Eoin Lyons on the good, the mad - but not the ugly - goods for the home.
When you're next in London, visit the new Zara shop next door to Harrods. You may find it a little more expensive than Zara's keenly-priced clothing, but it's one of the best interior stores in London. Mostly it's about bed linen, bathroom things and tableware.
First impressions are about colour, and goods unlike anything to be found elsewhere: a coloured wine glass (£4) looks like it came from a Parisian flea market, a place mat (£29) covered in tiny bronze palettes might be a Grecian relic and a striped throw (£69) has an Art Deco pattern. The way everything is displayed is seductive to the wallet - particularly the tableware (soft purples, green, oranges, from £3) which is set out as it might be used.
Bed linen is strong on gold damasks, purple and black velvets, blue on blue shades, black and white prints: all very rich. If you buy just one small thing, make it a gold spotted soap dish (£4) and a bar of Jasmine soap (£3) to go with it. Zara Home, 79 Brompton Road, London, SW3. 00-44-207-5848858