HOW TO LIVE A LIFE

Do you delight in the small things in life? I’m sitting in the shop trying to think of what to write. So I make a cup of coffee. Making a cup of coffee or tea is what I would call one of those small things in life!

If I was at home I would be getting my coffee from an old French enamel canister – it’s just gorgeous – mainly white with heavy red patterning and a big old chipped knob on the lid. Having done this I would choose a mug. I don’t know if anyone else out there does this but I often select a mug depending on what mood I’m in at that particular moment. Recently, for some reason, I have been selecting a Star Wars mug – I don’t know why – just have! At other times it might be a mug with a chaffinch on the front or a mug with a black beetle (insect). Then to stir the milk in, I have to choose a spoon (point of the blog about to make itself apparent and in fewer words than a Clarkson car review!). Choosing a spoon – what a joy! I have been gradually building a collection of old silver and nickel plate spoons from the late Victorian period up. Some are monogrammed, others have the most delightfully elegant shape and all have been loved and used and washed a thousand times so have that indefinable richness of age and use.

Having beautiful, interesting and yet practical items around your home environment can make all the little tasks much more agreeable and, of course, here at Nest we are the purveyors of such things! If you like mixed cutlery then definitely come and see us. I ate my porridge this morning with an old Scottish silver spoon engraved with a thistle – splendid!

Of course, I sat down on one of a large collection of distressed kitchen chairs (I have a slight fetish for distressed slatbacks – I said SLATBACKS). But which one? I opted for the heavily chipped green one because it smiled at me!

My current collection of dinner plates (circa 1996) is finally being usurped by a random collection of late 19th and early 20th century plates. My wife cooked up a beautiful supper at the weekend and served it out on some blue patterned ironstone plates – it looked just gorgeous – shame to eat it, really, but I did have a 1939 war department fork in my hand, so no chance.

I forgot to mention that when I reached for the coffee canister it was on display in a flipping fabulous old painted pine dresser, so the act of opening the glass fronted door by turning the old key in the lock was in itself a lovely little moment and hang on – yes – we sell such life enhancing furniture at Nest, as well!

So I would suggest you all come in and buy some stuff, it will make your existence so much better!

p.s. we don’t sell Star Wars mugs.