I have a very eclectic taste in pottery and china. I’ve tried minimal white chic, I’ve tried matchy spatchy style – and in the end I just get bored of everything. So I now tend to find designs – or designers – that I like, and slowly collect pieces that I enjoy using. Sometimes I use it all together in one fabulous melting pot of colour and chaos, and sometimes I keep it all the same for a smarter look.

Burleigh Blue Calico

This is one of my all-time favourite designs. The team at Burleigh have been making porcelain with beautiful designs for over 150 years, though this Calico range has only been in production 40 years or so. The rich cobalt blue and striking pattern feels so English and classic to me, and conjures memories of scrambled eggs and steaming mugs of tea on cold morning at my grandmother’s house. I also love that it can be mis-matched, as it were, with their Blue Felicity and Blue Arden range, creating a sort of imperfect set. It’s available in the likes of John Lewis and Liberty, but you can also pick up pieces in charity and antique shops, where it’s often cheaper. (Burleigh)

Sass & Belle 

Sass & Belle are a relatively new design brand (born 2009), with a main shop in Covent Garden and four others in the capital too. However they’re also sold in the likes of French Grey and other boutique stores throughout the UK. They have a playful, colourful vintage feel and the printing techniques they use make each piece feel handmade and individual. These alphabet mugs are a core part of their current range and I now have four of them, though am running out of meaningful letters to buy. Within the range there are different colour themes, which plays nicely to my mis-matched sensibilites. The mugs are also massive, which is perfect when it’s the only thing that will do for a morning cuppa. (Sass & Belle)

Jasper Conran at Wedgewood

Even with my predilection for vintage and shabby chic design, I sometimes need something that looks and feels a bit smarter. This Pinstripe design is effectively our wedding china, (though we only have about 18 pieces in total including a teapot!). I do however love the minimal feel of this, and the sharp, clean lines. My love for blue and white is not forgotten either, but the overall feel is something cleaner and fresher than my usual taste. The espresso cups are especially adorable, while the plates have a white middle with the blue lines reaching out to the edge in a circular band, which looks great when you’re serving posh food at a dinner party. (Jasper Conran at Wedgewood)

Disaster Designs

This quirky little design company makes a range of products, including ceramics, but also textiles, accessories, stationery, lighting etc. I love the playful nature of their pieces which take their inspiration from floral and graphic prints, think maps on hat boxes, flower-covered Filofaxes etc. This kind of design is two a penny now, but Disaster makes it with real individuality and  style. This milk jug is the only piece I currently own but I’m looking forward to adding to my collection. (Disaster Designs)

Raw Xclusive

I only have a few of these pieces, because they’re quite twee and too many lose their appeal, but the porcelain is great quality and they make great gifts, this was a present for R on his birthday from the Munchkin,. The sizing is also good – this is in-between a small coffee cup and a large tea mug, and I’ve noticed R uses it for his coffee all the time. They also make great textiles, home accessories and stationery. (RawXclusive)