If old arcade games (and hot drinks) are your thing, you might just like this Pac-Man heat changing mug.
An officially licensed product via Namco, the mug holds your hot drink and does something else – when a hot drink hits it, the characters and power-ups suddenly appear within the maze on the side. Presumably, when it cools, they go away again.
You can get one from Firebox, priced at £5.99.
This peacock dinnerware set by Pied a Terre will definitely make an impact on your table.
The set includes everything from plates to soup bowls, all decorated with a repeat design of stylised peacock feathers. It's got a definite 1970s feel when that decade's designers were themselves looking back to the Victorian era for inspiration. The dramatic look is enhanced by the high gloss finish and gold detailing used on the set.
Reasonably priced too, with prices ranging from £5.20 for an espresso cup up to £16 for the tea pot.
Buy it from House of Fraser
Add a touch of Scandinavian retro style to your kitchen with this smorgasbord tray designed by Maria Holmer Dahlgren and Barbra Tryberg Boberg.
Neither designer is a stranger to this site: Maria Holmer Dahlgren, whose London trays and tea towels are well known, and Barbra Tryberg Boberg who was featured recently for her Formverket Formica kitchenware.
The design has a strong 1950s look with its skeletal depiction of plants and vegetables that have been illustrated in black and picked out in a second colour. It has the same feel as Marianne Westman's recently reissued 1956 Picknick design (you can now get that tray in the UK from New House Textiles for £15.50). Made from Swedish birch veneer, this tray design should hopefully have the same longevity.
The tray costs £15.95.
Buy it from Hus and Hem
When it comes to icons of the UK's cake/biscuit industry, Scotland's Tunnock's teacake has to be up there, going strong since the 1950s. Celebrate a bit of that sweet history with this Tunnock's teacake cushion by Nikki Made.
The cushion uses the distinctive packaging of those teacakes to make an impact. Circular shaped, their cotton, has been screen-printed with those instantly recognisable red stripes. Team them up with one of Gillian Kyle's bags and mugs for a teacake-tastic look.
Each cushion costs £12.
Buy them from Nikki Made's Folksy store
Even a quick brew can be rebellious if it comes in one of these punk-inspired tea mugs at Make International.
Choose from phrases inspired by the Sex Pistols (one above, one over the page) and The Clash, or if your vintage is later, Nirvana with Smells Like Tea Spirit.
All are described as 'bucket' mugs, which presumably means plenty of room for your tea and if anyone is in any doubt about your punk credentials, there's even a safety pin thrown in for good measure. Grab one now for £12.
Good cause, great design and an opportunity for a nice cup of tea – what's not to like about the Elle Deco Sanna Annukka mug produced to raise money for Shelter?
One of several artists asked by Elle Deco to contribute to this project to raise money for the charity, Sanna Annukka's folk-inspired designs are no stranger to this site and this limited edition mug reflects her style. Apparently she looked to summer flowers for her inspiration and it has translated into a bold decorative design, with the red and black looking striking against the white of the Churchill mug, as well as reflecting the colours of the Shelter logo.
The other mugs in the set have a more contemporary feel with designs by Stephen Jones and Richard Woods.
The mugs cost £7 each with 50% of the selling price going to Shelter.
Buy it from John Lewis
