A novel way to get a fur fix

Form is so often twinned with function when it comes to message boards. The early noughties saw an explosion in the use of blackboard paint in interior design and old fashioned be-ribboned message boards are always popular. However, a new age dawns with the arrival of Portuguese designer Goncalo Campos' "Dedo" message board. Made with a furry base within a wooden frame, the owner can simply run their finger through the faux fur to leave a message or change the design. The message is then erased by stroking the fur flat again. Ingenious. The name of the board, "Dedo", means "Finger" in Portuguese. It's an extremely unusual idea but one that will no doubt prove extremely popular, especially with those of us that yearn for a pet.

Antique Portuguese design: Pérolas de Viana

At a recent dinner party, one of my friends reminded me of a type of old Portuguese jewellery that I hadn't thought of for years. The Portuguese town of Viana do Castelo is famous for its decorative gold filigree jewellery which reflects back to the time of Moorish occupation. It's traditional for Portuguese girls to be given "pérolas de Viana" (pearls made of gold) on their 18th birthday but a lot of the larger work is extremely intricate and ornate. Because it's Portugal, this jewellery is impossible to get online but it's worth a visit to the town just to check out the museum if you're ever visiting. The pearls in particular are a great example of traditional Portuguese design.

Decadent advertising: luxury armchairs by Munna Design

Munna design make the sexiest armchairs in the world. Not only do they use incredibly imaginative advertising for their "Fetish" range but the workmanship on each piece is exquisite. The pictures are so clear that you can imagine how smooth and cool the silky leather would feel underneath your hand if you could reach through the screen. These Portuguese furniture designers have really gone all out to make each chair completely individual and eye-catching. They have a quirky and gleeful sense of humour and play with various fetish concepts when designing their chairs. So the "Dommes" chair is upholstered with bright red PVC in a black frame whilst the "Corset" chair has a rigid structure and supporting arms. Another one for my piggy bank list.

These are a few of my favourite things...

I've been swamped with work recently and found myself spending what little time I do have free contemplating the magnificence of London-based designer Charlene Mullen's wonderful cushions. I've wanted one for years and curse my lack of forethought at not snapping one up a couple of years ago when they were a measly £45 apiece. I adore the Aerial sparrows and lovebirds circa £130 on her own website) but would be equally happy with one of the "Ralph's relatives" cat cushion range (circa £45). The individual expressions on each different cat are superb but it does give rise to the question of whether or not multiple cat cushions would make me a crazy cat lady - even though I don't own a cat? For this kind of hand-embroidered beauty, I'd be willing to be mocked. I've decided to start saving for one, although I have the feeling I'd probably hover anxiously over anyone crude enough to actually sit on the thing, especially if they were (as is common for people visiting Casa London Lisbonite) holding a glass of red wine. These cushions prove that for worry-prone folk like me, form and function cannot always be twinned. That said, I am certainly going to crack open a new piggy bank and get saving.

Bright and colourful seaside home

When you think of August in London, what comes to mind? The smell of cut grass wafting through the air past happy couples on their way to picnic in the park? Based-on mud at festivals? Sun-baked workers enjoying after-dinner drinks by the Thames? If you actually live here - I expect that the first thing to spring to mind would be unseasonable rain, which is a bit depressing. Oh, to be living in this wonderfully brightly coloured Portuguese holiday home in the Algarve (found via Caras). The house is simply drenched in colour and it fairly gleams under the sun. The colours are so bold, cheerful and uplifting and the minimalist attitude to furniture (which is mostly antique or painted but quite sparse) makes the whole house look spacious and inviting.

Saltcrystal bowl and eggcup by thehomeproject

The old saying goes that one ought to "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper" to avoid taxing the digestive system with mountains of food when you go to bed. I have to say that I'm in agreement - at least on Sundays. Nothing can beat a breakfast of pancakes and bacon smothered with maple syrup, or soft boiled eggs with marmite soldiers (unless it is one of the aforementioned that is both made for and brought to you by somebody else). thehomeproject came to my attention when I was looking for eggcups simply because of the originality of their design. The inspiration for the piece was an old Portuguese tradition that boiled eggs should be sold out of a plate which is filled with salt. The salt conserves the egg for longer and avoids strong smells. This "egg holder" interprets tradition by bringing together past knowledge and contemporary aesthetics.The crochet technique used to make the eggcup crystallizes the salt. The outcome is a standard egg holder made of pure white salt crystals. Although the eggcups are my absolute favourites, the bowls and plates made of salt have their own delicate beauty too.

How to buy books (by the foot)

A couple of weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to a housewarming party at an amazing apartment. Rooftop views of London, lots of natural light, double doors leading into an enormous living room, this place had it all. However, what immediately grabbed the eye was the main bookcase where the books were lined up by colour. "Hullo", said the boyfriend, snatching a book from the centre of the shelf and beadily eyeing the spine, "I don't think that these books have actually been read!". The colour-graduating (or rainbow) bookcase has become something of a design blog classic and is clearly big business, as evidenced by the existence of Wonder Book, which I spotted on the wonderful Chez Larsson. This company sells books by the foot. Honestly. You don't find out which actual books you're buying, you just specify the colour you want and the length of your shelves and voila, rainbow bookcase by courier. While it certainly looks impressive, I think there's something quite sad about people having lots of books that they'll never read, however impressive they might look.


Rainbow bookcase found via Apartment Therapy.

Tread softly because you tread on my...hand-woven rug

Computers really have taken over the world. They're even dominating the world of design. Pixels have long been a central part of modern (often ironic) design and from the minute that Blik created their infamous Space Invader wall stickers, copies have been popping up all over the place. The Portuguese Piodao Group have come up with an interesting take on the idea, in the somewhat unlikely form of a hand-tufted rug. The company has been making artisan textiles in Portugal since 1992 and have started to make a real name for themselves in the design world. Their "Pixel" rug would brighten any room. From there it's clear that it's but a short hop, skip and a jump to a rug that looks like pebbles.