Being scared of the dark is no longer an excuse for putting off bedtime.

Meet the Glo Nightlight, a bedside lamp with removable glowing balls that act as portable nightlights. The phosphorescent balls aren’t electronic and don’t get hot, so they are safe to snuggle with when the room goes dark.

The balls’ light will fade 30 minutes after they’ve been removed from the base, and you can select one tone, or have a rotating array of colours. We suggest you choose the colour that will best ward off any monsters lurking in the closet.

Boon Glo Nightlight, $84.99 from Saf & Benjamin, 1081 Marinaside Cres., Vancouver, 778-328-8194 and online at www.safandbenjamin.com  —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

“Lampshades are like the shoes and handbags of the home,” says doyenne of design, Nina Campbell. “The right shoes can make an outfit – but if you have the wrong shoes, you can feel old-fashioned in the smartest suit.”

This super-cool shade ($315) from Shana Anderson is up there with our favourite pumps and clutches. The local textile designer covers shades in Toronto skylines pulled from archival and current photos of the city.

Hang it the guest loo or above the dining room table. Just don’t let city politics be the only thing you talk about over dinner. —Athena Tsavliris

At Made, 867 Dundas St. W., Toronto, 416-607-6384, www.madedesign.ca

Tired of the bright colours, weird characters, and hideous graphics on most children’s homewear? We are, and that’s why we love this wooden alphabet by Toronto-based husband-and-wife design duo Bookhou.

The A to Z birch wall hanging is in Courier New, which is the font they used for their logo. It wasn’t intended for children’s rooms, but has proven popular with some design-savvy parents.

So when our kids grow up and want Justin Bieber posters on their walls, we can move this piece in our home office. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

Wood alphabet, $50 from Bookhou, www.bookhou.com

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, goes the old saying. At Machineage Kitchen, cooks can score unique vintage appliances, tools and accessories in fine working order.

Add some cool to your counter with a Gaggia espresso maker ($150) or this set of Peter Max metal kitchen canisters (four-piece set, $194) Bakers will swoon over the six-piece muffin set ($60). Find rolling pins, cake pans and retro pinnies too.

Time to dust off Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book. —Athena Tsavliris

Machine Age, 1000 Queen St. E., Toronto, 416-461-3588, www.machineagemodern.com

You’ve rounded up a charcuterie feast of veal bones, venison pâté, rich rillettes and hard-to-find cheeses. Now you need something beautiful to present it on.

Geoffrey Lilge's handcrafted cutting boards are just the thing. Each piece (more artwork than cutting board, really) is made from solid maple and walnut and finished with natural oil and beeswax.

They are simple, functional and exquisite. Hang it on the wall until your next carnivorous chow-down. —Athena Tsavliris

See www.geoffreylilge.com for local stockists.

Days are getting shorter and the weather is grim. Best take cover under a warm and generous blanket.

MacAusland's 100 per cent virgin wool blankets (Queen, $87) are a very good reason to stay in bed. Untreated, un-dyed and available in simple patterns, each cozy blanket is handcrafted on Prince Edward Island at the old MacAusland family mill.

It’s the perfect accoutrement to a weekend-long pajama party à deux. —Athena Tsavliris

www.macauslandswoollenmills.com

I love to entertain, but washing up when it’s the servant’s night off is such a bore. Next time, I’ll hand out pretty tea towels so my guests can do the dishes while I sink into the chaise with a box of After Eights.

These lovely ones from Bespoke Uprising, a textile studio in Hamilton, should make everyone want to do the dishes. The prints are charming, (canning jars, ikat crosses and burlesque ladies) and are all hand-drawn and printed onto a hemp/organic blend cloth.

Now, whoever takes out the rubbish gets to take a tea towel home. —Athena Tsavliris

Bespoke Uprising, www.etsy.com/shop/bespokeuprising

Many moons ago I went to the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition, and ever since I’ve wanted a picture wall of my own. You see them a lot lately. But I love the way the RA’s is hung — pictures stacked one on top of another in a riot of colour. Once I got started, mine took on a life of its own and practically hung itself. Here are some tips:

Set out with a plan, (you may want to lay the whole thing out on the kitchen floor) but don’t be too disciplined. The best picture walls are the ones that break rules and look as though they were hung over time. Think playful and organic.

Try to mix it up.

Hang a ceramic plate or an old record alongside a favourite vintage silk scarf, photograph or postcard. You may have a valuable print that works perfectly next to an old photobooth pic.

Some people prefer a uniform look, (all black frames, let’s say) but I personally like to combine materials, ceramic frames next to brass ones next to a Reeba, for instance.

I chose not too be too symmetrical, but it’s still orderly. If you aim to be too precise, your job will become very challenging.

This is definitely a two-man job, with one person hanging (someone with a very good eye) and the other supervising the display.

—Athena Tsavliris

Sometimes we need to lighten up and get some perspective. Start with a new lamp.

Lia Fagan’s retro inspired lighting comes in bold colours and exciting patterns and is handmade in the Style at Home contributor’s Burlington studio. The bases are vintage (sourced at antique shows, auctions and vintage shops) and come in wood, metal and ceramic while the shade is recovered in new fabric. Visit the ‘lamp orphanage’ and pick a base for Fagan to customize to your taste.

Look, it won’t solve all our issues, but we may be able to at least see them. —Athena Tsavliris

www.modpieces.ca

Blown-up family photos only work when they speak to your inner art critic, and cool and candid wins every time.

When the right photo comes along, you’ll want to monumentalize it on the wall right there alongside your Mapplethorpe plates. Bumblejax does a superb job of mounting your photo (from $70) on a variety of materials from acrylic to metal to lightweight foam. Simply upload your high res image and choose the material. Your photo will arrive ready to hang in a few days.

Blow it up big. The effect is larger than life. —Athena Tsavliris

www.bumblejax.com