The Hot List: Shades of blue with a pastels palette

Mix blues with greens and yellows for a look that's bright and appealing, but not overwhelming.

Springkorn. Courtesy Ikea

1. Shelf life

Ferm Living's simple, house-shaped Studio shelves are made from oak and come in five different colours and varying sizes. We would line them up on a living room wall or place one on either side of the bed as a quirky alternative to bedside tables - there's plenty of room on the inside for an alarm clock or other essentials, such as reading glasses, a tissue box or a bottle of water, not to mention that you can rest your bedtime read on the roof. Genius.

Prices start at Dh396, www.ferm-living.com

2. Bright sparks

The Springkorn collection is new in at Ikea. Expect bright blocks of colour, bold geometrics and pink flamingoes popping off towels, bedding, cushion covers and shower curtains. We've got our eye on this super soft, retro-looking fleece throw.

Dh49, Ikea stores nationwide

3. Sound effect

A brainchild of the furniture designer Franz Ignacio and the anthropologist Koh Onozawa, Loudbasstard is a bamboo amplifier that enables you to share your music using the basic principles of passive sound amplification. We love that each piece is organically hand treated, hand cut, hand dyed, and hand packaged in the Philippines. Just pop your iPhone into the top and sit back and enjoy.

Price on request, www.loudbasstard.com

4. Bowled over

The Dome bowl by the Kuwaiti-based designer Farah Al Humaidhi is one of our favourite finds. The bowl features Al Humaidhi's trademark "dantelle" styling, which mimics the intricacy of lacework, but the neon hue gives this most traditional of looks a decidedly modern makeover.

Dh975, S*uce Gifts, Al Wasl Square, Dubai

5. Nature's own

Zara Home's latest collection is bursting with colour: emerald greens flirt with flashes of pink and blinding yellows mingle with bright blues and oranges. There are birds, butterflies and forest scenes, as well as shimmering metallics and animal prints. But it's this ice blue cushion depicting a map of the Antarctic that has caught our fancy.

Dh145, Zara Home stores nationwide