Like a Kid in a Candy Shop! September 12, 2008

Hooray! Dunelm Mill have opened a store in my home town of Huddersfield and it’s HUGE!

I went along on the opening day, full of anticipation, and was not disappointed. Spread over 2 floors, I was astounded by the scale of the place and delighted with the sheer array of homewares on offer, all in a rainbow of colours to suit every possible decor theme. Brands on offer include Dorma linen, Brabantia kitchenwares, and bargain Wedgwood china. Glamour girls will love the range of Kylie at Home bedding! 

I came away with a modest purchase (a £2.99 spray of faux peach blossom) but will definitely be back once the crowds have died down. 

Visit the website to find a store close to you, or alternatively place an online order - there’s currently free delivery on beds and furniture (available until 18th September)

Current Objects of Desire August 24, 2008

The Autumn/Winter catalogue from Laura Ashley came today, and I’m already in love with most of their new products!

As it’s been such a poor Summer, I’ve promised myself some cosy bedlinen to snuggle up to as the nights begin to draw in. The dreamy duck egg blue colour on this Coniston Throw attracted me immediately, but unfortunately wouldnt go with the cream carpet and walls in my bedroom. Luckily The White Company have a very similar (albeit pricier) throw available in fawn or storm grey which would suit most neutral schemes.

I’m still hankering after an ottoman for our front room – I’ve picked out one I like from The Footstool Company but haven’t been able to convince myself to part with the necessary cash!

The last thing on my shopping list for Autumn is a cosy floor lamp to read by in the evenings. I like the tripod style ones but am not sure if they’re a fad or not? Online retailer Grattan has an affordable version currently on sale at £25.

Our New Bathroom – It’s Finished! May 5, 2008

Hooray! Our new bathroom is finished and I love, love love it! Our tiler, bless him, worked on it for 4 full days (including the weekend and the Bank Holiday) and admitted that it had been tougher than expected – the wonky walls reared their ugly heads and caused him a few problems – but now its finished and looks like this:

The main objective was to brighten up the room and I definitely think the new tiles have achieved this. We’re fortunate to have a big window in our bathroom which lets in the light, and the shiny-ness of the tiles helps to enhance this. Now, we just need to be clever with our storage to make sure that the room doesn’t get cluttered up (and I promise not to cover every available surface in shampoo and shower gel bottles!!)

I’m also going to treat myself to some new accessories – I think wood or chrome will keep things neutral and I’ve seen some affordable things at Next and John Lewis which I can get in my lunch break!

Monsoon Home Collection at B&Q March 28, 2008

With the Easter bank holiday being another washout (or in our case, a snow-out!) I decided that a trawl round the local retail park was in order. One of the stops was B&Q, where I wanted to buy new taps for our bath. I was interested to discover that my local store stocks a range of Monsoon Home lighting and accessories. To be fair, the prices seem a bit on the high side but if you’re looking for a statement piece to brighten up your home, then one of the lamps might very well fit the bill. I particularly liked the deco print on the Esha table lamp, shown right. To find out whether your local B&Q stocks the Monsoon Home collection, check the store finder here

Objects of Desire for March March 5, 2008

I’ve booked my tickets for the Ideal Home Show at the end of this month, and hope that I will return from London with armfuls of shopping bags, full of homeware goodies!
In the meantime, my thoughts are focused on the following potential purchases….I wonder whether I will give in to temptation and buy the lot?!

• The Newgate Quad Clock in chrome – this little 1930’s inspired beauty appeals to my love of Art Deco style shiny things, but £80 is a lot of money for a clock!
• A new picnic set – I am the proud owner of an empty but rather grand Fortnum & Mason ‘Weekender’ wicker hamper, and need some funky melamine plates and glasses
  to put in it. Picnic sets haven’t really hit the shops yet, however, so I will have to be patient.
• These gorgeous fairy lights from The White Company - They’re part of the new 2008 Spring/Summer collection (the kids’ collection, to be precise, but they are surely far too pretty and glamorous to be restricted to children’s bedrooms!) 
• A small sofa/ottoman for the bay window in our living room – I could do with some extra storage so an ottoman or wooden chest would be the sensible option here,
  but I’m also tempted to buy a small sofa to fill the gap. I’ve seen one I like from an online company called SofaSofa which comes in a chenille fabric for just £259. But I don’t know whether I’m prepared to make the leap of buying large furniture online without seeing it up close.

Decisions, decisions!

Winter Sales Now On! December 18, 2007

If you have any spare cash this month (and I know that pre-Christmas, it’s not very likely!) then why not treat yourself to some new furniture? It may seem more logical to wait for the January sales, but if you’re like me you are already fed up of fighting your way through crowds of shoppers. Shopping online keeps stress levels to a minimum and as the saying goes, the early bird catches the worm, especially if there’s something you’ve been drooling over for months!! Top of the list has to be the Laura Ashley sale with up to 50% off home furnishings, lighting and home accessories. The Cotswold Company also has a preview of its New Year Sale on its website – you can buy these discounted products online now whereas everyone else will be waiting for the catalogue to come out! Finally – a note for your diary – the John Lewis sale starts a day early online on 26th December (and in the shops on the 27th). In the meantime check out their Special Offers section for the best savings.

New from Alessi November 13, 2007

Amazon.co.uk emailed me today with details of the latest tablewares and kitchen accessories from Alessi. I’ve been a big fan of Alessi for some time now, and have collected a few pieces of my own (the “Bunny & Carrot” Kitchen Roll Holder, and a few of the Gianni storage jars) but I am now seriously tempted by the latest additions to the
collection. Among the new items is the “Mr Chin” kitchen timer (pictured right) for £22 which is the cutest thing I’ve seen for a long time! The Alessi website (www.alessi.com) sells the whole range, including many covetable items – watches, costume jewellery, even bathroom fittings- all of which are sleekly Italian in design and unmistakeably Alessi. One of the best things about buying from Alessi is that almost every item is collectable – many products are now regarded as modern classics, including the Phillipe Starck “Juicy Salif” citrus squeezer (now available in 24ct gold plate…how bling!) and the Michael Graves electric kettle. On special offer at the moment are these adorable Christmas porcelain figurines from just £8 per piece (also pictured right). How could anyone resist?!

ASDA Living November 7, 2007

On my way home last week, I called into a retail park just outside Oldham and was excited to see that a new branch of ASDA Living has opened. I was in there like a shot! I’ve been largely impressed with supermarket homewares of late. I usually shop at Sainsburys and they’ve been selling designer ranges for years, such as Terence Conran kitchenwares, Orlando Hamilton flowers and the superb Orla Kiely range of stationery and accessories. I’ve picked up the odd photo frame and their soft furnishings are bang on-trend, well made and very affordable.Tesco also has some great offers on top names, such as 20% savings on Le Creuset and Prestige kitchen cookware. But you know what? The ASDA Living store just didn’t do it for me. I don’t know whether I was too tired to look around properly on a Friday night, but if I’m honest I felt overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that they’ve managed to cram into the store, and the stack ‘em up, pile ‘em high aesthetics. Whereas Next and Ikea create inspiring roomsets within their stores to help you visualise the furniture in your own home, the ASDA approach seems to be an attempt to blind people with cheapness and bulk buys. I’m sure it’s a great place to pick up all the essentials and I like a bargain as much as the next person, but there’s something depressing about a plastic bin full of 24p Toilet Brush sets. However, the store did have an impressive array of Christmas decorations, so maybe I’ll give it a second chance. If you fancy trying the ASDA Living Experience yourself, there’s 9 around the country – check the store locator for your nearest shop.

Let There Be Light November 4, 2007

Now that the clocks have gone back and the dark days of Winter are fast approaching, it’s a good time to cheer up your surroundings and invest in some new lighting. At the cheaper end of the scale, its easy to pick up a few candles – the shops are full of scented gift candles at the moment which will add both fragrance and light. Try BHS and Marks and Spencer for inexpensive church candles and tealights. Shopping online is a great place to buy inexpensive lighting. One of my favourite online stores is Litecraft, which has 5 outlet stores across the UK . Litecraft has the endorsement of ‘celebrity’ interior decorators Colin & Justin as they used to be frequent visitors to the store in Glasgow before they made it onto TV. Litecraft has also been appointed as the lighting manufacturers for Royal Doulton and the outlets sell this fabulous crystal chandelier for just £69 (usually £133.65 in the shops) with next day delivery. What a bargain!

The Joy of Christmas Catalogues November 1, 2007

My December issue of Ideal Home magazine arrived today, and I was immediately encouraged by the weight of it. Hooray – lots of Christmas goodies inside! However, the bulk turned out to be not one but 8 homeware catalogues. Normally people hate this kind of junk, but needless to say I couldn’t be happier: browsing through these inserts is nearly as much fun as reading the magazine itself….! Among the catalogues was the B&Q Xmas decorations catalogue, The Marks and Spencer (M&S) Christmas at Home catalogue, a brochure from bedroom accessories specialist Feather & Black (formerly The Iron Bed Company), and my favourite – a Christmas Gifts catalogue from Laura Ashley. Every page of every catalogue is filled with irresistible treats, among them the Laura Ashley 2007 teddy bear (pictured right) which is just £18 – how could anyone resist? Best of all, as a little Xmas present, the Laura Ashley catalogue includes 4 separate vouchers, each entitling the bearer to a generous 25% discount on home furnishings which can be redeemed on the high street or online. I’m full of festive cheer!