Hygge Nook

Anorak's animal print picnic blankets

I know we're pushing it a bit asking for some sun this summer but it would be nice, wouldn't it? To just this once have a properly sunny summer so that I could happily click purchase on one of these delightful animal print picnic blankets. The Kissing Animals blankets are by Anorak* for £36 each from Molenta Munro (I want the horse one). {source: Bright Bazaar}

*They of the Anorak jacket? Enlighten me?

Panton S chairs

Did you know Vernor Panton was Danish? Really this is just another excuse for me to post the S chairs - following last week's series of Danish themed posts - that I love so much and still don't have. One day. I spotted the S chairs being used in a garden which I found quite inspiring (see it on p97 of Real Homes' June issue). They're £49 each here and I'm wondering if I could sneak in one for the desk I also don't yet have?

How to dress up an Ikea Bjursta dining table

Another post inspired my own home here. After two years of having a dining table that was essentially nothing more than a very large birch desk top paired up with cheap round black legs, we realised we simply couldn't fit round it as a family anymore and our £30 cheapy pairing just had to go.

So we went to scout out Ikea to find a new table. I had my eye on the Norden but it was really too long for our average sized dining room. Then I spotted the Bjursta which fitted the bill sizewise and came in at £155. Not only did it come in birch (though we did admire the black option) to match the chairs we were keeping, but it was also big enough to sit six comfortably at its smallest size plus two extra hidden leaves mean we can extend it to pack in more people at the dinner parties we don't have. And as it's too heavy for the children to move, there will be no more finding the table flying askew mid meal. Hurrah!

It doesn't look so great in the little picture above. The black-brown option we saw instore was dressed up with some great crisp whites and vibrant green tableware which gave me the idea of checking out Flickr to see what other people had done with their table. I'm particularly enamoured with the runners.

Flickr: kirstencan

Flickr: design_ski

Flickr: Maliniroy

Flickr: voilamaxine

Ikea's Hemnes linen cabinet

Something I struggle with whilst living in a rental is the storage problem. I can't, for obvious reasons, have any storage built in. And I also have a problem with freestanding storage that needs to attached to walls to make it more secure - again for obvious reasons.

I do think this Hemnes linen cabinet is ideal for rentals though. It's not so tall at 132cm that it could be a hazard (though they do recommend attaching it to the wall) and with three deep shelves, there is plenty of space for storing towels or linen upstairs or tableware in the dining room. It's £194.77 and I'm rather keen on it's rustic yellow paintwork.

Like this? More storage solutions

Design classic: Panton chair

I spotted this chair in Living etc magazine (pictured, left) and immediately loved it. I think it's the curvy, molded acrylic design that got me. Or maybe it was the possibility of it looking so cleanable? Either way for practicality and function, I just love them. They come in a range of colours (I prefer the white) for £174 each at The Lollipop Shoppe plus I've spotted child sized versions for just £19.95 at Vita Interiors.

Cheap vs Chic: Pedlars and Ikea chairs

'Reclaimed' is one of those words used to spice up an old piece of, well, anything and make it sound significantly more exciting. So, you won't be surprised to find that the chair on the left, made from reclaimed yardsticks and crates is £199 at Pedlars. But if you want virtually the same thing for £s less, take a look at the Ikea 'Kaustby' option. It comes in antique stain (shown) and dark brown for just £35.

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