As a little girl, I had one those dressing tables with a fabric skirt. My Mum had one, too. We both had a hairbrush and mirror set; hers was in antique silver and mine was in French Ivory. I never used it, but it did make for a fancy display. I also had this perfumed powder that came with a pale pink puff that I used to smother all over my face. That felt fancy, too. I used to love those scenes in old movies of women primping in the mirror. These days, it’s a flick of mascara, hair in a knot, and we’re out. No one spends an hour getting ready anymore. But back then it was an art form. The cocktails, the Crepe de Chine robe, the 1950s jazz tunes in the background; it all seemed so glamorous. I think I was around 11 or 12 when my Mum replaced my dressing table with a desk. The desk was a lot more practical. I did my homework at that desk and listened to Chris Tarrant on the radio. I still have the hairbrush and mirror set though. It even has my name engraved into it.

I love these prints from Sydney illustrator, Liv Lee. Think Grecian vases filled with Tulips, Chrysanthemums and Cherry Blossom. There are also bananas, raspberries and big white flowers that look like fried eggs. Her style is playful and light. There’s such humour and joy in Lee’s work.

When I think about copper pots I imagine dozens of them lined up against a duck–egg–blue peg board  à la Julia Child. I read that most of Child’s pans came from E. Dehillerin in Paris. Just imagine, an entire set of pots in that opulent pinkish hue. Masami Mizuno handcrafts his copper pots and pans from a single flat sheet of metal. They are gentled hammered for a beautifully textured finish. Each pan has a solid brass handle.

I love to see wood in a home, the more varieties the better. If one is ever in doubt about mixing Walnut with Oak and Maple, just walk through a forest. Elise Mclauchlan’s hand-carved pieces –– Maple milk jugs, Walnut cutting boards, and Oak bowls –– are beautifully understated. There’s no piece in this B.C. based maker’s collection that I wouldn’t want to see in my home. Have a peruse of her work; it really is a breath of fresh air.

The work of land artist, Chris Drury.

Alessandra Sanguinetti’s images of sisters on a farm in Buenos Aires.

Artist, Robert Nava’s childlike imagination.

Monogrammed towels and decoupage.

The perfect boiled egg.

A tiny copper clad home.

Children playing by Hiram Maristany.

Not everyone is into clawfoot tubs. Not everyone is into tubs. But if your daily scrub includes bubbles and a good book, this one here may inspire you. It’s not just the tub, I know — it’s the reclaimed wood, the weathered corrugated screen, and the overall French country fabulousness of it all — but I kinda want to dive right in and stay here ‘till next Tuesday. I may even grow a tail.