up the obvious rule is the feed them to the washer up-er too. It's only fair.

But with this lovely tea towel designed by Charlotte Farmer available at The Hambledon, you can both admire these nostalgic biscuit-y treats and get the dishes done too.

Family Favourites Tea Towel, by Charlotte Farmer, from The Hambledon, price £11.95

Mondays are for Mugs: Avec-Des-Si

Starting a Monday with understated simple glamour isn't my usual routine (it's more: pressing snooze too many times, smudged make-up, spilling cat food and running for buses) but with this optimistically bright, subtly stylish and comfortingly hand-thrown mug from Avec-Des-Si, I might at least *look* slightly more glam with my cuppa.

'Inge' Hand-Thrown Porcelain Mug, in ochre, from Avec-Des-Si, price £17.50

The Perfect Tea Towel: I Feel Natty

If you like a bit of geekiness while drying the dishes this is the tea towel for you. 

Kiwi designer/maker I Feel Natty has screen-printed the Topographical Tea Towel to show the hand-drawn map of south coast of Wellington in New Zealand. So you can embrace the Duke of Edinburgh orienteering memories while doing a bit of housework - nice!

Topographical Map Tea Towel, from I Feel Natty at Etsy, price £10.15

Mondays are for Mugs: Famille Summerbelle

This mug should really be drunk from with breakfast in a chic diner or Central Perk a la Friends (anyone else missing their Ross and Rachel fix as much as me?!). But if your Manhattan dreams are as distant as mine...this beautiful Manhattan Mug from Famille Summerbelle is a pretty good alternative to cheer up a Monday morning.

Manhattan Mug, from Famille Summerbelle, price €15