Style bible: Funky wall coverings and a flock of inspiration

EVERYONE is looking for a fresh take on interiors to start the new year and this beautifully distinctive Deer Head print wallpaper ticks the box.

Sharon James, under the company name Imani Renae, designs fabrics, cushions and wallpapers, with each piece made to order in the UK. The picture here shows the wallpaper in slate, it is also available in Summer Yellow and Country Stone. That new year resolution to brighten up your home just got a whole lot easier.

• Deer Head wallpaper, £85 per sq metre, Imani Renae (020 8450 7690, www.imanirenae.com)

The third exhibition to be held at the National Trust for Scotland’s Robert Burns Birthplace Museum brings together 15 artists displaying work under the inspiration of Ca’ the Yowes. Opening a week before Burns Night, the exhibition encompasses sculpture, drawings, tapestry, film, painting, printing, calligraphy and crochet from an eclectic group of contemporary artists including Helen Denerley, Amanda Gizzi, Alasdair Gray, Patrick Hughes, Angela Hunter, Fiona Hutchison, Chad McCail, Moy Mackay, Jila Peacock, Robert Powell, David Shrigley, Joana Vasconcelos, Jill Watson, Silvy Weatherall and Adrian Wiszniewski. Curator Sheilagh Tennant says: “The melody of Ca’ the Yowes remains one of the most haunting of all of Burns’s songs. As you might expect, taking this work as a theme, sheep figure largely in this exhibition – although not necessarily sheep as you will have seen them before.”

• 18 Jan–5 May, Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Murdoch’s Lone, Alloway, Ayr KA7 4PQ (0844 493 2601). Open daily; admission free

Popular German kitchen accessories collection Koziol is now being stocked at Sterling Homestores. The award-winning designs combine fun with practicality at an affordable price. This quirky hedgehog cheese grater, called Kasimir, is made from translucent plastic and costs £9. There is also Luigi the spoon rest, which features a “gondola” to catch the drips from the spoon. Sure to brighten up dull January days.

• Koziol accessories collection, from £7.50, Sterling Homestores in Aberdeen and Tillicoultry (www.sterlingfurniture.co.uk)

For would-be gardeners who don’t have any outdoor space, this mini indoor allotment will allow them to grow handy herbs without any fuss. The little wooden shed has a white handmade picket fence that surrounds three miniature plant pots with drainage trays for growing herbs. The roof of the shed opens and the door swings open to reveal herb snips, three soil pellets and three packs of seeds including coriander, basil and oregano. Perfect for windowsills.

• Mini indoor allotment, £25, The Balcony Gardener (www.thebalconygardener.com)