WISH I LIVED IN ENGLAND

Sometimes I really wish I lived in the United Kingdom, and not just because my ancestors trace back to Stromness, Scotland and Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

Not only because it seems many of my readers are from "across the pond", so to speak. Also not because English beer is far superior to all others and I really love beer.

It is because I stumbled across a store called Lom Bok. I'll admit, I am a huge fan of home design and decor magazines and I often browse furniture shops and websites just looking for ideas and inspiration. I admire solid craftsmanship and top-quality design but it really seems these days you are limited to two choices, either 'cheesy modern' or 'country kitch'. Then I discovered the store I have been looking for.

Lom Bok brings classic and timeless designs to life, and successfully merges the old world of Colonial England with an Asian flair. When you think about it, many of the best aspects of English culture are what they adapted from others during the glory days when the sun never set on the British Empire. Everybody knows the the best curry in the world comes from London, and everybody also knows that the best beer for drinking with curry is an English Bitter. I rest my case.

If your going to be eating some good British curry, I can't think of a better place then some of these dining table sets. The Malang is my personal favourite, as influenced by the classic American Mission style as it is by anything Eastern.

I've already fallen in love with the Planter's Chair, (pictured left) which is part of their Colonial Collection. As soon as I saw the picture I imagined myself sitting in it while drinking a Mint Julip.

Check out the wide variety of chests of drawers, I specifically like the Canton collection. The wife and I have sort of an Eastern theme going on in our Master Bedroom already and those pieces are exactly the kind of look we are going for.

Speaking of bedrooms, these handmade wooden beds are all made of teak or oak and will last for generations. My favourite is the Seba.

Even better, and very important in our eco-conscious times, is that Lom Bok prides itself on being an environmentally friendly company. Not only do they work with suppliers to ensure sustainable practices for their furniture construction but they operate a furniture trade-in program that ensures your former Lom Bok furniture ends up in a loving home instead of a landfill. More info about the company, its history, and business practices can be found on their website.

It is not all furniture obviously. They are really marketing a lifestyle, with a variety of accessories, light fixtures, lamps, rugs, etc. are all available and (suprise, suprise) match their collections perfectly. They have 8 stores in the London area and new locations opening all over England.

While not available in Canada, they do arrange for shipping both within the UK and overseas, so I'll just put the Planter's Chair on my Christmas wish list. Now if only I had a rich benefactor...