Erin Baker: The Bentley bedroom you always promised yourself

These days, car manufacturers are getting into the worlds of home and lifestyle in a major way. Which makes sense - fewer people drive cars to commute from home to work (and that trend is only going one way), and more customers are indulging in adventurous pursuits at the weekend that require a car, such as cycling, football, climbing, canoeing; hence the unstoppable rise of the SUV and its smaller crossover sibling. Hence, too, the growing popularity of keys such as Land Rover’s activity wrist band, which will open the car remotely when you wave it against the boot, but is also waterproof and sport-proof.

Anyway, back to the shopping list. Customers have a veritable smorgasbord of decent gear to choose from now. Look at Bentley’s Home Collection: the inside of your house can now replicate the inside of your Flying Spur, which may not be as weird as it sounds in a few years’ time when we’re all used to the car cabins being that “third space” after the home and office, in which to relax or work. The line is increasingly blurred.

Bentley Home furniture includes sofas, chaise lounges, armchairs, coffee tables, cabinets and even beds. There are the usual fragrances and sunglasses but also golf clubs, handbags, ties, photo frames, and a brightly coloured range of sports clothing for adults and kids. None of it is overtly branded; Bentley knows its customer base is a discerning bunch.

Aston Martin is equally savvy: they teamed up with Silver Cross recently, purveyors of classic prams, to do a special-edition “luxury pram system”, the Silver Cross Surf Aston Martin Edition, yours for £3,000 from Harrods. As ever, materials, design and engineering were of uppermost importance. That might be pushing it too far for some, but there’s some nice artwork, and cashmere socks currently on sale for £84.

Rolls-Royce keep their Accessory Collection tightly pinned to the cars, with monogrammed luggage for the boot, duck-feather cushions, a 24-carat gold Spirit of Ecstasy and a humidor in the glove box. My personal favourite is the picnic hamper, designed for the boot of all models, with Wedgwood crockery sitting in a teak, leather and aluminium box.

Ferrari used to be one of the worst offenders for not controlling its merchandise, but these days joins the serried ranks of luxury car companies making non-car stuff you might actually want to own. The objets d’art are far more “out there” than the British brands, but hey, that’s what you want if you’re part of the tifosi. For them, a carbon-fibre Ferrari chess set might be just the thing or, joy of joys for those of us who grew up with this game (although we imagine it was aimed more at the Chinese market as a whole than my family specifically), a Ferrari Mahjong set for almost £2,000.

Something for everyone, really.