There comes a time when we all have to grow up. Maybe it’s when you stopped falling asleep with a bucket next to your bed on weekends. We all have our life markers. I like to mark mine with shopping habits. In my early 20s, I threw my clothes everywhere, barely made the bed, stomped all over my mismatched towels and my idea of home decor was sticking a few kitschy magnets on my fridge. I like to partially blame all the random house shares I lived in. When you’re schlepping cardboard boxes and bin bags of unworn clothing around from flat to flat, the last thing you want to think about is whether or not your cake stand will make it in one piece. Judging from the way you flung that last bin bag into the back of the cab, I’d say the answer is no.
I realized that I turned a corner when I started taking care of my clothes, only buying well-made pieces and started to collect home ware to make my flat warm, cozy and ready for entertaining guests. Luckily, I’ve matured just in time for the high street stores to all start designing their own lines of home ware. Now on your lunch hour, if you’re lucky (or cursed) enough work right near a bunch of shops, you can pop in for a dress, a pair or shoes or for an entirely new bedroom decor - from linens down to throw cushions, quilts and wallpaper. And it’s not just the shops like Marks & Spencer and Next, it’s Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Zara and the newest addition - H&M.
A quick browse online and in the shops reveals some great finds. While Zara Home is affordable and crisp whiteness of the store make me want to throw out all of my things and start over with starched white bed sheets and an ornate style mirror, it’s H&M where I found most of the best bargains. With more personality than IKEA and prices mostly under £10, I found a number of things that would make my flat much prettier without spending more than £50 on home accessories to spruce up my living area. Unfortunately, there is only one H&M that has their home line (174-176 Oxford St., London) but you can order it all online.
Places like Anthropologie are pricier but you can still get things like good quality oven mitts and kitchen accessories for £10. It just makes cooking and baking just a little bit more fun. One of my favourite finds is this is £20 cake stand from Urban Outfitters of all places! And nary an owl print in sight on those plates. I had no idea their designers had so much restraint.
For a hoarder like me, there is nothing more sweet than finding a permanent home that you can safely collect things in without the threat of moving. If your passion is vintage doorknobs, throw cushions, back issues of magazine (a heavy habit) or salt and pepper shakers -you will rejoice in the fact that you and your collection of cake stands are not going anywhere for a awhile and collect until your cupboards are bursting or you are nominated by a friend to on on a show about people who collect weird things and sleep in the attic because their vintage jewellery boxes are taking up all the room in the bedroom.
Like what you see? Here's where to get it:
Purple baroc rug, £89.99, at Zara Home
Spotty cake stand, £20, at UrbanOutfitters.co.uk
Mongolian cushion, £25, at Marks and Spencer
Cupcake salt and pepper shakers, £8, at Urban Outfitters
Facehunter coffee table book, £14.40, at ModCloth.com
Red floral oven mitt, £10, at Anthropologie
Mix and Match cutler, £18, at ModCloth.com
Dog print towel, £6.99, H&M
Main image: Dog cushion cover, £7.99, at H&M