18 months ago, Luke and I got the keys to our first house, and as soon as we were in, we jumped feet first into decorating and furnishing the place from top to bottom to really make it feel like our home. It was an exhausting challenge, we got the keys in October and set the goal of having everything sorted before December, and we pretty much did it! We’ve lived in furnished rentals for years, which was definitely right for us at the time, and there are so many great ways to put your own stamp on a rented home. That being said, we were super excited to finally be putting our own stamp on our home without the landlords and tenancy agreements getting in our way. The world was our oyster! Within reason, and as far as what was left of our savings would stretch anyway.
We bought an older house, which we have big plans for in the long term in terms of serious renovations, but initially we wanted to focus on the cosmetic side and decorate the place in a way we loved. And that is exactly what we’ve done. As I said, it’s been around 18 months now since we moved in, and although there’s lots of bigger jobs still to be done eventually (kitchen, bathroom, potentially an extension), we are now living in a home that we have made our own on a relatively tight budget. In doing so, I’ve fallen in love with multiple homeware brands and discovered some really affordable gems, so I wanted to share my favourite affordable homeware brands that I couldn’t have furnished my home without.
IKEA
First up, I obviously have to mention IKEA, as I couldn’t write this post without mentioning the big-dogs. We actually bought quite a few bits for our old flat in IKEA which we still have here, but since moving to our house, I’ve actually picked up so many cute smaller bits from IKEA such as the rattan plant pots on my kitchen shelves, which I wouldn’t necessarily have gone there for before. The cream lamp in the top image is also an IKEA classic, so simple but I just love it. There really are some gems to be found amongst all of that flat pack furniture.
DESENIO
The online world of prints! I’m sure you’ve all heard of them and probably ordered from there already, but I had to give them a quick mention as they are a really affordable option when it comes to adding art to your home. We had a lot of Desenio prints in our old flat to really make it feel more homely, and we ordered this new ‘You Live, You Learn’ one when we moved into our house, which I absolutely love. They’re great quality prints and you can order frames through them direct too which makes it all very simple.
ETSY
I know Etsy itself isn’t a brand, but it is the gateway to so many absolutely amazing independent home wear brands for sure. I found some incredible bits when searching for really specific pieces for our home over the past 18 months. These prints (above) from Eye Of Colour Studio included. How cute are they? I have a few other things in my favourites to keep an eye on that would be so perfect for certain corners of our home. I love buying on Etsy and knowing that you’re often supporting small independent businesses with talented creatives at the helm. I always find the quality of Etsy stores to be top notch too.
HOMESENSE
The treasure chest of the high street. Honestly has to be one of my favourite places to wander around, and it’s pretty rare to leave empty handed in my case… have you seen the candle section?! This photo grid is one of many, many, many pieces in our home that came from Homesense. On top of many pieces of art, cushions, baskets, chairs, blankets, kitchen ware, and of course candles. I just love the sheer variety in store and knowing that you will find something different every time you pop in. It’s a great place for gifts, and also for finding your own bargains.
WAYFAIR
This industrial style book shelf and cabinet is the perfect size for our alcove and was a bargain we found on Wayfair, and after buying this there have been so many other bits and bobs that I’ve return to Wayfair to find. They have such a variety of brands on there and everything from a budget price range up to the higher end if you want to spend a bit more. It’s a bit overwhelming sometimes with the amount of search results that show up, but if you put in the time to scroll through, you will probably find what you’re looking for most of the time. And in my experience the service and delivery has always been great too.
JYSK
This is one I had never even heard of until I moved and discovered one in my local area. Jysk is a Scandinavian home store, so the trinkets section is utterly divine if you love the whole chic Scandi vibe. They sell all sorts, from garden furniture, to mattresses, to candle holders and cutlery. The vibe in store is very chic and simple, and we’ve picked up so many little bits in there, but it’s also worth a trip for larger bits of furniture if you’re struggling to find what you want at an affordable price, they have some really great pieces.
THE RANGE
Not somewhere I thought of from the top of my head when thinking about brands, but when I had a wander around to get some inspiration and take these photographs, I realised we do have a few lovely bits from The Range, and heaven knows it is affordable. These woven plant pots are one of my favourite purchases from there, but they are also great for kitchen bits, and generally have such a vast array of stock in store that if you have a wander, you’ll probably find something you want, and at a wonderfully low price.
WILIAM WOOD
I’m sure you’ll all have been served an Instagram ad for William Wood Mirrors at one time or another, as they are practically the online go-to store for mirrors of all shapes and sizes. I had my eye on this particular mirror for our hallway from the moment we picked up our keys, so when the Black Friday sales came around and gave me 20% off I jumped on the pre-order straight away. I had to wait about 4 months for it to actually arrive, but it was so worth it. Mirrors are expensive! So 20% made a real difference, and even though it was still not the cheapest mirror, it’s something we will have in our home for a really long time, so it’s totally worth it to us.
B&Q
Last but not least, the place that quickly becomes your second home when you buy a house, and usually for let’s face it, the more boring stuff. But don’t overlook the house plant section! We got some great houseplants from B&Q that have been thriving for years now, and the little trinket pots are just adorable, and they always have so many to choose from!
And that’s about it, although I’m sure there are so many more homeware brands that I’ve not mentioned, these are definitely the top ones for us when it comes to affordable homeware brands. Where are your favourites?
K x