The Danish entrepreneur Charlotte Guineau and her husband Philippe were exhausted by 15 years of city life so, in 1998, they set up Rice, a homeware label that would allow them to work from home. They began by importing and selling home accessories from Thailand and Madagascar, and today their products are stocked in shops in more than 30 countries around the world.
Rice is packed with bright, cheery melamine tableware, cute Danish designs and kitsch kitchenware. If you like your home accessories to be smart, understated and grown up, this is not the place for you. If, on the other hand, you love fun, multicoloured buys and have a soft spot for fuchsia pink, you'll think Rice is rather nice.
A picnic and barbecue essential, melamine tableware is often aimed at children, but the pretty and practical pieces at Rice are stylish for any table - no matter how old your diners are. Available in a rainbow of colours, the Rice mix-and-match look is infectious. When faced with so many gorgeous hues, it's impossible to choose just one.
New additions to the Rice range include fun poufs in ditsy floral fabrics, elegant ceramic plant pots and textured kitchen utensil jars featuring clashing colour combinations such as purple and lime or orange and red.
The tiered polka dot melamine cake stands are another treat. As dainty as china but much tougher, they'll last for years and survive even the most boisterous of tea parties. The embroidered storage boxes are well worth a look, too. Not quite as bright as your regular Rice fare, these handcrafted boxes look like vintage flea market finds.
Rice is a wholesaler, so although you can browse the range on the company's website, you'll have to use the store finder tool to find a stockist if you want to actually shop. Luckily for us, online stockists such as huset-shop.com (US) or www.nettlegreen.co.uk (British) ship Rice products direct to the UAE.
For more information visit www.rice.dk or call 004 56 311 3535
