Bringing light to dark days

How to love your lighting - and perhaps design your very own shade…

Long, january evenings provide us with good reason to celebrate lighting up the dark. Whether it’s spending a quiet hour with a scented candle, or rethinking your entire lighting scheme in your home.

In our January issue’s The Comfort of Things feature, Clare Gogerty waxes lyrical on the positive vibes good lighting can bring to your home: “Coming home and switching on the lights banishes the darkness, replacing it not just with visibility but with emotional reassurance.”

There’s more on why lighting is so important to our homes in the January issue. However, if you’re inspired to really throw yourself at a lighting project you will also not want to miss The Simple Things’ Lampshade Making Workshop on Saturday 23 February in Hove, East Sussex.

The course is run with Lume Lighting’s Joanna Corney, a maker and designer who has run her homeware business for several years and will take place at her lovely working studio by the sea, in Hove.

The workshop is exclusively for The Simple Things readers and is ideal for beginners who want to learn the craft of contemporary lampshade making. You’ll be given all the skills you need to make your very own custom shade, meeting like-minded people and eating some delicious food along the way. You’ll make either a 20cm or 30cm diameter fabric drum lampshade, which can be used on a lamp base or ceiling pendant. At the end of the workshop you will go home with your very own bespoke lampshade – perhaps just the first of many more beautiful customised designs.

COURSE DETAILS

The Simple Things’ Lampshade Making Workshop, which has seven places available, will be held at Joanna’s studio in Hove, East Sussex, on Saturday 23 Feburary 2019. Time: 10.30am–3.30pm. Ticket price: £60, including all tools and materials for the class, plus tea, coffee, cake and lunch. You’ll need to make your own way there and home. The only thing you need to bring is the fabric of your choice to cover your lampshade.  

HOW TO BOOK

Email hello@lumelighting.co.uk. Joanna’s website is lumelighting.co.uk.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More from the January issue…

More ways to bring light to your home…

Create a space just for you

Hoping to carve out a study, nook or understairs hole just for you this weekend? Here’s how.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT LIGHT Sitting in your own pool of light creates a boundary. This, it says, is my area where I do my things. A floor lamp positioned directly over a chair in a corner of the room creates a reading nook. An Anglepoise directed at a desk sends a subliminal ‘I’m busy’ message.

SIT IN A COMFORTABLE CHAIR Essential, whether an enveloping armchair to curl up in with a book, or a proper office chair. Make sure everyone knows it’s your chair and your chair alone, like Martin’s in Frasier.

HAVE A SIDE TABLE AT THE READY A table beside you is necessary to put your things on. These might include a radio, a vase filled with your favourite flowers and, obviously, a mug of tea.

KEEP A BLANKET HANDY Nothing says: ‘I’m enjoying some down time’ like a throw tucked around your legs or across your shoulders.

WELCOME PETS You might not feel the need for human company, but a pet will always be welcome. A cat purring beside a computer as you type, or a dog lying across your feet as you listen to the radio, provides exactly the amount of interaction and affection required.

Read more of Clare Gogerty’s advice on creating a room of one’s own in our November issue. On sale now.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

Read more on simple interiors…

More from the November issue…

Judith Shakespeare: heroine who never was

A short biography of an imaginary woman we should all get to know a little better

We’ve been hankering after ‘a room of one’s own’ this month. You can read about how to create the perfect R.O.O.O. in the November issue, but one thing’s for sure, a little spot somewhere in the house that is ‘just yours’, whether to glorify in mess, old books and bits of paper, or to keep like your own tiny palace, is a luxury we all would love.

In her essay ‘A Room of One’s Own’, published in 1929, Virginia Woolf asserted that a woman must have “money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”. It never stopped JK Rowling, but to be fair she had the advantage of women’s liberation.

To prove her point that in Elizabethan times it would have been impossible for a woman to have written the works of Shakespeare, no matter what her talent, Woolf introduces us to Judith, Shakespeare’s sister. “We thought his sister’s name was Joan?” we hear you cry, as one. Well, yes, it was. No one is quite clear whether Ginny just wanted to jazz her up a bit or if she’d made a mistake. But nonetheless, Judith Shakespeare is the imaginary sister of William who appears in the essay.

She is a clever girl, with all the gifts of her brother but they come to naught: "She was as adventurous, as imaginative, as agog to see the world as he was. But she was not sent to school.” She hides her reading and study for fear of a telling off from her parents and is forced to become engaged at a young age. To avoid a life of domestic drudgery she runs away to become an actress, is roundly ridiculed by all and sundry, falls pregnant by her employer and takes her own life. “She lives in you and in me,” said Woolf, “and in many other women who are not here tonight, for they are washing up the dishes and putting the children to bed.”

The sad story of Judith Shakespeare is one of the most famous parts of Woolf’s essay and has inspired all sorts of writers and artists since. Not least, the band Shakespeare’s Sister who named themselves for Judith, and The Smiths, who recorded a song of the same name.

The inspiration we are taking from poor Judith’s short (imaginary) life is that we owe it to our literary fore-sisters to make the effort to find space for a room of our own. Because we’re worth it. Our regular feature, The Comfort of Things, in the November issue has more on how to create your very own ‘room of one’s own’.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

Read more on The Comfort of Things…

More from the November issue…

The Comfort of Things | An organised wardrobe

My teenage stepson lives with us part time – a set-up I enjoy very much, but with one reservation. He is the master of the ‘floor drop’, ie, the notion of hanging clothes up is totally alien to him, so they lie heaped on the floor mouldering away. I am loathe to tiptoe into his room when he’s out, pick up his jeans and T-shirts and put them away in his wardrobe for him, but I can’t bear to see them lying there. What to do?

Answer in brief: make hanging up clothes cool
The ways of the teenage boy are indeed mysterious. Whereas you take pleasure in rows of neatly hung jeans, to him that idea is beyond consideration. Clothes are to be worn, then discarded until they need washing (preferably by someone else). But it’s good to encourage him to take responsibility. Try propping a vintage wooden ladder by his bedside (or buying a ready-made version, left) to drape his clothes on. It will take less effort than opening a wardrobe and finding a hanger, and may just persuade him to do it.

Turn to page 114 of October's The Simple Things for more on organised wardrobes.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More home ideas:

More from the October issue:

The Comfort of Things | Handmade home

My eldest son has started pottery classes at school, which he enjoys and which is to be applauded, etc. However, I now have a shelf laden with misshapen bowls, approximately rendered plates and several lumpy things beyond description. I would rather replace these with lovely handmade ceramics made by proper craftspeople but I don’t want to upset him. How should I go about it?

Answer in brief: select a single piece to display, then chuck the rest. Although the artistic soul is a sensitive thing and needs to be tended to carefully, you don’t want to give your son a false sense of his own genius if it’s not deserved. Does he, actually, show any real promise? If so, select one of his better pieces and display it prominently: on a side table, say, with an anglepoise directed at it in the manner of a gallery. Then sweep the rest into a box and put under a bed. He will be so thrilled with the attention given to one of his works, he won’t notice. If he doesn’t show any real promise, just chuck the lot out. It’s a tough world out there and he’d better get used to it.

Turn to page 114 of September's The Simple Things for more on how to make a handmade home.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More home ideas:

More from the September issue:

The Comfort of Things | A guide to home fragrance

There are many different ways to perfume your home. Try these, for starters

CANDLES

Buy cheap and your olfactory system will pay. Invest in a candle, made from premium wax and perfume-grade fragrance, though, and hours of transportative scent will be yours.

Reine de la Nuit by Miller Harris is heady with the scent of tuberose; £45, millerharris.com.

REED DIFFUSERS

Best for continual fragrance, as long as you remember to invert the reeds every couple of weeks. If you don’t like the container the liquid came in, pour into one of your own, or learn how to make your own.

Bergamot Reed Diffuser, 200ml, £35, geodesis.com/en

ROOM SPRAYS

Great for spritzing around the home prior to guests arriving (or post, come to think of it). Look for ones that disperse fine droplets: you want a mist not a downpour.

58 Balancing Room Mist, is free from chemicals, and smells fresh and delicious; £23, 58lifestyle.com.

AROMA MISTERS

These eject a fragrant, thin, dry mist. Select an essential oil (lavender is great beside the bed to help you slumber), add a few drops to the water inside, plug in and inhale. Soothing and spa-like. Also has a dimmable light for extra ambience.

Aroma diffuser, £59.95; muji.eu.

Turn to page 119 of August's The Simple Things for more ideas for a fragrant home.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More home ideas:

More from the August issue:

The Comfort of Things | A guide to outdoor lighting

Easy options that bring a little magic to the garden but don’t require an electrician

SOLAR LIGHTS

Most come with a stake to sink into your borders thus creating a row of lights to guide your eye (and guests) along the garden path. Try: Solar bubble outdoor stake lights, £24 for four (johnlewis.com), which change colour and add a little festival flavour to proceedings.

FESTOON LIGHTS

Bigger and brighter than fairy lights with round bulbs best hung in swags. They look good strung from trees or a pergola and provide enough light to eat by. Try: Elan solar festoon lanterns, 20 LEDs, £19.98, thesolarcentre.co.uk; LED connectable perspex festoon lights, £35, lights4fun.co.uk.

GARDEN TORCHES

Garden torches with LED lights exist but are tame compared to the guttering flame of an oil lamp. Try: Iron garden torches, £15.95 each; 120cm high (allthingsbrightonbeautiful.co.uk); bamboo garden torches, £5.90 each; 180cm high (homebase.co.uk).

HURRICANE LANTERNS

Created to withstand storms at sea, these robust lamps are fuelled with paraffin with a wind-up wick, and won’t blow out. Put one or two on the table or hang from wall hooks. Look out for them at army surplus stores. Try: Silver hurricane lantern, 10 inch, £5.99 (surplusoutdoors.com).

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More home ideas:

More from the July issue:

The Comfort of Things | A guide to vases

Which kind of container will best suit your bunch? Try these for size

BUD VASE

Small and dumpy and suitable for small posies of delicate flowers: lily of the valley or forget-me-nots, say. A pretty addition to a bedside table, especially when making guests welcome in the spare room.

CERAMIC PITCHER

A large jug with a wide opening – either vintage or new (John Lewis’s Croft collection has a plain white Luna jug, £25) – is lovely filled with branches of blossom or twigs festooned with catkins. The country cottage/ farmhouse table vibe, right there.

GLASS COLUMN VASE

These come in a variety of widths but are always tall – 28–40cm usually – and elegant. Suits long-stemmed blooms with height like dahlias or gladioli. Flowerheads just about popping over the rim look foolish.

SINGLE STEM VASE

Use to show off an attractive specimen: a peony head perhaps, or a chrysanthemum mop. A single tulip looks equally good, though, especially as it twists and lengthens.

JAM JAR

Just the thing for handfuls of wildflowers – buttercups, daisies, grasses – arranged casually for maximum naturalness. A twist of raffia or string at the rim adds to the effect

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More home ideas:

More from the June issue:

Nest | Rosemarijn's style

Just because a house is old, it doesn’t have to look old-fashioned. Modern furniture and materials will bring it up-to-date.

• I love plywood and we used it extensively throughout the house to clad walls, and make furniture. It’s light, affordable and looks contemporary.
• All our walls are painted white because we wanted the house to be light and feel spacious. It also shows off the loveliness of the timber beams and natural materials.
• I don’t like a lot of clutter but I do like to have beautiful things, like classic pieces of furniture and art, around me. They lift my spirits.

Turn to page 98 of May's The Simple Things for more of Rosemarijn's tumble-down farmhouse.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More home ideas:

More from the May issue:

The Comfort of Things | A lovely window

There are certain things in your home that are like old friends: they always cheer you up. This month we feel the love for a lovely window - turn to page 115 of April's The Simple Things.

This month's home quandary:

My kitchen is at the front of the house, which means that as I cook or stand by the sink, I am visible to anyone walking along the street. Can you suggest a neat and clean way of obscuring the view of passersby? I don’t want to hang net curtains, as they’ll get grubby and are old- fashioned. And I am not a fan of blinds as I would have to have them down the whole time, which would be gloomy indeed.

Answer in brief: disregard fabric options and go for a frosted pane.
Is your window double-glazed? If it isn’t and you are thinking of making it so, choose frosted glass. This will screen your activities without blocking the light. If replacing a pane of glass is unnecessary or too costly, window film is your friend. These days it comes in many different different patterns from plain frosted to elaborate designs (left, Saplings by MissPrint, windowfilm.co.uk). It’s easy to clean and has a smart industrial look about it. Anyone strolling past will still be able to see shadowy outlines within, but your anonymity will be protected.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More home ideas:

More from the April issue:

The Comfort of Things | Grown up tableware

There are certain things in your home that are like old friends: they always cheer you up. This month we feel the love for grown-up tableware - turn to page 116 of February's The Simple Things.

This month's home quandary:

I love having friends over for meals and enjoy preparing and cooking the food but by the time the doorbell rings and they all pile in, the table is still bare. As a result, I throw plates and cutlery on it in a higgledy- piggledy fashion that looks nothing like those attractive overhead shots you see in magazines. How can I master table laying?

Table laying is actually a pretty straightforward business that should not daunt you. Unless you live in a stately home and have to wrestle with silverware, napery and cut glass, all you need to do is place a few plates and cutlery on the table in an orderly fashion. Dragoon another member of the household to carry out this task, preferably an hour or so before guests arrive, and it becomes even simpler. With a little supervision, children can lay a table as well as anybody, and often respond positively to being trusted with this grown-up task. You can swan in at the end to straighten napkins and make sure glasses are fingerprint-free.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

More home ideas:

More from the February issue:

The comfort of things | The bookshelf

There are certain items in your home that are like good friends: they always cheer you up. This month, we feel the love for the bookshelf on page 112 of the September issue.

It’s an undeniable fact that a bookshelf improves a room. The addition of a row of books, no matter how small, instantly adds warmth, colour and personality. Novelist Anthony Powell knew this when he entitled the tenth book in his ‘Dance to the Music of Time’ series Books do Furnish a Room. Any house without at least one bookshelf feels empty and unloved, and its owner risks the danger of looking like someone with a sketchy, suspicious identity. Nosing around other homes lined with a bookshelf or two, on the other hand, can reveal much, and is as irresistible as poking around a vinyl collection once was.

But which book lover are you?

The bibliophile

Organises their books according to category, chronologically, or alphabetically by author’s names, like a bookshop. 

The aesthete 

Arranges their books in colour bands: all books with colour co-ordinated spines are grouped together. Not especially handy when actually looking for a book however.

The would-be librarian

Houses books in bookcases that line walls or even entire rooms, which can then be called ‘the library’ or ‘the study’ with justification.

The curl-up-with-a-good-book loafer

Sits and reads on a wet afternoon in a designated armchair by a window next to a shelf of books. 

The interior designer

Intersperses objects, plants and photographs in front of books. Shelves can then be treated as ‘decorative installation’ with displays changing according to whim.

Turn to page 112 of September's The Simple Things for more, including our pick of bookshelves to buy, make or hack.

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here.

More from the September issue:

More home ideas:

Summer Breeze

Living needs to be easy in the summer months and that means our homes too. Our shopkeeper, Louise Gorrod, has trawled the shelves at The Stuff of Life to bring you her pick of simply crafted products.

‘This pick perfectly captures the informality of living by the sea - from soft washed linens in faded blue, tactile ceramics in washed aqua and cool enamelware in chalky white – they’re the perfect accessories for an easy breezy home this summer’.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Images from top, left to right: Washed Blue Linen Napkin from LinenMe, £8.99 | Giant Straw Basket from Cachette, £16.00 | Cantine Plates from Home Address, £12,00 | Everyday Large Mug by Emma Lacey, £27.00 | Linen Tablecloth from Home Address, £70.00 | Water cups from Quince Living, £9.00 | Linen Bath Robe by The Linen Works, £120.00 | White Enamel Cutlery from Cachette, from £6.50 | Denim Light Wash Cushion by From Brighton With Love, £50.00.

Nest: The Window House

To watch the sunset and see the stars was a couple's simple dream for their home in West Virginia. The finished project is a unique upcycled house.

Turn to page 116 of June's The Simple Things for more about this incredible home and watch the film below to see how it was made.

Film credits:
Filmed by Matt Glass and Jordan Wayne Long
Interviewed by Jordan Wayne Long
Music and editing by Matt Glass

Read more from the June issue:

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Home: Make the most of your shower

This month, in our series on what really goes on in a home, Clare Gogerty considers bathing and the pleasures of keeping clean.

Turn to page 116 of April's The Simple Things for the full feature.

Make the most of your shower

The mere experience of standing beneath a steady stream of falling warm water is pretty joyful and can be enough to revive and soothe. Especially if you sing while you’re about it. But there are a couple of things you can do to make the most of your shower time, so that you emerge ever more squeaky clean and sprightly.

❊ Keep the temperature moderate. It is tempting to crank it up and watch your skin turn rosy, but too-hot water dries out the skin. Somewhere between 95F and 100F is about right.

❊ Hang a bunch of fresh eucalyptus near the shower. It will release essential oils as the bathroom steams up. Eucalyptus is a good cleanser, helps fight bacteria and smells lovely.

❊ Apply conditioner to damp hair and then put on a shower cap. Continue to wash as the conditioner works its miracles. Then rinse it off.

❊ Avoid shower curtains if at all possible, as they have a propensity to get mouldy and cling creepily to your skin. If you can’t avoid one, wash it regularly with a couple of old hand towels and half a cup of white vinegar to prevent mildew. 

For more on bathing traditions, our pick of the best bathroom cabinets, towels 101, a word on flannels, the definitive answer on why your skin wrinkles, plus eight extra somethings for the smallest room, turn to page 116 of April's The Simple Things.

Read more:

From the April issue

Home truths

Home and interiors posts

Get hold of your copy of this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

View the sampler here

Nest: Winter cabin style and a Swiss fondue recipe

You don't have to have a cosy snow-topped cabin to sample Alpine comfort food or enjoy candlelit rustic style. 

January's The Simple Things contains two features built for winter dreaming. Turn to page 24 for six winter cabin cooking recipes, or page 96 for a look around the cabin of our winter dreams, deep in the snow of a Norwegian mountainside - order your copy now.

Meanwhile, here's a classic recipe for traditional cheese fondue.

Traditional cheese fondue

What could be more comforting – or delicious – than a melange of warm, oozing Alpine cheeses? Traditionally they are melted with white wine and grappa or kirsch; this version, with beer, is a little more subtle. A true Swiss fondue is a mixture of Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois – a semi-hard cheese with a lovely nutty flavour. A fondue pot* gives the best results, as it sits above a flame that keeps the cheese melted and gently bubbling. 

Serves 6–8
1 fat garlic clove, halved
2 tsp cornflour
400ml hoppy lager beer
800g grated mixture of Swiss or French Alpine cheeses, such as Gruyère or Comté, Vacherin Fribourgeois, good-quality Emmenthal and Beaufort (choose two or three)
1–2 tsp whisky, to taste
1 large loaf of slightly stale country white bread, cut into cubes
gherkins, pickled silverskin onions and charcuterie, to serve

1. Rub the garlic all over the inside of a fondue pot. Mix the cornflour with a little of the beer to make a smooth paste, then add this and the rest of the beer to the pot.
2. Put over a low heat, add the cheese and stir until it is melted and steaming but not boiling. If it is too thick you can add a little more beer. Add the whisky and then transfer to the fondue stand and light the burner.
3. Dip the slightly stale bread into the melting cheese and serve with lots of pickles and charcuterie.

*If you don’t have one, these are easy to pick up second-hand

Recipe taken from Winter Cabin Cooking by Lizzie Kamenetzky. Photography by Nassima Rothacker. Published by Ryland Peters & Small.
Readers of The Simple Things can buy Winter Cabin Cooking for the special price of £13.99 including postage and packaging (RRP £19.99) by calling 01256 302 699 and quoting the reference GLR EB6.

Want to set the scene? Eva Gill's snowy hillside home may be a world away from your own abode, but touches of rustic cabin chic are well within reach. Here are Eva's stylish tips for cabin fever:

Don't stint on candles

Because there is no electricity in the cabin, Eva keeps the lighting moody and atmospheric with plenty of candles, tea lights and oil lamps.

Smother furniture with sheepskin

Nothing is as cosy as sinking into fleecy warmth as the snow falls outside.

Fall in love with wood

There's no need to decorate a timber building when the colours and texture of wood are so lovely. Eva also chooses wooden kitchen accessories, mugs - even toothbrushes.

Keep fabrics neutral

Bright colours and patterns don't suit a cabin. Eva prefers natural fibres - linen, cotton - and simple stripes or subdued tartans.

Get inspired by beautiful wintry cabins on our Nest Pinterest board or head over to The Simple Things shop for a browse of our simple and stylish picks.

Follow The Simple Things's board Nest: Interiors and style on Pinterest.

Read more:

From the January issue

Nest posts

Winter recipes

January's The Simple Things is out now - buy, download or subscribe.

The Stuff of Life: Home Tour Inspiration

White walls in the home are smart, modern and a blank canvas, but have you ever hankered after something a little more dramatic? If you’ve read the home tour in our current issue, you too might be tempted to move over to the darker side of the paint chart.

Peter Win’s Shoreditch flat has won us over: dark and moody grey with startling pops of colour, texture and beautiful decorative objects. Inspired by this beautiful home we’ve shopped The Stuff of Life to get the look. It’s time to get bold indoors.  You can read the full feature and see more images of Peter’s flat in the November issue of The Simple Things, available now.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Images from top, left to right: Summery Quilts by Lisa Watson, from £245.00 | Black & Gold Brass Bowl by Home Address, £24.00 | Edible Botany Calendar by Alfie’s Studio, £12.50 | Gold Wall Clock by Home Address, £65.00 | Rose Bowl Vase by Home Address, £20.00 | Everyday Mug by Emma Lacey, £27.00 | Quick Brown Fox Wallpaper by Identity Papers, £65.00 per 10m roll | Sunflower Oblong Cushion by Stuff of Dreams, £30.00 | Wild England Limited Edition Print by Occipinti, from £28.00 | Belly Basket by Olli Ella, £25.00 | Faux Fur Throw by The Glam Camping Company, £230.00 | Red Vintage Lampshade by ByMarie, £25.00.

Light up your life with The Stuff of Life.

So the clocks went back yesterday meaning our evenings will now get darker all the sooner. It needn’t be all doom and gloom though – with the right lighting you can create a warm and cosy home. Over at The Stuff of Life we have the perfect selection of lighting to see you through the darker months.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

From a statement design to a colourful drum shade, a new ceiling pendant can really uplift a living space, while a stylish table lamp will transform dark corners into cosy corners.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Group together a small cluster of tea lights or candlesticks, stock up on candles and create a cosy glow in the evening. Or if you’re feeling crafty, why not create your own lampshade? One of these DIY lampshade craft kits is all you need.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Images from top, left to right: Lampshade selection by Humblesticks, sold with a lamp base, £160.00 | Bike Lampshade by ByMarie, £45.00 | Geometric Beech Suspension Light by Cachette, from £43.00 | Recycled Can Suspension Light by Cachette, from £43.00 | Purple & Pink Vintage Lampshade by ByMarie, £45.00 | Bright Lanterns Demijohn Lamp by Humblesticks, £160.00 | Blue Paisley Vintage Lampshade by ByMarie, £ 25.00 | The Groove Lamp by Stuff of Dreams, from £155.00 | Pink & Brown Block Flower Shade by Lou Hopper Shop, £35.00 | Petal Lanterns by Quince Living, from £12.00 | Mercury Tea Lights by The Glam Camping Company, £7.50 for a pack of 4 | Bakula Candle Stick by Quince Living, £18.00 | Mini Jelly Mold Tea Light by From Victoria, £16.00 | Lampshade Craft Kit by Quince Living, £20.00

Nest: The record player

Tomorrow is Record Store Day, celebrating the UK's independent record shops. With much of today's music arriving at our ears digitally, it's a day to go tactile. Queue up with the rest of the record nerds for limited edition vinyl and CDs on sale for one day only, live performances entertaining the dedicated throng.

In April's The Simple Things, Clare Gogerty pens a love letter to mechanically played music - turn to page 97 to read her nostalgic notes.

And on our Pinterest Style board, we've been collecting images of analogue players in contemporary settings, such as the image above. A calm and feminine take on a stereo system, it's a good example of how to integrate technology into your home in a fresh and attractive way. 

Follow The Simple Things's board Home on Pinterest.

April's The Simple Things is out now - buy, download or subscribe today.

Nest: Style tips from Sandra Lorch

The colourful Hamburg home of Sandra Lorch and Tom Oehne, both jewellery designers, manages to pull off modern-meets-vintage without a hint of fustiness. Turn to page 94 of April's The Simple Things for a tour of their beautiful home, or read on for Sandra's top style tips.

Sandra's style advice

1. Group your collections. I love Danish teak candlesticks, and grouped them together with other things in the same material, like my bird by Danish architect Kristian Vedel. I put my collection of single bud vases together on a table, too.

2. Be selective. Once we came up with the look of our apartment, we were rigorous about what to include and what to leave out.

3. Don't be afraid of contrasting colours. I love to combine yellow with the colours of the sea, and red with green. It brings out the luminosity of each colour.

4. Resist perfection. I hate it when an old building is totally sanitised and its original features removed. We sanded the floors in our flat to reveal the beautiful old planks, for example. 

More style tips from back issues of The Simple Things are appearing on our newest Pinterest board, Nest: Interiors tips. Head over and take a look, or read more interiors posts now.

Follow The Simple Things's board Nest: Interiors tips on Pinterest.

April's The Simple Things is out now - buy, download or subscribe today.