Eye on Design: September
A month's-worth of things I love – plus styling advice. The list includes a fabulous scented candle, my go-to for cosy bedding, the most comfortable sofas ever, and a great new interiors book.
Stop Press: I will be at Focus at Chelsea Harbour on Tuesday 17 September for two events, if you fancy coming along. The first, from 10am, is at The House of Rohl London Showroom, 3rd Floor of the North Dome at the Design Centre, where I’ll be talking about the renovation of my house in Italy (reserve your free place here). The second is at Hill House Interiors’ showroom (1st Floor, South Dome) where I will be joining a panel to discuss how to grow your business and expand your brand.
This is coming to you slightly later than intended. I’m a stickler for deadlines, but in the hurly-burly of waving goodbye to all the guests after my first design retreat in Italy, my scheduling slipped just a little. It was a wonderful long weekend and we have another coming up in mid-October (technically fully booked, but I could squeeze in one or two, if anyone fancies a last-minute getaway in Piemonte). I’ll be running more retreats in 2025, so if you missed out this year, keep an eye out for those dates. And if you want to be added to the waiting list to be first in line, you can find out more and leave a comment here.
Which brings me neatly to my first purchase for this month’s Eye on Design…
GINGHAM CHECK TABLECLOTH from Zara
There’s something about a check tablecloth that is both nostalgic and, currently, a little fashionable. Over the summer I found an actual live Zara Home store in Turin. I don’t know about you, but I’ve only ever seen their products online before, so it was exciting to go inside and browse about. (It’s a big one too, if you’re ever in the neighbourhood…) We bought some serving plates and a basil scented candle which is a hard recommend by the way. It smells amazing and looks great, and I would not have expected to be buying candles from Zara.
And then I saw the tablecloth. I have what the Italians call a tavernetta in the oldest part of my house, with a vaulted ceiling and a giant pizza oven. It’s a gorgeous room but prone to damp, as the original 300-year-old cotto tiles sit directly on the earth floor, which means we can’t hang pictures on the wall.
Our plan is to find some vintage plates and tin advertising posters to decorate the space and really lean into the Seventies pizzeria vibe. But we haven’t seen anything quite right yet, so this tablecloth seemed like the perfect interim solution.
Had I found it earlier, we might have spent the summer drinking Chianti out of straw-covered bottles to create complementary candle-holders, and to hang in clusters from the hooks on the ceiling, completing the retro look. I promise that if you come to one of next year’s retreats, it will have been fully pizzeria-ed. We’ve already tracked down a giant comedy pepper mill (below) at the vintage market.
Now I appreciate not everyone has a room like this – but that’s the joy of the check tablecloth. It works in all settings and in any kitchen and I just know it will bring joy to the rainiest Monday night supper. So if you want to bring the holidays home, this might be the purchase.
GINGHAM BEDDING from La Redoute
More check. Regular readers will know that I am a huge fan of La Redoute. It’s a massive website and there’s a lot to rummage through, but it’s one of the key shops in my little black book. If you are looking for affordable rugs and good bedding then this is where I start every time. I have the base sheets in bronze, green and lavender and they are so soft and comfortable.