Six quick fixes to brighten your week

Calling all twitchers

From thrushes and chaffinches to black-headed gulls and tawny owls, these beechwood bird whistles imitate the calls of a diverse range of species. Each one is handcrafted in a small workshop in France by François Morelle and the Quelle Est Belle company which have been developing these sounds for many decades. Quelle Est Belle wooden bird calls, from £14.95, consciouscraft.uk

Stay up-to-date – always

This classic calendar was designed by the Italian modernist artist and furniture designer Enzo Mari in 1967 and is still being produced by Danese Milano today. Inspired by railway signs, it has the date, month and day of the week printed on a series of cards which can be fanned out for the user to choose the appropriate combination. The retro calendar comes in black or white and is available in English, Italian, French and German. Enzo Mari Timor perpetual calendar, €131, onlinestore.danesemilano.com

Get handy

Handcrafted in India from leather and heavy grain cotton canvas, this compact tool kit can be rolled-up, secured with string and comfortably carried with a convenient handle. Inside the case are customised slots which hold a set of wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, hex keys, a claw hammer, measuring tape and a T-bar. Nappa Dori Toolkit I (set of tools included), £210, nappadori.co.uk

Keep your cool

After struggling to find a stylish inflatable pool for her rooftop terrace, Kris Myllenbeck decided to create her own and founded Mylle in 2016. Featuring a drain to easily empty out the water, her ten modern designs are made from nontoxic vinyl and pack into a handy pouch for storage. Mylle Terrazzo paddling pool, from $100, mylleshop.com

Enliven the spirits

The complex concoctions of H Theoria’s aromatic liqueurs are an unusual blend of flavours, from seaweed and orange blossom to galangal and violet. The natural ingredients are macerated and distilled in Burgundy and presented in apothecary-style bottles with generous glass stoppers. H Theoria liqueurs, £54.95 each, thewhiskyexchange.com

Bring home the bacon

Forget vanilla and lemon, Archie McPhee’s humorous air freshener releases the sizzling scent of smoky bacon to whet the appetite on drives home. As well as cured meat, other designs include a pine-fragranced BigFoot and a cowgirl smelling of cactus. Archie McPhee Bacon Deluxe Air Freshener, £4.95, thehambledon.com