A stylish outdoor dining table & chair set is a must have for open-air meals. This Rive Droite Bistro set by Garden Trading featured in the Sunday Mail this week and is the perfect size for a garden patio, or if you are stuck for outdoor space, it is also an ideal fit for a balcony. In clay, shutter blue & gooseberry you can add subtle rustic style to any outside setting.

No breakfast is complete without a chic toaster that perfectly complements your dining expression. Appearing in Grand Designs this month, the Delonghi Vintage Icona toaster in beige gloss radiates fun style, ideal for displaying when entertaining and of course, it’s a must have kitchen accessory too.

Don’t forget to decorate your outdoor space just as you would any room in your home, add a pop of colour (not to mention a touch comfort) to your new chairs with a bright cushion. The Relief yellow cushion cover from Hugo Boss which featured in June’s Period Homes & Interiors is a fantastic way to incorporate summer’s hottest colour trend into your garden.

This Alessi Pinch vase which featured in The Lady this month will complete the look with a stunning yet simplistic floral arrangement, superb for showcasing summer’s best foliage. Now all that is left to do is decide what you would like for breakfast…

Will you be dining alfresco this weekend?

Christian Lacroix is synonymous with opulence and the Paseo Jais Rug featured in Utopia Kitchen & Bathroom this month is no exception. The rich colours & luxurious material will create a focal point in any room.

The art deco inspired Diamond black cutlery range from Sabre appeared in Homes & Antiques and is perfect for bringing decadence to both formal & everyday dining settings. The angled shape of the handles and dramatic colour add a touch of 1920s style to the dinner table, perfect for carrying out this sophisticated look.

Also featured in Homes & Antiques this month is the eternally popular Cire Trudon Louise bust. What says luxury more than a purely decorative piece that is made only to look upon?  This bust screams old world elegance and would be completely at home in indulgence inspired interiors.

Ever the height of luxury, Missoni Home cannot be ignored when exploring this trend. The Manama cushion is perfect for mixing a matching rich hues & designs which is key for this look. Appearing in Living Etc this month, the cushion is ideal for combining with the Paseo Jais rug for a sumptuous pattern clash.

How are you bringing the roaring twenties to your home?

Deco a web magazine which aims to inspire greener interiors recently featured the unique Vascolari candles. These earthy scented candles are created using hollowed out pieces of palm wood from Argentina. The wood used in the creation of these unusual products would have been burnt as by-product of forestry in the country and for every tree it uses, Vascolari plant two more in its place.

Another eco coconscious home fragrance brand is British born True Grace. Determined to look after the environment as well as their customers, True Grace’s 100% natural wax candles are clean burning and lack carbon emissions. With their high fragrance content you can rest assure that it is only gorgeous aromas, not artificial chemicals permeating your home.

How will you make your home greener?

Our Managing Director, Sam, gave her much sort after expert advice on how to introduce designer pieces into your home. She explained how many current home collections are taking their inspiration straight from the catwalk, for example, this season’s bold floral prints & monochrome styling. However with the wide variety of prints out there, Sam suggested staying true to one key theme is the only way to go, as mixing lots of designers’ distinctive styles can quickly become too busy and contradictive.

Debbie Rose’s Amara, Designer Lifestyle Gifts…Amore! article explores her experience of ordering through the website when shopping for a friend’s present and her delighted surprise at the amount of gifts & homeware items available. Her end purchase of a Bugatti Vera kettle for her friend soon led to her buying her very own with an Amara gift card she received for her birthday. Read the full article here.

Which interiors articles have caught your eye this week?

‘Mudders’, as they are referred to, have to overcome a combination of freezing water, physical barriers, electrocution and extreme mud based obstacles over the course that bar their route to the finish line. The event is unique in the fact that it is not a race, but focuses on teamwork and solidarity, which really highlights the causes that many participants are running for – you cannot complete this event alone.

Tom ran for the charity CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably, who aim to prevent male suicide in the UK.  Suicide accounted for the deaths of more young men in England & Wales in 2011 than road death, murder and HIV/AIDs combined, CALM aim to provide general awareness and provide support to those in need.

Tom has this to say: “Before the race I was really quite nervous, I have never attempted anything like this before, but that was the main appeal for me. To be honest, for at least 8 miles I really enjoyed myself, the obstacles were challenging and what boy doesn’t like getting a bit muddy! The other 4 miles, well they were not fun…A combination of constant wetness, hail and electrocution (my most feared obstacle), I was definitely ready for home!”.

At Amara we actively encourage fundraising activities such as this and are proud to support our staff with these challenges. Tough Mudder is Tom’s 2^nd of 4 events this year – next month he will be cycling from London to Paris in 24 hours! More details can be found at http://www.justgiving.com/Thomas-Freeman.

Well done Tom from everyone at Amara!

Sabre cutlery is always fun and perfect for alfresco dining, with a multitude of patterns and colours they are ideal for mixing and matching sets. The white dots range appeared in The Sunday Times this weekend as one of their five best cutlery sets.

This Folk throw in Antigua & Diesel from Seven Gauge Studios featured in Staffordshire Living and has just the right amount of colour and quirkiness to brighten up your lounge or bedroom for summer.

The reaction to Missoni Home’s 2013 Collection has been spectacular. Vantage SW have expressed their love of the new range and the brand’s bold, nomadic prints, we can’t help but agree!

Another brand we have noticed gathering much warranted attention is the fabulous Anne-Claire Petit. This sunny mushroom pouf appeared in The Independent on Sunday along with more lemon hued items, a colour that is sure to make a big splash in summer 2013.

What have you been inspired by this week?

Image courtesy of the National Lottery Anniversary Run

Jane, Tom, Adam, Freddie, Emily, Dave and Jack have decided to don their finest running gear for the exciting race that will see them join 10,000 runners to take part in the first event in the Olympic Stadium since the memorable games last year. With a few marathon runners in the mix, speculation has been flying in our offices as to who could win out of the Amara Team and a bit of healthy competition is being fully encouraged.

Stay tuned for weekly training diary updates…

Who do you think could win?

Designs are sketched at the brand’s Amersterdam office and then sent directly women living in countryside villages in Northern China, where all of the detailed crochet work is carried out. These women have passed their craft down from generation, to generation and this art form is now a part of their cultural heritage.

Every piece has had love and care shape it and is made to be cherished for a long time, our personal favourites are the range of fruit inspired floor cushions that will inject fun into any space. Whether you incorporate many objects or just one standalone item into your child’s room, make sure you introduce this wonderful brand into your family home.

Which items will your children love?

Amara hosted a series of events to support Jane along the way, including the ‘Christmas jumper competition’ which is set to become an annual tradition.

To say thank you for this support and in true Amara birthday style (Jane celebrated hers just after completing the marathon), we arrived this morning to two delicious homemade cakes, just what we needed to get us through the last few days before the bank holiday weekend.

A huge well done Jane from everyone at Amara!

You couldn’t possibly talk about this trend without Cath Kidston springing to mind. Their bed linen like the above Antique Rose Bouquet set and soft furnishing ranges are perfect for accompanying vintage/country themes and are a fantastic way to include more colours.

This Designers Guild Octavia rug which featured in Period Homes & Interiors this month, allows you to bring a touch of colour to neutral rooms and will make a bold statement when used as a focal point.

Pip studio’s bright, busy prints are ideal for clashing styles & colours to create a unique look. Their china ranges are available in a variety of base colours and can therefore complement a wide selection of kitchen & dining room themes.

You can’t get more on-trend than with the Missoni Home Botantica rug range. Each piece will make a striking addition to any room and with an assortment of designs and colourways, you can quickly satisfy your floral interior urge, not to mention create a talking point for guests and visitors.

How flowery would you dare to go?