I came across the work of Eny Lee Parker today, a 28-year-old designer and ceramist who is creating coffee tables out of glass and terracotta vases. To make the clay vase legs, Parker applies a clear glaze, sandblasts away the high gloss and then adds a coat of beeswax to richen the finished tone. “I wanted to use the potter’s wheel to create furniture, which was very ambitious, especially for the size of things that you have to throw,” she told the New York Times.

I write about guest loos here often, mostly because it’s a small dream of mine to have one. I love the idea of a clean and classic decor, punctuated by an unexpectedly playful powder room. This one here is rich and sophisticated, and just the sort of safe haven I need when my house is brimming with children. Give me a glass of wine, and I’ll stay here all evening. Better yet, hand me the bottle.

I know it’s just a vase a flowers, but what a difference it makes to the room. Flowers breath life and colour into a space –– and as we move into winter, I urge you all to buy them in abundance. I stuck little pink flowers in Acqua Panna bottles today, and my friend Jessica brought me an orchid, and my home instantly felt happier. Skip the gerbera daisies and tulips, and go for a single, full bodied hydrangea.