A Whiter Shade of Pale

louise gorrod August 25, 2016

Fresh, calm and effortlessly stylish, white homewares are guaranteed never go out of style. Our shopkeeper, Louise Gorrod, shares her pick of the palest home accessories from The Stuff of Life.

Attention to detail is key. Linens are pre-washed for ultimate softness and hand thrown ceramics fresh from the potters wheel - timeless products that are a pleasure to use everyday.

Images from top, left to right:

Marble Chopping Board from Home Address, £25.00 | Everyday large mug by Emma Lacey, £25.00 | Hurricane Lantern by The Glam Camping Company, £28.50 | Fläpps leaning shelf by Ambivalenz, £226.92 | Linen napkin by The Linen Works, £8.75 | Linen waffle towels from The Linen Works, from £19.00 | Handmade Organic Teapot by Linda Bloomfield, £84.00 | White stoneware platter from Home Address, £30.00 | Linen bathrobe from The Linen Works, £120.00

Summer Breeze

louise gorrod August 4, 2016

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’.

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.

sofa.com Alderney Armchair in Design Lab Occipinti Wisteria White and Purple.jpg

Flower Power

louise gorrod July 11, 2016

Our shopkeeper, Louise Gorrod, is putting on a flower show indoors with her pick of bold floral products from The Stuff of Life.

‘From painterly wisteria prints on upholstery fabric to a simply sketched monochrome rose print - this summer blooms aren’t just for the garden. Here are a selection of my favourite floral products from The Stuff of Life that will never wilt or fade.

Images from top, left to right: Wisteria upholstery fabric by Occipinti, £56.00 per/m | Rose is a Rose Print by One Must Dash, £55.00 | Summer Wallpaper by Sian Zeng, £35.00 per roll | Navy Khanga Flower Drawstring Bag by Lou Hopper, £55.00 | Floral Flutter Cushion by Kith & Kin, £56.00 | RHS Passion Flower Linen Tea Towel from Ulster Weavers, £7.50 | Joules Floral Cup from Quince Living, £12.50 | Flower Field Skirt Apron from Quince Living, £28.00 | Wisteria Tea Cosy by Occipinti, £26.00

Spring clean

louise gorrod March 17, 2016

Finally we are beginning to see signs that spring is on its way. Daffodils, blossom, Easter eggs and, dare we say it, the odd sunny day.

While it might not be time to put away our winter coats just yet, it is time to think about welcoming the new season into our homes. What better way to do so than with a spring clean. Whether you plan to set aside an entire weekend to clean from skirting board to ceiling or you’re just going to resolve to give those curtains a spin in the washing machine, our Shopkeeper, Louise Gorrod, has the selected the perfect cleaning kit from The Stuff of Life to make those chores a little more enjoyable.

Images from top, left to right: Organic cotton ironing board cover by Orche and Ocre, £18.00 | Linen laundry bag by The Linen Works, £28.00 | Vintage style enamel wash bowl by The Glam Camping Company, £9.99 | Linen kitchen towels by LinenMe, £10.99 | Birch wood round brush by Cachette, £20.00 | Handcrafted scrubbing brush by Cachette, £12.00 | Set of 3 Kaleidoscope storage boxes by Cambridge Imprint, £18.00 | Organic cotton peg bag by Orche and Ocre, £12.00 | Natural belly basket by Olli Ella, £25.00.

Create the perfect workspace with The Stuff of Life

louise gorrod February 26, 2016

Inspired by our workspace feature in the February issue, our Stuff of Life shopkeeper, Louise Gorrod, has taken a screenbreak to bring you her pick of workspace products.

From space-saving bookshelves and seating to decorative notebooks for all those ‘To-Do’ lists, The Stuff of Life will make your 9 to 5 run more smoothly.

Images from top, left to right: In Flight Print by Quince Living, £26.00 | Fläpps Shelf by Ambivalenz, from £119.23 | Jungle Fever Notebook by Kith & Kin, £3.50 | Gold Wall Clock by Home Address, from £75.00| Mini Book Rack by Agustav, from £75.00 | Memo Card & Envelope by Alfie’s Studio, £1.50 | Fläpps Folding Chair by Ambivalenz, from £173.08 | Recycled Pickle Jar Light by Cachette, £42.31 | Concrete Holder by Cachette, £20.00.

The essential winter beach kit

louise gorrod February 11, 2016

Inspired by our February issue, in which Clare Gogerty takes us on an exhilarating journey to some of our finest winter beaches, our shopkeeper, Louise Gorrod, has compiled the essential The Stuff of Life winter beach kit for those wishing to head coastal and blow away those late winter cobwebs.

Warm layers, wellington boots, waterproof coats and bags, a packed lunch to feast on and your own portable tea making facility will set you up nicely for such an adventure.

For those not willing to brave the sand and shingle quite so early in the year, there are some great coastal inspired homewares and stationery products on the shop too. Don't forget to send us a postcard!

Images from top, left to right: Seasalt tea towel by Ulster Weavers, £6.50 | Oilcloth bag by Ulster Weavers, £19.00 | Organic print sweatshirt by Lost Shapes, £32.00 | Wellington Boots by Story Horse, £35.00 | Raincoat by Story Horse, £40.00 | Yay! lunchbox by Quince Living, £7.50 | Ghillie Kettle by The Glam Camping Company, £47.50 | Pack away bucket by The Glam Camping Company, £19.95 | Set of coastal greeting cards by Alfie’s Studio, £8.00

The Stuff of Life: The Linen Works

louise gorrod July 29, 2015

It’s been a few short months since we first opened the doors of our online shop, The Stuff of Life. Although the paint is barely dry we are fast filling our shelves with some great products. I’m going to be regularly popping over here to the blog to bring you some of my shop picks for the season.

For me, this is the season for eating alfresco whenever the opportunity arises. Doesn’t even the most modest of meals always taste better when eaten outdoors? Picnics and lingering garden dinners are what the warmer longer days call for. When eating outside I still like to 'set the table' and make the simplest of meals an occasion: a simple cloth and napkins is all it takes. Our shop features a generous choice of table linen, including a beautiful range of Italian washed-linen in soft muted colours by The Linen Works. From the pretty Dot Linen and the fresh Arles Stripe to the timeless Linen Hemstitch, the quality of all the designs are second to none. To be quite honest, once you’ve owned a real linen table cloth, you’re never cover your table with anything else.

Click here see the full collection, which also includes bedding and clothing.

Find many more beautiful and useful things at The Stuff of Life shop - shop.thesimplethings.com

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Recipe: Fruity 'slaw

Lottie Storey July 9, 2015

There’s got to be ’slaw at a barbecue – and this one has extra fruit in the form of mango, raisins and sultanas.

Fruity 'slaw

Serves 8

3⁄4 medium white cabbage, finely sliced
1⁄4 medium red cabbage, finely sliced
4 carrots, grated
1 red onion, finely sliced
2 mangos, sliced
Large handful mixed raisins and sultanas

For the dressing
3 tbsp sour cream
3 tbsp mayonnaise
21⁄2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste

1 Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
2 Combine the vegetables, mangos and dried fruit in a large bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3 Pour over the dressing and mix well.

Need some bits and bobs for your next barbecue or picnic? Head over to The Simple Things shop for plenty to buy, including our Here comes the sun collection, for picnic days and for beach days. A few ideas below...