The Really Useful Column

Alison Cork discovers bargain fabric, china and art, as well as a new website that can help you find a lodger.

Fabric fiesta

Natural fabrics have a certain class about them and I have recently come across an outlet that specialises in natural cottons and linens, at trade prices, and which is also open to the public.

Wolfin Textiles, which supplies extra-wide fabric for theatre sets, sells cottons, linens, calico, muslin and duck, with prices from an amazing £2.17 a metre for muslin (152cm wide) and £6.11 a metre for duck (274cm wide), all including VAT. It also offers a same-day mail-order service, and is happy to give advice and to send samples. Call 020 8428 9911 or see www.wolfintextiles.co.uk.

Weighty matters

If you demand both form and function from your kitchen appliances, take a look at the stunning new kitchen scales (below) from Siemens. Cleverly designed to be wall-mounted, the neat weighing tray opens out when required, then folds away when not in use. Foods of up to 2kg can also be weighed in one-gram stages, according to the specific recipe. On the design side, none other than Porsche had a hand in its development, and there's a kettle, toaster and blender to match. It costs £129.99 and is available from leading department stores.

Cut-price china

For classy china at bargain-basement prices, check out Villeroy & Boch, which is having a nine-day warehouse clearance sale at its factory shop/ warehouse from Saturday 20 March until Sunday 28 March, when it will be selling thousands of pounds worth of tableware, fine china, crystal and cutlery. Some patterns and designs will be at less than half price, and discontinued ranges and seconds at savings of 75 per cent or more. Villeroy & Boch, 267 Merton Road, SW18 (020 8875 6006).

Lodgers online

Looking for a lodger? www.lodgers online.co.uk is a new website designed to enable landlords to place advertisements for lodgings, property share, property rentals, and for B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels to advertise accommodation.

Costing from only £10 for 30 days, the site also distinguishes between different types of people, such as professionals, academics, students, media, tourists, etc, to allow landlords to target their preferred market and so that those seeking accommodation can find what they are looking for quickly and cost-effectively. As a special offer to Homes & Property readers, advertising is free until 1 March 2004.

Affordable art

Looking for original but affordable paintings? Cable Street Studios houses work by more than 100 artists, selling a wonderful array of both contemporary and traditional art, sculpture and installations. Prices vary from artist to artist, but you can be sure that they will be cheaper than the West End's Cork Street. Open by appointment. Call 020 7790 8542. Cable Street Studios, 566 Cable Street, E1 (www.cablestreetstudios.com).

Love grows

Are you looking for a creative wedding present that is also practical and long-lasting? The Wedding Garden Company has a gorgeous selection of plants, gifts and design ideas for the happy couple's garden. Choose your gift and it will then be beautifully packaged and delivered to the door. Call 01342 823123 or see www.weddinggardencompany.co.uk.

Wonderful wood

I have also come across a reclaimed timber yard in Leytonstone called Rummages, where you will find all manner of reclaimed materials: bricks, doors, architectural antiques but mainly beams, joists and floors, which can be resawed and remilled to your own specifications. Prices start at a very reasonable £14.85 a sq m. Call 020 8539 9333 or see www.rummages4wood.com.