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Soft Furnishings, Hard Opinions part #1
It’s tough out there. As someone with ADHD, where money dips in and out of my account faster than a Maccies disappears down your oesophagus at 11pm on a Friday night, I feel you.
Years of hustling and committing to the grind, I still find myself questioning if I really need to keep funnelling my hard-earned cash into the hands into a flat so small, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a garage. The intrusive thoughts of sacking it all off for an adventure in a tiny home on wheels (minor caveat: I don’t drive) seem more and more appealing.
That being said, a home shouldn’t feel tragically white with less personality than the menu on an Easy Jet flight.
So if you’re looking for some hotlist homewares that won’t rinse your bank account and comfortably leave you with just enough left to indulge your matcha latte habit, look no further.
You’re welcome.
So, where do we start?
If you’re in an unfurnished flat — congrats. You’re half way there in making your home feel your own with a curated Pinterest board and a thousand open tabs of potential purchases.
However, if you find yourself in a space that’s giving more ‘student hall MDF suite’, with just enough laminate flooring, with just enough tonal continuity you start to feel like your living inside a beehive, I’ve got some stylist approved tips to fix this…
Heads up: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you buy something through them. It won’t cost you anything extra — but it will help fund my small business. Bisous x
1. Think Textures Over Labels
Having worked in product development and range building, I can confirm: brands love to consolidate fabrics. Translation? A lot of higher-end high street retailers are probably using the exact same cloth across multiple brands in their portfolio. So, choose wisely where you’re dropping those precious pennies.
That said, some materials will genuinely go the distance. My tips on what to look for are below.
Play with textures: mix waffle fabric bedsheets, clean cottons, linen cushions and chunky knitted throws to create a tactile playground.
Cotton and linen are two really durable and breathable materials which not only feel nice and look nice, but also offer more sustainable manufacturing processes - avoid polyester like the plague.
If you’re going to invest in anything, make it art! Domenica Marland curates a range of affordable art at varying price points which means you can nab yourself an original from an up-and-coming artist, far more worth the investment than some bougie bed sheets.
If your space is unfurnished, opt for second hand furniture that is rich in colour and texture which adds charm and can be updated with new handles to add a more personality whilst remaining affordable. Facebook Market is your new best friend. If you can’t imagine anything worse, I do offer personal shopping (shameless plug but a girl’s gotta’ hustle).
Opt for 60/70% smooth, clean and crisp materials with 40/30% textured, chunky materials to create a harmonious balance.
Products Collaged below: Dunelm Cotton Muslin Woven Duvet Cover & Pillowcase Set, Sweetpea & Willow Throw , H&M Knitted Boucle Cushion , Dunelm Clara Cotton Velvet Cushion Ruby Bateman Painting via Domenica marland, Zara gold Metal Handles Abigail Ahern Palmer Cement Vase, Next Ochre Cushion
2. Hide the Ugly Stuff
I get it. We all start the week with the best intentions — hoovering in our knickers, hair in a towel, channeling Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle, but looking more like Freddie Mercury in I Want to Break Free. Scenting the flat like you’re in a Diptyque ad, with a smug grimace…
Fast-forward 12 hours and you’re stumbling in at 1am, leaving a breadcrumb trail of outfit pieces, chicken nuggets and placing the keys in exactly the spot you will never find the next day. No? Just me?
I should probably mention — despite my career in aesthetics, I am every inch the chaotic Bridget-Jones-meets-Flea-Bag you’d expect from a 36-year-old London singleton.
BUT my storage game? Now that’s on the up. I recently met Carla Webster on a job and questioned my entire flat. Her knowledge for storage hacks is insane and quite frankly I don’t know how any one with more than one room in their place lives without a label maker.
Below are some of my top picks for reasonably priced storage that could easily fool people into thinking you’re not time poor, broke and unorganised.
H&M Glass Jar With Lid £14.99
Curate Like a Gallery
Blank walls in a home feels like a piece of paper on a typewriter, waiting for the magic to happen. Frame that vintage print you panic-bought at a market, a ripped-out book page you swear you'll read one day, or some DIY art that feels ironic enough to pass as intentional. IKEA or charity shop frames will do just fine — no one’s judging (and if they are, screw them). Glass frames are nice but half the time you buy them online they end up smashed so take a punt on plexi.
Consider decorative plates. If it was good enough for your nan’s hallway, why not for you? Bonus points for the slightly odd ones with abstract fruits or questionable animals.
Textile art, wall hangings, or anything that feels nice to touch which adds a bit of warmth and texture. No Tapestry’s from Thailand with an Elephant and Mandala, think something sassy like a throw from BFGF
Mix your frames. Honestly, when was the last time you went to a gallery and saw 10 matching frames in a row? Exactly.
Invite some photographic prints into the mix - personal are a nice touch but look to some cool photographers on sites such as Drool Art or Good Mood Prints for stuff that says ‘I have taste’ without shouting about it.
eBay exists! Remember that? Filter by ‘used’ so you can be sure you’re not getting fobbed off with some plagiarised dupe from Temu and be specific with terms such as ‘oil painting’. Let the rabbit hole commence. The weirder the subject matter, the better. A sad dog? A stormy sea? A Victorian child staring into your soul? Iconic.
And finally, make sure it actually feels like you. Just because it looked good in some influencer’s Dalston rental doesn’t mean you need it. You’re the one who has to stare at it every day — make it count.
Here is some fun examples I found on ebay for your viewing (or purchasing) pleasure… (All images are linked if you want to purchase)
Ebay Search - Oil panting - Abstract - Horse
Ebay Search - Contemporary - Painting - Cowboy (Ok so this one was totally off-piste but you see, sometimes you can find the happiest of accidents in searching on Ebay.
Ebay Search - Decorative Plate - Mexican - Art
So hopefully you’ve got some tips to make your feel home more Architectural Digest with some affordable options and little tweaks which really make a difference.
Please do share my publication if you like what you read… it all helps!