I am sitting watching the greyness of the clouds billow and melt above the the neighbouring building as I eat a very late lunch after a shamefully inefficient morning - diversions and daydreams, my familiar nemesis.  I have cobbled together a salad of sorts and have solemnly sworn to be more productive this afternoon. I have found my favourite pottery plate and as the glossy green leaves settle onto the deep earthen brown of the glaze I am conscious of how fulfilled this simple plate makes me feel. The plate used to belong to Simon’s parents - it is steeped in the warmth of years spent in a family home and resonates with a very specific domestic history. It is round, flat rimmed and gently speckled like the iris of an eye. It makes a velvety sound as you place it on the table - it doesn’t clatter and the cutlery doesn’t scrape. It is crafted and honest. It is a simple thing and yet so much more.

I find I am increasingly drawn to simplicity and the Arts and Crafts dresser that we have featured this month resonates with a charming modest aesthetic. The Arts and Crafts movement emerged as a reaction to the industrial revolution and harked back to traditional craftsmanship and folk style in an attempt to counteract the mass produced uniformity that was emerging at the time. In our modern world factories continue to churn out throw away fodder and the Arts and Crafts sentiment feels equally relevant today. Resistance to consumerism has become even more imperative as we face the ominous threat of global warming and find the need to foster an interior aesthetic that is pleasing yet sustainable.

This hand crafted dresser is humble, tactile, warm and beautiful - it is sublime in its simplicity