This time of year your bathroom can start to look cold, grey and uninviting – spruce it up with some lovely accessories from Graham & Green!

A: Embossed White Metal Tumbler,* £13.95 GBP

B: Silver Crown Soap Dish,* £14.95 GBP

C: Silver Soap Dish,* £7.95 GBP

D: Small Cut Glass Storage Jar,* £12.50 GBP

E: Alabaster Stone Hand Soap Dish,* £28.00 GBP

F: Ceramic Dove Soap Dish,* £8.95 GBP

Light up your life – or just your lounge room – with these fantastic lights from John Lewis:

A: John Lewis Knife and Fork Ceiling Shade,* £40.00 GBP

B: John Lewis Tuska Floor Lamp,* £110.00 GBP

C: John Lewis Imani Table Lamp,* £50.00 GBP

D: John Lewis Lexie Ceiling Shade,* £25.00 GBP

E: John Lewis Melody Shade,* £55.00 GBP

F: John Lewis Flexagon Ceiling Shade,* £80.00 GBP

Desirable.co.uk is doing the Twelve Days of Christmas! Celebrate with us:

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eight lovely milk jugs, seven summer swimsuits, six feather beddings, five golden rings, four calling phones, three French hen homewares, two bluebird shakers and a reed warbler in a pear tree.

Milk jugs are an oft neglected item of crockery but can be used for all manner of things – vases, water jugs, even home decor:

A: Pink Cupcake Sugar Bowl & Milk Jug Set (Milk Jug Shown),* £10.00 GBP at Debenhams

B: Dotty Jug,* £12.00 GBP at Cath Kidston

C: Fruits Collection Milk Jug, £1.49 GBP at Dunelm Mill

D: Cockerel Jug, £6.49 GBP at Dunelm Mill

E: Emma Bridgewater Black Toast Half Pint Jug, £19.95 GBP at John Lewis

F: Hairy Bikers World Large Blue Jug, £25.00 GBP at BlissHome

G: Fairmont & Main Little Red Dot Creamer Jug, £10.00 GBP at John Lewis

H: Daily Aesthetics Platinum Milk Jug, £15.00 GBP at Conran Shop

We came across these while browsing through some of our favourite ‘beautiful yet unaffordable websites’, and were pleasantly surprised – designer Christmas decorations for (relatively) affordable prices? Thank you very much!

A: Liberty Christmas Snow Globe,* £39.95 GBP

B: Variety Club Charity Purple Peacock Feather Handmade Luxury Crackers,* £29.95 GBP

C: Poinsettia Fairy Tree Topper,* £15.95 GBP

D: Silver Sequin Bauble,* £4.95 GBP

E: Painted Glass Peacock,* £4.95 GBP

F: Sequined Pear Tree Decoration,* £3.95 GBP

G: Peacock Clip,* £4.95 GBP

H: Fabric Christmas Pudding Tree Decoration,* £5.95 GBP

I: Hanging Bristle Fox Tree Decoration,* £6.95 GBP

J: Big Ben Decoration,* £18.95 GBP

While party hats and mismatched cutlery might be what you’re used to seeing on your Christmas dinner table, there’s no reason you can’t upgrade!  The White Company has some gorgeous accessories and setting ideas:

A: Scatter Stars Table Confetti,* £3.00 GBP

B: Spruce Garland,* £40.00 GBP

C: Mini Table Sparklers,* £6.00 GBP

D: Pin Lights,* £25.00 GBP

E: Set of 6 Mixed Mini Baubles,* £12.00 set of 6

F: Silver Glass Beaded Coasters,* £12.00 GBP set of 4

G: Beaded Napkin Rings,* £20.00 GBP

: Pair of Mirror Placemats,* £25.00 GBP

Oliver Bonas, otherwise known as ‘Mecca’, is a great place to start looking for home decor and homewares.  We particularly like the red colour range which could be perfect for brightening up the house before Christmas:

A: Blossom Tumbler in Red,* £8.00 GBP

B: Tomato Squeeze,* £2.94 GBP

C: Red Trim Phone,* £40.00 GBP

D: Espresso Picnic Set,* £9.50 GBP

E: Tea Towel ‘Made in England,’* £12.50 GBP

F: Felt Flower Cushion,* £19.50 GBP

G: Polka Dot Doormat,* £16.00 GBP

H: First Aid Kit Cabinet,* £23.25 GBP

I: Bear Pot Mit Puppet,* £12.00 GBP

J: An Apple a Day Mug,* £6.36 GBP

We’ve selected some of our favourite designers, craftspeople, online retailers and independent brands to be scrutinised under the Desirable spotlight.  We ask them four simple questions – ‘Who are you?’, ‘What is your design or buying ethos?’, ‘What are your Christmas gift recommendations?’ and ‘What’s in your bag?’  (we’re very nosy).

So now, for your enjoyment, is one of our favourite independent crafty brands, Bonbi Forest:

Who is ‘Bonbi Forest’?

Bonbi Forest is me Lee May Foster, an artist and maker of things who lives by the sea in deepest, darkest Cornwall.

What is Bonbi Forest’s design ethos?

My screen print and jewellery designs have their roots in my drawings and paintings which feature many a critter, creature and scape of trees, sea and sky. In my work I like to explore patterns, rhythms and stories, and the connection of people to nature. The wild world shapes us and we shape it. In my work you will see that I like shapes and I like colours.

What are Bonbi Forest’s Top 3 Gift Ideas for Christmas?

My raw edged cotton Owl Pattern scarves (£12.00 GBP each, shown above in pink, yellow, olive green and blue) are a great gift and have been popular with teens and older ladies alike. It’s all about how you wear it – wrapped around and around again, or lovely and long…they are super for adding some pattern detail and colour to the winter days and are lightweight enough to see you through into spring and as a cover-up in summer…and who doesn’t like an owl in a pattern anyway? Most people like owls and patterns.

Indie gifts for men are a little harder to find than those for the ladies, and my mens tees have always been popular as gifts. I actually started making them when I couldn’t think what to get the men in my life and they are all still asking if they can have more. Favorites have been the Howling on the Wind tee (£20.00 GBP, shown above), Alphabet Owl and The Butterfly Catchers…

Lastly, if anyone wants to get me a present for Christmas I am coveting with a big heart these necklaces ($175.00 USD, shown above) from American jewellery designer Laura Lombardi (in fact anything from her Etsy shop would be awesome).

Lastly, what’s in your bag?

The most important things that I carry everywhere are my sketch/notebook and a bunch of pens. I don’t have a preferred notebook (the Desirable team love this V&A one available at Debenhams, £8.00 GBP, shown above) but I love the Staedtler pens (£9.99 GBP from Amazon.co.uk, shown above) for everyday use as they come in a crush proof pack of different colours so they are ideal for scibbling ideas and kicking about in my Tardis of a handbag…

I always have a hand cream with me. I’m pretty fickle as to exactly which tube or pot I happen to have in my bag, but my favorite all time brand (for all skincare) is Liz Earle (Heavenly Hands Pack, £14.25 GBP, shown above) It’s wonderful stuff and the active ingredients are all natural, which makes sense seeing as we are natural beings…

I’m also growing out my fringe at the moment and some days my flyaway mane just won’t keep out of my eyes (not good when I’m trying to make pictures) so I also always have some grips with me. They are a little boring though and I like to add a little cuteness and wear a big silver snap hair clip on top of them (try these, available at Accessorize, £6.00 GBP, shown above).

Apart from those things I usually just have a bottle of water, my old phone, a hairbrush (the Desirable team like this one by Trevor Sorbie, £5.00 GBP at Boots, shown above) and an apple in there (and loads of old receipts!)…

Thanks so much for letting us have a nose through your bag and your range, Lee May!  To check out Bonbi Forest, click here!