I think the high street have really upped their game over the past few years when it comes to homeware. It’s no accident that they’re stocking the likes of copper baskets and marble serving platters – the trends that keep on giving.
Items you used to find in the stylised heavens of the department stores you can find when you do the grocery shopping. It’s affordable. It’s convenient. And now more than ever, pretty good quality.
The latest editions which I’m adding to the house are from Sainsbury’s and TK Maxx as I’ve recently revamped my dressing area -a long overdue tarting up, if you will.
My little dressing area is nothing major. I don’t have a dedicated closet or room for a walk-in-wardrobe and my modest little corner in our bedroom does the job nicely with a classic IKEA Malm table for me to sit and get ready in the mornings. My little girl can sit on the edge of my bed and chatter away about what baa baa black sheep might be doing today whilst I try to conceal the ‘mummy bags’ under my eyes.
So to give it a refresh I’ve got rid of my tired old storage drawers, which I think were originally intended for stationery, but I used for my make-up essentials. I’ve also replaced my old vanity mirror because I actually smashed it ages ago so should have gone ages ago! And added a few new bits for organising. And this is what it looks like now.
The set of drawers are from the new Ethereal range at Sainsbury’s finished in a natural wood, with grey on the exterior and little leather drawer pulls. It’s surprisingly weighty for £28 and I like the minimalist feel of it, particularly with how messy I can be with my makeup stash! It hides it all away nicely.
The mirror was £20 with a solid marble base and a brass frame. Ladies, it’s a magnified mirror so perfect for getting really close and personal. This is a heavy pedestal so you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth!
The marble tumblr and matching jar container are seriously weighty too. They are legit marble and make that lovely clunky sound when you place the natural wood lid on top. These are actually advertised in the bathroom section of the Sainsbury’s website, probably ideal for your toothbrushes. For me, they were the perfect sizes for my stash of cotton buds and my little collection of makeup brushes (which, ahem, I need to wash. Who else puts this off for AGES?)
When we redecorated our bedroom in a deep red, with mixed metal fixtures combining bits of gold here and bits of brass there, we were definitely aiming for fun but with a sense of luxury and calm. The Ethereal range slips into that perfectly and I guess really the greatest plus for buying from your supermarket is that it’s pretty affordable meaning you can refresh a room for next to nothing – especially if you’re part of the Nectar club too. (C’mon, I can’t be the only one to justify buying *another* candle “for the points”)
In fact, the copper light you see in the shot was from Homebase about a year ago and was bought using Nectar points. Wahey! I do love a bargain. And I don’t mind at all that I have copper, brass and gold all in one place. Metals were made for mixing if you ask me.
The other new addition I’m SO pleased to have is my new dressing table stool. I used to have a little black plastic number, which was battered to the point that it was held together with electrical tape. Yup, putting a home together takes years of waiting for the right products to come along!
This new stool is a thick leather-dressed seat, standing proudly on a gold criss-cross frame. I absolutely bloody love it. It’s where glam and practicality meet to make something beautifully useful. Plus, the fact that it’s see-through rather than a chunky piece of furniture is one of those little factors which help make this teeny corner look a bit less clunky and crowded. I’ve seen PLENTY of similar designs over the past year or so, but well over the £100 mark which wasn’t in my budget. This one was £39.99 and I am so pleased with it. In fact, it goes PERFECTLY with the mirror I have on the wall above it, also from TK Maxx about 2 years ago.
So that’s my little refresh! Which is your favourite item? Watch this space because some of them are up for grabs in a few days…
