Reiko Kaneko

Have you heard of Reiko Kaneko? She is a ceramics designer who combines the best of English (bone china and eccentricity) with Japanese (kawaii-ness). She is causing a stir in the design world with her work, which is at once witty, practical and beautiful. Everything is made in Stoke-on-Trent - the home of British pottery. Have a look for yourself...

The Boat

Heart Collection - a reflection of the handle is subtly screenprinted onto the cup to create the image of a heart

The Breakfast Express

Petal Plates - designed for the numerous sauces that accompany Japanese meals

Lip Tease and Drip Tease Cups

Twiggy Snowman Christmas Decoration

Kasper the Cat Christmas Decoration

Reiko Kaneko

Fit For A King

In honour of The King's Speech winning all the Oscars I thought I'd look at some king- and queen-themed home treasures. I'd like to point out that you won't find any William & Kate souvenirs on this page - it's all about the Kings & Queens!


First up - these brilliant mugs from Cole of London. I really regret not paying attention in History lessons but these are a fantastic way to fill gaps in your history knowledge, as each one is covered in useful facts about the monarch pictured. There's even a timeline on the website which lists all of them, all the way back to Alfred the Great. (I thought Athelstan was the first king of England - shows how much I know!)

Image: Cole of London
£10

Check out the arched brow!

Guess which monarch this is!

These Stamp Rugs are really cool, in a quirky-punky way. They come in several colours with the different stamp denominations on them. 

Image: Stamp Rugs

Image: Stamp Rugs

I love this King's Choice mug from Rose & Grey. Now, I think this particular king is is George V, Colin Firth's dad. Right?

Kings Choice Mug, £6.95
Image: Rose & Grey

This gorgeous tea towel will make doing the dishes a bit less dull. It's from The Chic Country Home.

Tea With The Queen Tea Towel, £6.95
Image: The Chic Country Home

Now, where would a king be without all his soldiers and all his men? These cute egg and soldier cups are designed by Takae Mzutani and made in Cornwall. You can buy them from Not On The High Street.

Egg and Soldiers Breakfast Set, £24.50
Image: Not On The High Street

Fit For A King

New mug joy; Habitat closing down sale

These two mugs are providing me with much teatime joy at the moment. I bought them in the closing down sale at Habitat on Regent Street. The one on the left, Camille, is my favourite. I can't resist pink and grey together.

It's a shame that Habitat is leaving Regent Street, although it does make sense for them to concentrate on the Tottenham Court Road store instead. After all, nobody goes to Regent Street to buy furniture. 

The fabulous art deco building, a former cinema, is being taken over by Burberry.

All the stock is reduced by about 30-50% so there are some great bargains to be found - get down there quick though.

I just about managed to stop myself from buying the rest of the Camille dinner set (no space in my kitchen). Having said that, the sale is on for another three weeks, and I might not be so restrained next time I walk past... 

Image: Habitat

New mug joy; Habitat closing down sale