My inspiration this month is veering from admiration of the new Schiffini showroom to a colourful selection of elephant themed wallpaper and mugs … some jungly plates!

This is the new Lepic Kitchen, designed by Jasper Morrison – a refreshing new angle on kitchen design which embraces the pleasures of cooking and eating whilst focusing on practicality and the ease of use. Each element is beautifully perfect, but as our picture above shows, it has a slightly eclectic look, which is appealing and modern (given the numerous trends involving mixed materials, contrasting colours and texture and quirky details).

The Lepic kitchen uses natural material such as veneered natural oak, which is combined with Fenix NMT (described as a nanotechnological opaque material which is soft to the touch yet extremely hardwearing). Work surfaces are in wood fibre, plated on both sides in Fenix NMT. Open storage, a stainless steel back panel with machined grooves and solid oak or cast-iron look metal are prominent and can be used to hang cloths and towels.

Schiffini’s new showroom is at 21 Duke Street, London W1U 1DJ; www.schiffini.com; 020 7935 0810

We’ve been admiring the simplicity of this kitchen too – it’s from Brayer Design – painted in Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball, with American Black Walnut full-height cabinetry. It’s a fabulous example of a sleek layout that looks chic and stylish but has an element of warmth and – plus some lovely open shelves that can be used to display loved items and to create an easily changed and updated focal point. Kitchen by the Wimbledon team at Brayer Design, see more details and ideas here.

Getting creative with curves .. it doesn’t take more than a few curved cabinets to transform a layout; Crown Imperial’s Ashton collection looks sophisticated and elegant – we love the pale grey units which stand out against a dark wood floor and super purple end wall (try Purple Tulip or Grey Violet from Zoffany for a stunning matt finish in their new Elite Emulsion formulation). Catch a look at the whole Crown Imperial collection here. Take a look at the website to see your nearest showroom – they’ve also introduced 360 deg technology to allow clients to don VR goggles and ‘walk through’ a virtual-reality version of their new kitchen – or, indeed, the spectacular Crown Imperial head office showroom.

Of course, any new kitchen is going to be in need of wow-factor lighting, especially above a breakfast bar or dining space. The Dar Lighting Group always comes up with must-have designs; we’re particularly taken with the Liden Three-Light Bar Pendant; it’s a snip at £138, has a stem that can be height-adjusted on installation, has white gloss shades and chrome details. And it comes as a single wall light and single pendant so the rest of the kitchen and living space can match. See the Dar range here to see your nearest stockist.

Jumping from plain and sophisticated walls and cabinetry to colourful patterns … this Elephant Grove wallpaper (in Aubergine) from Arthouse has to be a crazy and/or wonderful choice for a statement wall … we can envisage it in a dining room, teamed with an ivory coloured kitchen space, or even used between wall cupboards and counter-tops for an adventurous kitchen scheme. (If it needed to be protected from splashes if near the sink or hob, cover with a piece of cut-to-size toughened glass from a local glazier). Anyway, check out the stunning Arthouse collection of wallpapers here. It comes in other, slightly less outrageous colours too!

Unsurprisingly, I’ve now got side-tracked by elephants, having spotted these lovely Casa Domani Raj mugs from Creative Tops. Come on, if you’re looking at elephant wallpaper, what’s not to like about matching elephant mugs!! Available as a set of four, so you don’t even have to choose which you like best! From the Maxwell & Williams range at Creative Tops, £30 for four. Find stockists here.

It’s actually been too hot to sit outside too much so far this summer, but as I write the temperature has cooled down a little – normal service has resumed, so the garden seating can be put to good use again. I’ve been admiring this set from Bridgman … and rather like the idea of scooching up in the evening with a blanket too, as well as a G&T! See the rest of the Bridgman collection here, this is the Windsor Lounging Set, consisting of armchair, footstool, side table, throw and cushions. Take a look here, and keep an eye on the special offers too!

So thoughts of gardens and elephants and so on meant I went searching for some appropriately jungly crockery and accessories for some summer outdoor entertaining. My successful haul may include these lovelies … from left; Tropical Tiger Tray, 38cm diameter, in birchwood and melamine, by Nathalie Lete for Avenida Home, available from Eclect Design. Centre; Aruba Floral stoneware plate, 20cm diameter, from Beaumonde. Right; hand-printed ceramic leaf plate, in 8” or 10” sizes, from Art Wow. There are dozens to choose from … including, unexpectedly, some David Bowie plates. That’s a phrase I’d never thought I would write!!