Custhom wallpaper

I'm kicking myself for not having posted about this before. I wandered into the Custhom design base in East London (off Brick Lane) and fell in love with their thermocromatic wallpaper. The pretty designs change to reveal extra details and/or colours when heated so I was insistent that they'd look perfect on a chimney flue! The sciency bit: One layer of ink is printed using thermochromatic ink which is affected by a temperature rise (ie heat from radiators/hot water pipes or strong sunlight) this allows certain areas of the design to temporarily change and reveal hidden images throughout the paper then disappear again as the paper cools to room temperature. Their website doesn't appear to be working at the moment but you can find them on Bouf. They have a couple of standard designs but will work directly with you on an your own concepts too. What an original idea!

Flying fish!

I've always loved the idea of flying fish. They're definitely the rebels of the aquatic world, shrugging off the restraints accepted by other fish in order to fly free. These flying fish brooches by Liliana Maia are by far and away not top of my must-have list for spring. Tiny propellers rest in the mouth of each fish, making them look like they belong on the set of Micmacs. Adorable!

Ecola - eco-friendly wool from happy, high-altitude sheep

Serra de Estrela is one of the prettiest parts of Portugal. I went hiking there as a child and while I discovered I'm not one of nature's campers, the scenery was stunning and much of it is protected. It's the home of a delicious and rather pricey cheese, millions of sheep and of massive guard dogs that look like small bears. It's also the home of Ecola, a century-old family run business that produces gorgeous woolen products. Their products are totally organic and after the sheep are shorn, the wool is washed thoroughly in fresh spring water. The blankets, coats and other products are then made on hand-powered looms and all tassels are twisted by hand. Even their product labels are made from recycled paper! I absolutely love the children's blankets - they'd make a beautiful present that a baby could enjoy throughout their childhood - and I think that the normal house and picnic blankets are very pretty. It's such a shame that this area of Portugal isn't more publicised. It's beautiful.

The Packhouse

I've had a link to The Packhouse in my favourites folder for a while now and was eagerly anticipating their new website which has finally been put up - hurrah! It's a shame that they don't have an online shop but sometimes it's nice to wander around websites just to drool over the styling in their pictures. Especially that of the gorgeous Mulberry Home range! So no theme to this post I'm afraid, apart from the fact that everything featured can be found on their website.

The sheer elegance of white

If you were to say "White interior" to me, I'd probably think of a minimalist penthouse batchelor pad or a sterile student flat. However, in countries where there's a lot of natural light, white can look elegant and sophisticated (although you'd have to keep the place completely tidy to maintain it!) and even warm. This house from a recent edition of Caras makes the point completely. Although I'm not too sure about the mohair blankets, it looks like a very restful place to spend a weekend!

Alice in Wonderland - interiors shoot

It seems that Alice-fever is sweeping the interweb, with almost every single blogger incorporating Burton-inspired whimsy into at least one post. Can you hear me go baa as I do the same? I came across this Maxima Interiores photoshoot using Wonderland themes - how pretty?!

Couto toothpaste

Couto medicinal toothpaste is one of the best known brands in Portugal. The recipe for the vegan toothpaste has remained the same since 1932 and the company has also retained the traditional packaging. It was one of the first Portuguese brands to invest heavily in TV advertising and the clip showing a man throwing a heavy chair around with his teeth is extremely famous (if a little difficult to watch!).

Animal hand tattoos

Héctor Serrano is Spanish rather than Portuguese but his talking animal hand tattoos are so cool, I just had to share them. A true (and affordable!) design original. Serrano hails from Valencia, where he got his first degree at CEU design school and, the heart of the country's design revival now. What a wonderful and original toy - so much better than biro eyes! Set of 8 available for $8 at A+R Store.

Serrote notebooks

There's something very seductive about a new and unspoiled page. I'm not trying to make a deeper point here - a blank page can just be very inviting. The Serrote books, published using traditional Portuguese typography, have become quite popular and are sold in boutique design stores worldwide. As well as the notebooks that have made them famous, they also print business cards, note cards and custom invitations as well as having published two books.

Ceramics that look like twigs

Like acorns? Me too. When we were little, my sister and I used to use acorn cups to serve imaginary tea to our teddies. The actual acorns were (obviously) saved as ammunition for late night acorn fights....ah, good times. Anyway, I'm charmed by the Yauatcha Atelier ceramics, many of which are elegant while sticking to the woodland theme. Espresso cups, acorn mugs and bonbon dishes, oh my! Look:

Favourite five: Tea towels

Consider the tea-towel. Long an ignored piece of kitchen equipment but springing onto the design and craft scene with a vengeance! I've been shopping - take a look at my basket!
Classic choice: Use Me tea towel, $18, Etsy
Cute choice: Owl trio tea towel, £8, Not On The High Street
Modern choice: Dirty and Dishy tea towels, £7 each, Lush Designs
Quirky choice: Mr Darcy Proposal tea towel, $11, Etsy
Crafted choice: Love Birds tea towel, £11, Not On The High Street

Liquid originality: Bombay Sapphire designer glass competition

Although Bombay Gin really isn't something I enjoy drinking (all brand and no substance - for real taste you have to go for Tanqueray, preferably number 10), they do have quite an innovative glass design competition run on an annual basis. A couple of years ago Portuguese product designer Sandra Inês Mesquita da Conceição took home first prize for her "Goobly" glass. I managed to find a couple of other entries from Portuguese designers - Luís Miguel Alves de Sousa, David João Matos de Carvalho and Pedro Gomes. Hopefully all of them know to put lime in a G&T rather than the lemon slice half the bartenders in London keep pushing. Rant over, enjoy the glasses!

Casas da Fonte - design house

Take a look inside this gorgeous design-inspired house just outside of Porto. This kind of drool-worthy design seems to make a bit of a mockery of my afternoon spent trawling IKEA for frames! Found via Chic Tip.

Glasses to match every outfit: Luis Porem

Some people match their shoes to their bag and their eyeshadow to their top. While I've never been quite that pulled together, I can certainly see the appeal of Luis Porem's multicoloured glasses. They were designed as an entry in the Opus Award contest. The structure of the RbG glasses has an internal channel where colourful ink passes through, meaning that the wearer can change their look every time they use them. Original (and useful), no?