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A few weeks ago, House & Garden’s Commerce Editor Arabella Bowes mentioned in passing that she had noticed an uptick in the number of Endless Gravity water filters in the houses she visited, which, at £700 a pop, serve not just to clean your drinking water, but to surely instil you with a sense of superiority: in owning it, you belong to an elite group of water drinkers who can afford to spend such sums on something which can be bought from John Lewis for a rather modest £25. It got me thinking, what are the other household status symbols, and – were we to all have the resources to decorate our houses with such things – would we buy them?
Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
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You may well have seen hundreds of these without knowing what you were looking at – but this squishy, could-fall-asleep-in-it chair designed by husband and wife duo Charles and Ray Eames is one of most defining designs of the 20th century. It was first released in 1956, when it was sold through the American furniture company Herman Miller. Its curved silhouette is made from steam-bent plywood, topped with a soft leather seat and sits pride of place in many a covetable house. When it first hit the market - the chair and ottoman set cost $310, but modern versions (which are produced by Vitra and sold through a number of retailers), sell for between £5,000 and £10,000. Original 1956 versions sell for up to £19,124 on 1st dibs. Now you know, you will undoubtedly see it everywhere.
Endless Rhythm Water Filter
£777 might seem a bit steep for a water filter, but evidently for a certain type of high-profile water drinker, it is an essential addition to the kitchen. This one, from Endless Gravity, is made of hand-thrown ceramic and comes in a range of different colours. The simple mechanism is based on the ancient method of using ceramic to filter water: the top half is filled with water, which slowly filters through a fine filter, and collects in the bottom half, ready to be decanted and enjoyed. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we have to admit, it is particularly stylish.
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A Lacanche range cooker
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Until recently I had been under the impression that the most aspirational cooker to own was none other than the staple of English country homes, the AGA. It appears there's a new kid on the block (well, new to me; the company dates back to the 15th Century) – Lacanche range cookers are increasingly present in many of the kitchens which grace the pages of House & Garden, and for good reason. You can build your own based on the number and type of oven(s) you want, whether you prefer a gas or electric hob and pick from many lovely colours. The privilege is not cheap - I played around designing my perfect cooker and racked up a bill of close to £6,000. It will live in my virtual basket for a little while longer.
Gucci’s ‘Herbarium’ Teapot
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Throughout their 20-odd-year reign, the Kardashians have set many a trend, their clothing, cars and houses often littered with designer logos and hints of extreme wealth. One of the latest, matriarch Kris Jenner’s ‘Dish Room’ – home to several sets of Hermes and Gucci dinner services (including this £530 teapot), takes high tea to a whole new level. This from the same family who made a trend of meticulously organised pantries and geometrically arranged cookie jars.
The designer matchbox
For a long time I have had my eye on a rather beautiful ceramic matchbox designed by the illustrator Jo Laing, which costs £65. The idea of taking something so functional – the matchbox – and turning it into this very beautiful decorative object feels utterly luxurious. I am not the only one. Gone are the days of a pack of Cook’s safety matches rolling around at the bottom of a drawer somewhere. These days, an aesthetically pleasing pack of matches is about as essential-a-household item as a pretty lampshade or a good throw cushion. Archivist sells a very lovely glass bottle filled with multi-coloured matches (it is as beautiful as it is useful, and has a discrete strike on the bottom), and at the mega-luxe end of the spectrum is this silver-plated matchbox cover from ABASK, which is an eye-watering £440. It is designed by Objet Luxe, and is topped with a real limpet-shell.
Hand-painted glass carafes
In my opinion, there are few things that are smarter, or more indicative of a lovely, quiet and wholesome life than a beautiful hand-painted carafe and matching tumbler living on the bedside table. I imagine it sitting happily next to me while reading in bed, or setting it out beautifully for a guest to enjoy this most elegant receptacle. This one from Petra Palumbo is high on my wishlist - should the day ever come where I can bring myself to spend £88 on it. I can spot a Petra carafe a mile off and immediately feel envious of its owner – a very stylish signal that they are the kind of well-hydrated and endlessly chic person we’d all like to be.
A giant candle
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A truly great scented candle is nothing short of a joy. There are entire perfumeries dedicated to offering us the most alluring and welcoming scent, to be enjoyed by guests and residents alike. So naturally, as the industry grew, so did the size of the candles. Today, for a cool £500, you can be the proud owner of a 21cm tall candle that weighs a whopping 2.8 kilograms. It's made by the French candlemaker Trudon, and will burn for over 200 hours, so maybe it’s more economical to think of cost per hour?
Santa Maria Novella potpourri
The heady, floral yet woody fragrance of Santa Maria Novella’s potpourri is something that, once you have smelled it, nothing else will ever smell quite as sweet. It is instantly recognisable - you could walk in the front door and know that somewhere inside – possibly in the furthest room away – is a bowl of it filling the room with its addictive aroma. What makes it a true status symbol is if your chosen receptacle is an antique silver bowl.
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The Hermes Blanket
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In much the same way that many shoppers like their clothes to clearly display the luxury brand to which it belongs, designer homeware will often give a subtle (or not so subtle) indication of its grandeur. The ‘H’ which adorns the Hermes throw blankets is so closely associated with ultra-luxe interiors that the two are practically one in the same. At £1,540, the blanket is not cheap. It is made in the UK from a blend of merino wool and cashmere, and comes in a range of different patterns and colours. The signature ‘H’ is the thread that runs throughout the collection.
Quooker Taps
Instant hot water taps are not exactly a new phenomenon, but they are (and perhaps always will be) one of the most deluxe additions to the kitchen. Forget a space-hogging, noisy, and limescale-filled kettle, a Quooker tap is discrete, comes in a range of finishes and is more sustainable (since it boils the exact amount you need). It is a firm fixture on the ‘wishlist’ of anyone renovating a kitchen. The catch? It costs from £1,250 (for the Flex tap in Polished Chrome), and then needs to be installed – for a fee – on top of that. There are cheaper alternatives, but Quooker is one of the few which dispenses water at 100 degrees – many others are ‘near boiling’. It’s only a couple of degrees, but if you are particular about having a piping hot cup of tea, it makes all the difference.
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Solid Soap
Could it be that the sun is setting on liquid soap and rising once again on solid bars of soap? According to our Houses Director, Emily Senior, this certainly seems to be the case. ‘Bars are back over bottles!’, she says. ‘I keep spotting Loewe or Ortiga bars in bathrooms - it’s too good to use’. At £47 a bar for one of Lowe’s ‘Ivy’ bars, I probably wouldn’t use it either.
