The Fabulous (18)50s: The Orphan Arms

Don't tell anyone but I seem to have become a little ... Victorian ... in my tastes. Once upon a time, I would have been lusting after some 1950s florals, patterns and very bright colours. Recently it's been all about the 1850s: I have been lusting pining delicately after a moralising soap dish, some melodramatic bags, and now the work of The Orphan Arms.

Elaborate pen and ink illustrations, vague sounding product names that hint at a sordid underbelly, references to some of my favourite nineteenth-century artists: all part of their designs. And they manage to look pretty, rather than pretentious - no mean feat, I'm sure you'll agree. For example, this Smitten Hearted Poet's Club t-shirt is perfect for all the helpless romantics out there. It's £25.

I saw their work on the arm of Cait over at Wayward Daughter who took their Keep Lovers Not Friends tote bag on a visit to the National Museum of Scotland. With an illustration that reminds me of a slightly creepy waxed flower display, it's surely the perfect bag to take to a museum that was founded in the 1850s. All their bags cost £6 each - if Victorian murder and mutilation is to your taste, the Whitechapel Boys Club one is also worth a look.

Other designs contain references to William Blake, Edgar Allen Poe and, my favourite, William Morris, as shown here (selling for £20). I've seen this pattern reproduced on so many tea towels, mugs and place mats but somehow The Orphan Arms have succeeded in making it look fresh and appealing again. The same could be said of most of their pieces: turning expectations of nineteenth century design on their head, to produce something quite twenty-first century desirable.

Pretty Parasol

Dare I come out and say that summer is finally here? I don't want to jinx it, but I think the two weeks of the year where we switch from moaning it's too cold to moaning it's too hot have arrived. No-one wants to accessorise their summer dress with burnt shoulders, so make like a Victorian lady or a sensible goth and keep the sun off with a parasol.

This vintage style cream cotton parasol is £25 from ASOS. You'll be the most elegant lady on the beach, promenade or just the bus to work.

Sluttery Travels: Appleton Water Tower, Norfolk

I do rather like the idea of a secret hideaway for two. In this case, Appleton Water Tower in Sandringham, Norfolk, has the potential for two plus two but I'm going to ignore that. Because just look at the bedroom:


And then look at the view:


Perfect, isn't it? I love the design of the place. It's a Victorian building, and the bright decor is a pleasant surprise. The secrets are kept inside, leaving the traditional building, complete with viewing platform to speak for itself. It's a perfect little haven for cheeky weekends away.

It's about £100 a night, but you get the whole tower to play in. And there's definitely only room for two.