9 ways to work the whimsical into your home

Playful designs are making their way out of the nursery and into grown-up decorating schemes. We've picked out nine of our favourite whimsical, wonderful finds that will add a touch of fun and fantasy to your home.

1) Brokis Memory pendant, from £165, Heal's

Remember the days when there was absolutely nothing more exciting than a helium-filled balloon? Boris Klimek's Memory pendants let you recapture that joy every time you turn on the light.

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Made of glass, this clever design looks just like a balloon clinging to the ceiling and is switched on and off with a pull chord designed to resemble a balloon string. Genius!

2) Macchine Volanti wallpaper, £280 per roll, Wallpaper Direct

Speaking of balloons, we're up in the clouds about this Macchine Volanti wallpaper from Cole & Son. Part of the Fornasetti II range, it features a collection of fantastical flying machines floating through a moody blue sky.

If you're worried it's a bit bold for a living room, try using it in a smaller, less-used room such as a cloakroom or home office.

3) Beast's Feet serving bowl, £58, Anthropologie

If you'd rather save your whimsical moments for special occasions, how about this beastly little serving bowl from Anthropologie?

Perfect for dishing up pasta, salad or dessert, it's sure to provide a talking point at dinner parties.

4) Ambroise and Cornelius portrait trays, £110 and £120, Graham and Green

Anthropomorphised animals are a hallmark of whimsical design, and these elaborate trays from Graham & Green are as decorative as they are practical.

Use them to serve drinks and nibbles or hang them on your wall for all to admire.

5) Cat in the Hat tile, £40, Liberty

There's more anthropomorphising going on over at Liberty, in Rory Dobner's quirky ceramics collection.

We love this Cat in the Hat tile, which would look dapper as part of a monochrome kitchen or bathroom splashback.

6) Duck Feet table lamp, £1,020, Samuel Charles Interiors

Luxury brand Porta Romana's iconic Duck Feet lamp looks as though it could wander off the edge of the table at any moment.

It comes with a variety of lampshades, but this fluffy one is our favourite because it reminds us of the dancing ostriches in Disney's Fantasia.

7) Mrs. Pearson chest of drawers, £2,640, Judson Beaumont

Furniture designers have also been plumbing the depths of their imaginations to come up with weird and wonderful creations.

If you're looking for somewhere a bit different to store your socks and undies, you couldn't get much wackier than this surreal chest of drawers by Judson Beaumont. Hand-made to order, it doesn't come cheap, but then even fancy isn't free.

8) Hackney Empire fabric, from £75per m, House of Hackney

House of Hackney's Hackney Empire fabric has more than a whiff of The Wind in the Willows about it, with its fan-wielding otters and hat-wearing toads.

Go for all-out whimsy and cover your sofa in it, or incorporate it into your scheme more subtly in cushion form.

9) Frog on a Bike print, £19.07, Etsy

The easiest way to introduce a bit of the unusual into your interiors is just to pop up a print.

We're big fans of this rather fetching frog on a penny-farthing (what else?), available from ScatterbrainPrints on Etsy.

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