Joyful by design: 5 objects to bring some personality to your home or studio

I'm going to level with you here. I'm a sucker for a beautiful accessory for my home or studio – even if it serves no function whatsoever, other than to brighten a corner or make me smile. I'm talking an unusual lamp that stands out. Maybe a ceramic piece that swells your heart. It's what being a creative person is all about. You want to be surrounded by gorgeous things made by artists and designers you admire and want to support.

It's a sentiment I know illustrator Malika Favre and creative George Wu will understand only too well, as they run their own curated marketplace, I Can't Afford This But Maybe She Can. But beware: money will be spent. Oh yes. How do I know this? It's the whole point of the duo's side venture, which began in 2020 as an Instagram account and has since become a respected catalogue of the most delightful things the design world has to offer.

It now features more than 500 handpicked objects we can't resist – from over 125 indie brands and makers around the world. Everything from homeware, tableware and lighting to art, fashion and the occasional glorious oddity. Everything is chosen with their impeccable taste, humour and a healthy disregard for boring.

Here are five we can't stop thinking about. Yes, some might be slightly absurd. But if you're creative, how can you resist adding any of the following to your space?

1. Delta Tapestries by Alice Guillier

If you're thinking of updating a room to make it stand out, one safe bet is to decorate your walls with something special. With Alice Guillier's series of tapestries, you'll definitely feel like you have something no one else has.

Each piece takes a simple geometric framework and a carefully chosen palette. The chosen shapes that sit together are pleasing on the eye. And you'll have anyone who visits ask you where you got it from.

2. Franklin & Presley Candleholders by Atelier Toit

Who doesn't love candles? They add atmosphere. A certain cosy charm. They're perfect for summer evenings, and they help add ritual to the darker, colder nights. If you're looking for a centrepiece for your dining table or living room sideboard, Atelier Toit offers stunning candleholders made from solid wooden blocks on asymmetrical pedestals, all in a happy array of bright colours. It's playful function at its best.

As you'd expect from such an art form, each one is made to order in the studio's Amsterdam atelier, and no two come out quite the same, so that yours will be entirely unique. But let's be honest, who needs a candle when the holder itself alone is so nice to look at?

3. The Mesh Lamp by Tilt

Here's a surprising bit of softness from an industrial material, but a whole load of satisfying colour for your home. Brussels studio Tilt has made this oversized pendant using translucent 3D-printed mesh in various appealing colours.

It'll make a statement in any room, yes, but I love how it also catches the light, giving you delicate, lattice-like shadows across walls. And it shifts as the day goes on, too. So it never looks the same at any given time.

4. Hand Shelf by Tadashi Studio

Your eyes do not deceive you – these shelves are shaped like hands. And no, you don't need a reason to buy them. Tadashi Studio has moulded this pair from the exact measurements of the designer's own hands. It makes a gorgeous sculpture but you can use it as storage, too. Ready to hold your keys, your rings, your phone or whatever you like to keep close to you while you work. Useful to know: they're sold as a pair.

5. Arise limited edition figurine by Marylou Faure

Having bumped into Marylou Faure at Pictoplasma in Berlin, I want this figurine even more. It's a small celebration of curves in object form. It follows the same style the French illustrator is known for: bold, colour-saturated work and a joyful, unapologetic take on the female form. Released in a limited edition run of just 100, I'd like this figurine on my bookshelf in my office, adding to my podcast backdrop. Marylou, if you're reading this, I'll be purchasing this next.