SHOPPING: PERFECTLY PRACTICAL Use the best tools for spring cleaning

Extendable feather duster, from £29 (small), Ostrich2Love

Sorghum hand broom (large), broom £55, Foundland £55, Foundland Silent Butler oak storage mirror, £165, Heal’s

Arbour Lattice wall tiles, £79.95 a square metre, Original Style

PERFECTLY PRACTICAL

Reviving surfaces, forgotten corners and furnishings with a good dust and clean is a satisfying annual ritual. Make the prospect more desirable with well-made tools for the job, such as natural feather dusters and soft cleaning cloths. To retain the feeling of calm well after spring cleaning has finished, take note of where extra storage would improve the sense of order within a room. To avoid compromising a particular scheme, invest in cleverly designed beautiful storage that is charming to behold day after day.

Blue White Spot storage jar, £54, Susie Watson

Full Circle Plant Based Dye Cleaning Cloths, £12 (set of three), National Trust

Lined rattan storage basket, from £21 (small), Marquis & Dawe Andrée Jardin organic olive dishwashingliquid, Sage & Basil, £12.50, Divertimenti

Door handles, shelf brackets and homeware, all Willow & Stone

Wooden ironing board, £345, Summerill & Bishop Kitchen scissors, £17, Garden Trading

THE EDIT

British-made and sustainable designs from lighting to linen catch Editor-at-Large Kate Freud’s eye this month

HILL & MAY

It was whilst searching for beautiful lampshades for their own homes that friends Emily Stewart and Sarah Serocold realised there was a gap in the market for well-priced, unique designs. They decided to explore whether it was possible to design and handmake their creations in collaboration with skilled artisans, and before long they were taking orders from friends, and Hill & May was born.

Though the company is relatively young, the duo have clearly tapped into a popular market. The brand’s impressive collection of lampshades is made from a range of its own fabrics which are all printed by hand on to silks and linens. These can be custom-made into any size, shape or quantity, allowing Hill & May to work on both residential and larger hotel projects.

The company also carefully selects saris which are upcycled into beautiful one-of-akind, limited-edition lampshades. All its creations are then hand-pleated to finish, each design complemented perfectly by one of the company’s lamp bases available in a wild range of colours in both wood (which is hand-turned in the UK) and ceramic styles. hillandmay.com

RAPTURE & WRIGHT

Creating fabric and wallpaper has always been a labour of love for the team behind Rapture & Wright, one of only a handful of studios in the UK to still print by hand.

The company was started in 2004 by Peter Thwaites, an illustrator who had been creating exotic murals and wall finishes for interior designers worldwide, and Rebecca Aird, a graphic designer, both of whom were looking for a more creative way to use their skill sets. Having designed many patterns over the years that they hoped to turn into fabrics and wallpapers, the duo set up shop with a printing table in a barn, and the business went from strength to strength.

Both artisans at heart, Thwaites and Aird enjoy using simple, traditional techniques. Their creations are designed in a beautiful range of jewel tones, with everything from floral to geometric prints on offer. Though the methods they use may be traditional, what sets them apart is their forward thinking when it comes to reducing Rapture & Wright’s environmental impact, with their in-house studio allowing them to develop groundbreaking, environmentally sustainable production methods. raptureandwright.co.uk

CHADDER & CO

When Chadder & Co was launched in 1987, it was with the intention to restore enamel and roll-top baths, but it was not long before Martin Chadder, the company’s founder, realised the need for other bathroom products, too.

Today, Chadder works alongside his son, Sam, still selling antique baths and fittings from the brand’s extensive collection, but now also designing bespoke creations for a client’s specific needs. These include bespoke toilet cisterns – which can be found in Crazy Bear Group hotels – to soap bottle holders available in different finishes to hold products by Molton Brown and Penhaligon’s.

The company’s mosaic baths are something to behold, available in an extensive colour palette, with more being added to the collection this year. Another of its products, the Royal Lion’s Head bath filler, helps support the conservation of lions, with Chadder & Co donating £40 from each one sold to the Born Free Foundation. Both beautiful and ethical. chadder.com n