There is a reason a meerkat guarding your sandwiches, or a rhino quietly holding up an entire tower of wildlife, makes you smile before you even know why. Animal motifs bring instant personality to a room, adding warmth, humour, and proof that good design need not take itself too seriously. From hand-carved cabinet pulls to porcelain sculptures and archive-inspired wallpapers, this roundup from the likes of Lladró, Sophie Allport, Pullcast and many more, celebrates the pieces that turn everyday objects into something worth talking about, one very overworked rhino at a time.
Standing guard: The sandwich lookout meerkat
There is a new figure keeping watch at the table, and he takes his post rather seriously. Rendered in Jimbobart's signature red trousers and standing at full alert, this meerkat on a plate has one directive: locate the sandwich, protect the sandwich. The design began as an original illustration, now translated onto fine bone china and scaled to the proportions of a side plate — 20.3cm in diameter, equally content holding your lunch or simply standing sentry on a shelf, admired rather than used.
This tiger’s dressed to impress in black and gold
There's a new resident prowling the console table and it’s hand-crafted and hand-painted in fine porcelain by Spanish sculptor José Luis Santes for the house of Lladró. The Tiger Mask reinterprets the language of traditional African mask-making through a distinctly contemporary lens as inky black lines trace across luminous white porcelain, punctuated by flashes of golden lustre that catch the light as though composed specifically for it. It arrives as part of a trio, alongside the mandrill and the owl, each rendered with its own distinct character and craft. For decades, Lladró has redefined what porcelain can be — sculptural, luminous, and quietly audacious. ,. And that is why this tiger does not simply decorate a room, it sets its tone. Available at Micucci Interiors.
Lovebirds in full bloom
There's something quietly enchanting about walking into a room that tells its own story. That's the magic of the Lovebirds wallpaper — a design lovingly restored from a long-lost archive print, its illustrated birds and blooms bringing a sense of tropical romance to whatever space they land in. Designed by Divine Savages, the palette plays its part: soft cream, warm peach, and dusky blue, layered together in a way that feels both nostalgic and completely current. And the story doesn't stop at the wall. This design also comes in a range of fabric options, so you can carry it through into curtains, upholstery, even lighting. One thing worth knowing: this design is made to order, with a lead time of around 3–4 weeks. Good things, as they say, are worth waiting for.
A cat worth hanging onto
Meet the newest recruit in the Wildlife Garden collection: a charming grey housecat wall hook, hand-carved from lime wood and hand-painted with real care. Every hook is carved and painted one at a time, so no two are ever quite identical. The collection has other identical hooks in the shape of a cow, a horse, or a duck. Pair one or more together to build out a proper farmyard scene. The hook itself is metal, fixed to that hand-carved head. The hook arrives gift-boxed, with a little booklet of cat facts tucked inside. Available at The Design Gift Shop.
A hand-carved feline keeps a watchful eye from The Design Gift Shop’s Wildlife Garden collection. Photograph courtesy The Design Gift Shop
A flock of illustrated sheep brings a pastoral note to Sophie Allport’s stoneware nibbles bowl. Photograph courtesy Sophie Allport
A fantastical tower of animals comes together on Tessitura Toscana Telerie’s Brema-Rino linen tea towel. Photograph courtesy Home Landing Ltd
A watchful meerkat takes sandwich security seriously on Jimbobart’s illustrated side plate. Photograph courtesy Jimbobart
Birds and blooms find a dreamy new setting in Divine Savages’ Lovebirds wallpaper. Photograph courtesy DIVINE SAVAGES
PullCast’s gilded chimpanzee brings a mischievous touch to otherwise ordinary cabinetry. Photograph courtesy PullCast
Monkeys swing through a lush Caribbean-inspired scene in Mind the Gap’s Barbados wallpaper. Photograph courtesy MINDTHEGAP
Lladró’s black-and-gold Tiger Mask from Micucci Interiors brings an exotic flourish to the decorative arts. Photograph courtesy
This chimp loves hanging around
There's a certain wit to chimpanzees — playful, clever, endlessly curious, and forever swinging between mischief and mastery. PullCast's Gold Chimpanzee drawer handle captures a little of that spirit, bringing a touch of jungle charm and quiet wisdom to any child's room. Part of the brand's Kids Collection, it's a small detail with a big personality, ready to turn an ordinary drawer into something worth opening twice.
Barbados called, and it brought monkeys
Every wallpaper tells a story, but this one has a full cast of characters. Capuchins, tamarins, howler monkeys — all swinging through a canopy of palms, rendered against a taupe or deep charcoal backdrop. It's not a pattern so much as a scene, one that turns a wall into a window onto somewhere warmer, wilder, and considerably more interesting. The colours pitch in to bring the scene to life, green, orange, and taupe, all layered in that soft-yet-saturated register that makes a jungle feel inviting rather than overwhelming. It belongs to the Rediscovered Paradise collection, and comes ready to hang with a simple paste-the-wall application. Available at Mind the Gap.
Snacks with a side of sheep
Some bowls just hold snacks. This one holds a whole countryside daydream. Made from sturdy stoneware and covered in Sophie Allport's charming sheep illustrations, this bowl brings a dose of pastoral warmth to popcorn, crisps, or a late-night scoop of ice cream — proof that even the humble nibbles bowl deserves a bit of personality. A contrasting dark grey rim gives the design just the right amount of edge. And it doesn't stop there. Pair it with the Mini Jug, Mug, and Side Plate for the full Sheep Collection look — a flock's worth of charm, scattered across your kitchen table.
One rhino carrying the whole team on linen
Somewhere between a circus act and a fever dream, the Brema-Rino tea towel stacks a roseate spoonbill on an alligator, on a seal, on a horse, on humped camel, all balanced on the sturdy back of a grey rhino. The whole scene plays out against smart vertical stripes in soft grey, burgundy, pale cream, and warm rust. Designed by Tessitura Toscana Telerie, the Brema-Rino is woven from pure linen — the kind of fabric that only gets better with wash, growing softer and more absorbent over time, which makes it as practical as it is charming. It turns something ordinary into a small daily dose of theatre. Available at Home Landing.
