The dysfunctional House

If quirky yet classic design is more your thing then Alessi’s signature salt and pepper shakers must surely be worth a punt?

Alessi helps with essential seasonings

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The column vase: sturdy and stylish

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. So said William Morris. And by this standard, the legendary designer would approve of the column vase.

Satisfying the function side of the deal with regimentary precision, there is little risk of a column vase being accidentally knocked over, thanks to its solid base and lack of bulbous mid-section. But it doesn’t let down in the style stakes either: sleek, simple and seductively symmetric, it complements any floral arrangement, from rustic hawthorns pulled from autumn hedgerows to those 12 red roses brought home by your loved one.

The column vase looks equally good on a statement table as it does on your grandmother’s sideboard. But you don’t have to break the bank to have a slice of this chic lifestyle statement – everyone’s had a crack at the column vase, from supermarkets to Habitat and designer vase company LSA International.  Or, if you really have a hankering to break open that piggy bank, why not go for the £133 Crevasse stainless steel column vase designed by Hadid Zaha for Alessi? At 42cm high, it could double as a child’s full-length mirror.