10 Things: a look inside my secret address book

For the third instalment of this regular shopping guide, we’re abandoning themed products and I’m just going to show you 10 things I’ve seen this month that I have either already bought or would quite like to, funds and space permitting. It’s a chance to see inside my secret address book of interiors.

1 GLASS ECO FUEL CANDLE HOLDER

I wrote last month about the increasing popularity of battery-powered table lamps in restaurants and now, it seems, the candle has struck back. This glass holder can be filled with paraffin or eco fuel and used as many times as you like. A good solution if you don’t like messy (and hot) wax. I’m always intrigued by things I haven’t seen before so I’m including it for that reason, if no other. I may even buy one – and if you do, be sure to let us know in the comments what you think. Sometimes an item like this is a solution to a problem you don’t really have. Sometimes it’s a cool idea.

2 TWINKLY RECHARGEABLE WALL LIGHT

Now this one is definitely a solution to a problem I have. As those of you who have signed up for my design retreats at the house in Italy will discover, there is a very beautiful sitting room at the top of the house with windows all along two sides. In an effort to save money (and cut down on the thousands of decisions) we decided to leave all the lighting points in the same positions when the room was rewired. There are small brass downlighters in each corner and a table with lamps on as well as sockets for the tv and internet. However, on the back wall, where the fireplace is located, there are no sockets at all. So my plan to install a chair by the fire and create a cosy reading corner instantly fell apart. The room is huge; no extension cable will reach that far. And then I spotted these. They will look perfect on the wall above the fireplace, go with the brass ceiling lights, and don’t even need a table to sit on. Simply genius. They provide 10 hours of illumination when fully charged and are even dimmable. They’ll be up by the time of the first retreat in April. If you want to see the room as it is now, along with my secret tip for affordable rugs, then you can upgrade to a paid subscription.

3 RIVER FULL LENGTH WALL MIRROR

Moving away from lighting to this rather fabulous mirror. It would look great hung this way for outfit checking but also in landscape format, say over a sofa as well. And, of course, large mirrors are great in hallways which are often dark and narrow – and if you take care of the placement, can catch light from adjacent doorways and bounce it back into the space.