House & Garden's spring shopping list

Small pleasures to welcome in the new season
Paul Massey

We are all about little changes with big impact in the spring. Sure, you might be one of those people who decides to repaint your house for the new season, swap out your curtains or reupholster a chair, but chances are you're more inclined to celebrate the onset of warmer weather with a few fresh touches. Perhaps you'd like to add a few window boxes to your exterior, introduce one or two floral elements to your schemes, or scatter some pretty cushions on the sofa to liven it up. We can't quite wait for spring's official arrival in a few weeks to start, but have rounded up our favourite pieces for an early spring awakening.

You can't hear the word ‘spring’ without wanting to tag ‘cleaning’ on the end. One sure fire way to make the latter more exciting is to purchase some new bits that make you actually want to pick up a dustpan and brush. Berdoulat's cutlery basket is inspired by an old cheese strainer, and the handy drainage holes mean you can pop the cutlery in there straight after washing up without the need to dry. It also looks rather smart as a table centrepiece. This ‘Hercules Soap’ from Pentreath and Hall is a lovely treat for brightening up a guest bathroom.

Cutlery Basket
£35
Berdoulat
Hercules Soap
£18.50
Pentreath and Hall

As we push through the last dregs of the cold, our thoughts invariably turn to the idea of brighter days. In the meantime, you can trick your senses into thinking they've arrived. Fresh smelling candles like Loewe's 'Tomato Leaves Candle' are at the top of our wishlist for a hit of sunshine. Elsewhere, lighting will help you power through until the clocks go forward. Pooky's new ‘Twinky Wall Light’ operates like a portable lamp, with a rechargeable bulb inside. Low lift, high impact.

Loewe Tomato Leaves Candle, 170g
£78
Liberty London
Twinky Rechargeable Wall Light
£100
Pooky

Making ordinary day-to-day activities into special occasions is another easy way to brighten things up. Sandralexandra Studio has revealed some charming bottle stoppers adorned with a lemon and a chilli that look like jewellery for your bar. We'd use them for wine bottles and olive oils alike. Alternatively, Issy Granger's newly launched breakfast range promises to bring the magic of the circus to your table.

Circus Stripe Butter Dish
£55
Issy Granger
Bottle Stoppers, lemon and chilli
£35
Sandralexandra

Before you put away those woollen blankets and fluffy cushions for spring, be sure to go over them with Toast's ‘Sweater Stone’. This nifty thing is an old school ‘de-bobbler’, removing pilled pieces of fabric from clothing and homewares alike. Run it over the garments a few times and they'll be looking good as new when they're taken out the cupboard come next autumn.

Sweater Stone
£12
Toast
Steamery Fabric Spray
£15
Fenwick

Of course, spring means lovely blooms too, so why not invite them inside with a charming vintage tulipiere?

Round Delft Blue Tulip Vase
£42.35
Etsy
Admiral Vase, Rosa
£120
Villa Bologna Pottery