Love from the high street

Debenhams x Ben de Lisi beddings —DEBENHAMS.COM/HOME

Our love affair with high street brands hinges on the fact that every style season, they give us access to what’s in vogue and trending on the runways of the fashion capitals—at a fraction of the original cost.

Not only can these brands revitalize our closets, they can also breathe new life into our dwelling spaces as well.

H&M, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer are some of the European high street labels that branched out to homeware and accessories. Other brands like Muji, Pottery Barn, and Stores Specialists Inc.’s Make Room, which is all about storage and organization, similarly offer an extensive range of home furnishings and decor.

No need to fret about being unable to afford premium items—the price points for which are usually justified by quality, design and/or function—because the in-store display alone could serve as inspiration on how to cluster pieces, set up focal points, or simply decorate a space that’ll give you the warm fuzzies. The fast fashion gods will always provide something to suit the budget.

All the more reason, really, to consider things for the home as Valentine gifts. Who wouldn’t want to come home to a crib laden with things that aren’t just practical but pleasing to the senses as well?

Here are our top 5 favorite home finds to give your sweetheart or to reward oneself, courtesy of high street brands and their regional counterparts.

1 Chic and fancy cups, saucers, crystalline tableware

Mix-and-match cups and saucers from H&M may look dainty, even fragile, with their whimsical prints and pastel colors. But they’re firm to the touch, sturdy enough for hot tea and coffee. Grab a set of cups with golden handles and make like the H&M store in SM Makati, which hung them in rows on a cream wall that looked very shabby chic.

Another discovery: crystal-stem spoons, forks and knives, available in solo sets at Make Room. The gem-like handles liven up a plain table setting and would look perfect with that breakfast-in-bed surprise for the wife or hubby.

2 Black and white beddings and accents

Debenhams has taken a liking to the Scandi aesthetic as seen in its collaboration with American fashion designer Ben de Lisi. Beddings and throws are rendered in black, white and gray prints, with a touch of mellow yellow. There’s a pair of his and hers prop-up pillows, plus an LED lightbox table lamp that says, indeed, it’s “Home sweet home.”

3 Personalize with stamps

Muji, that Japanese mecca of clean, straightforward designs, offers travel, alphabet, and other thematic stamp sets. These are great for gifting or keeping not just because stamps can be used to personalize storage and kitchen items, but also because the pieces, especially the thick smoky-white cubes of the alphabet set, have that tactile element that’s great for display.

4 Charmed by nature

H&M has quite the homeware and accessories showcase. Its latest offerings will charm their way into homes with nature-inspired themes. Pastel dolphins as book stands? Tropical foliage in relaxing greens for the shower? Why, yes to all that, please.

5 Clever one-liners and sweet expressions

Pottery Barn hand towels, H&M throw pillows, vanity glass containers and dispensers—they don’t “speak” much but their clever one-liners and even cheesy messages make for cool home accessories.