Quite often I get asked where I buy all my interior pieces from – online? In store? The interior decor in my new apartment is a real eclectic mix – some of the pieces being a hundred years old, some of them coming straight off the assembly line somewhere in the middle of the Chinese countryside. The point is that it doesn’t matter where your furniture & interior decor bits and bobs are from – as long as they create a safe haven for you, a place that you love calling your home, that’s really the only thing that matters. But for those who are curious where I do shop for home decor, this post is for you. Inspired by SwiftMoney and their infographic on online versus in-store shopping habits, I’ll give you a rundown of my favourite places to shop both when scrolling through websites and when wandering through little towns.
Strolling through B&Q on Sunday
IKEA & BIG RETAILERS
When exploring IKEA and shops such as B&Q and Homebase, you will most definitely find some good bits and bobs. I always find that it’s quite useful to furnish a new flat with basics from IKEA – you know, you gotta have something to sleep on and a duvet to snuggle up under. You might also want to get some other basic bits such as blinds – IKEA has some beautiful Venetian blinds at the moment – together with a few glasses, plates and cutlery. Once you’ve gathered yourself a little and found your way around your new life, you can start exploring the more ‘YOU’ places. But for now you have everything you need and you don’t have to be waiting over two months to have your duvet delivered.
GEMS FROM TKMAXX & HOMESENSE
Once you have the basics – and if you do enjoy strolling through high street shops – you can start exploring your local TKMaxx and Homesense. These two shops are an actual heaven. I could furnish my whole home with just things from Homesense! And have you seen their Christmas collection?! It’s insane! Can’t wait to go to Birmingham next weekend and spend all my Christmas money on bits from Homesense. For myself. Some of the Homesense treats you can find here.
FLEA MARKETS
Flea markets and antique markets are my favourite place in the world. There’s a huge flea market in Prague that’s on every single Saturday and Sunday throughout the whole year. Admittedly there are a lot of Eastern European sellers that sell illegally acquired works of art (paintings of saints stolen from Eastern European churches for example, which I can’t bear to even look at, it breaks my heart a little every single time I see it) but there are also a lot of stalls where people are selling old inheritance or bits and bobs they simply no longer want. I found a bunch of old baking moulds there last time and even a set of pretty vintage glasses for some £2.50!
Finding interior decor gems in old treasure chests (& on eBay)
BIG ONLINE RETAILERS
Even though it’s sometimes okay to go to IKEA and pick large furniture up there – perhaps book a delivery in store or just ram it into your car and speed off. But the truth is that it’s sometimes easier to just order these pieces online – from start to finish. For instance, I found my green velvet sofa online and since it was in an online outlet, it cost a mere £250! It was delivered for free and required minimum assembly. I tried looking for a similar sofa in IKEA and it cost a minimum of £500 to get a similar size, it wasn’t a fold out one plus they didn’t have a shade I wanted.
ALIEXPRESS & CO
Another great place to find online bargains is Aliexpress. Yes, it takes a month for anything to arrive but it’s so damn worth the savings! I just ordered the cutest door matt off it – it has got two grumpy looking cats on it, how adorable, right?! And it cost something silly like £4.50. The cheapest door matt in IKEA costs some £8. And it ain’t even pretty!
eBAY AND SECOND HAND STORES ONLINE
If you’re looking for something extra special with a lot of character, you should definitely try eBay. It’s basically an online flea market. And don’t be afraid to search through the section called ‘Antiques’. It very often happens that people list just any old stuff under that category without it actually having any real antique value. I have found some beautiful vintage cameras on there for as little as £4!
What’s your favourite place to shop for home decor?
Do you prefer shopping online or in store?
? This post was inspired by SwiftMoney. All the shops mentioned are my firm favourites, including the dodgy flea markets in Prague.