The Beat That My Heart Skipped – A blog dedicated to daily design inspirations. By Rohini Wahi.

I find the process of ceramic making and pottery absolutely mesmerizing and lost several minutes watching this beautiful video in a trance.

This is the making of eccentric Spanish designer Jaime Hayon’s 2010 pottery collection for Japanese tableware company Choemon in their factory in Ishikawa, Japan. I was astounded at the many levels of hand made design and painstaking adornment went into this to achieve such a surprising collection mixing traditional Japanese ceramic design with a modern twist

Since thinking about flooring has taken up 30% of my brain activity this past month, this will probably be my last post on anything wood/floor related for this year! Whilst after careful consideration we went for classic honey coloured Oak floorboards I know I will always wish we had been a bit more adventurous.

I have always loved the chevron patterning of classic wood parquet floors so these tables, headboards and chopping boards made of salvaged flooring by Brooklyn based wood-worker Ariele Alasko really sung to me. She creates magic with wood and her online store carries one of a kind headboards hand built from reclaimed wood salvaged from Brooklyn buildings and cheeseboards made from salvaged antique flooring. I think she also makes wall panels as art pieces – i would just love one propped up on a shelf with other art.

I’m obsessed with the multifaceted blog of Nikole Herriot and the Herriot Grace shop which artfully documents her activities cleverly interspersed with products available to buy made and designed in her father’s workshop in Canada. Her photographs and styling are just so simple and emotive it makes me want to have a gentle home like hers.  I also love the story accompanying the website:

“Lance and Nikole Herriott live 3400 kilometers apart: his workshop is in Victoria, British Columbia, and her studio is in Toronto, Ontario. When she first made her home more than halfway across the country, they started to send packages back and forth.

In some of those packages, Lance began to include his own hand carved spoons. He had been collecting wood since the early seventies, and used his best pieces for these gifts. Nikole loved them; their balance and shape, the pieces were made with unmistakable care. She knew they were something special.

One day it dawned on her that others might appreciate her father’s talent as she did, so Nikole asked if he would ever want to share his work. Lance took a few days to think about it. And, after some convincing, he agreed to her plan, but only with people that understood and cared about the time and effort spent on each piece.

She told him, “Leave it to me, I know just the sort.”

And with that, Herriott Grace was born.

In the three years since, their small shop has grown to selling an array of hand carved and hand turned wooden objects, including spoons, bowls, pedestals, candy dishes, serving boards, rolling pins, plates and mortar and pestle sets. All are one of a kind and made entirely of salvaged, chemical-free wood, ranging in type, age, and origin. None are exactly the same, and thus none are perfect. But the slight imperfections are an affect of the handmade quality. They’ve also introduced a select line of exclusive porcelain dishware. The ceramic pieces are cast in small runs, and boast the rustic, tactile beauty for which their brand is known.

They also make, by hand, kitchen linens, cake flags, birthday candles, beeswax salve and cookie cutters.

Lance still lives in Victoria, and still sends packages to Nikole in Toronto. Now, she styles and photographs those pieces he sends, and together they are Herriott Grace.”

This weekend I made a very special trip to historic Bath for my best friends hen party.

I cannot believe I had never visited Bath before… It was like my soul-mate city. Home to Miss Austen for six years, everywhere I looked I felt her presence, in the rolling countrysides and church spires and yellow stones of tall rows of Georgian townhouses.

We visited Bath’s Thermae Spa who’s rooftop pool incredibly looked out over the city. We trawled antique shops and markets and discovered independent furniture stores that I will be visiting again.

The discovery that underpinned our whole wonderful weekend however was our residence… the stunning Georgian self catering town house Rennie House. Built in 1778 the property retains many of the original Georgian architectural features. A five story house consisting of seven bedrooms, three bathrooms one grand sitting room a large basement kitchen and dining room – the house was stunning to the last details. Painstakingly restored by owner Rachel – we found it painted in a luscious palette of Farrow and Ball hues and furnished in lovingly scouted pieces from markets in Normandy and the West Country. Blinds were in bold but elegant patterns and tasteful wallpaper mirrored Bath’s landscape.

I kept spotting small personal details, unusual vintage soap dishes and framed embroidery made by Rachel herself adorned all of the rooms. It was such a gentle and quiet house [despite the amount of hens filling it] with the delicate furnishings and historic details that I imagined Miss Austen herself might have approved!

Having spoken to the owner and how much love and time went into this huge property – has inspired me instead of rushing out and trying to finish off the flat as quickly as I can – to take my time and get my own little home just right.

Re-discovered the folksy work of British illustrator Natasha Newton this week. She has been working on some new designs for her Etsy store where she sells small accessories. I love these mid-century-esque decorative beach pebbles and pottery shards hand-painted with acrylic ink.They would look lovely scattered amongst indoor plants or to weigh down random paperwork.