Category: Design and Interiors

We haven’t featured a doormat for a while, so here’s one that’s stylish and contributes to charity – the Celia Birtwell Birds Doormat for Heals.

It’s one of a range of doormats created by celebrities and name designers for Heals, with all profits from each sale going to support the Terrence Higgins Trust. This one is by Retro Top Go favourite Celia Birtwell, featuring a hand-drawn bird design, along with Celia’s signature. If that’s not to your taste, you can also check out designs by Tara Palmer Tomkinson, Alan Titchmarsh, Sophie Conran, Orla Kiely and Lulu Guinness on the site.

Good value at £22 – and you’ll feel good about yourself everytime you walk into the house.

Find out more at the Heals website

I saw a home makeover show a while back, where the clueless "expert" ripped out a 1950s shelving system, replacing it with some high street tat. They obviously they didn’t realise these things make big money at auction – and are being reproduced by some of the hip design companies, like SCP offshoot Case, which has just launched the CaseFile storage system.

Designed by Matthew Hilton, this is very much in keeping with the classic (and particularly Scandinavian) storage systems of the past. It consists of steel uprights, with walnut or oak shelving and drawers, all adjustable to your required height. There’s also a bureau component, which drops down so you can use it as a desk.

Great, vintage-inspired design that’s new into the company’s range. As yet, we don’t have a price, but as this is the more affordable end of SCP, it should be too hard on your pocket.

Find out more at the Case website

Thomas Paul specialises in plundering the designs of the past to make modern (and affordable) design for the present, typified by this Thomas Paul Folk dessert plate set.

It’s a new set available for pre-order. You get the four heavy duty melamine plates, each featuring a different vintage-style "doll" design (well, a different colour anyway) and all dishwasher-safe (bit not microwave-safe sadly).

Measuring nine inches in diameter, you can pick up the set for $28 (which is just £14).

Find out more at the Velocity Design website

Ready for the festival season? If you’re off for a few nights under canvas and are on the look out for sleeping bag, you could take a look at this Marks & Spencer retro floral sleeping bag.

It’s part of a range of kit in this 70s-style floral design, which also includes a tent – although that seems to be aimed at children, so probably not ideal for your time in the great outdoors.

The sleeping bag is full-size and lined, made from a cotton and polyester mix and easily folded up when not in use.

It retails for £19.50.

Find out more at the Marks & Spencer website