Oh my god, it's BHS! (A preview)

If the title hadn't already given it away, I'd be saying: "Oh my god, guess where these very stylish things are from. Go on, GUESS: Nope. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong... it's BHS!" 

I don't know about you, but when I think of 'BHS homewares', I think of naff chocolate brown leather sofas, chunky wrong-wood sideboards, unpleasantly boxy dining chairs... Based on nothing apart from the fact I have no idea what they sell. But I posted recently about the 'Scandi' range from BHS – the store's surprisingly elegant range of natural-hued, pared down lighting designs. And their upcoming Spring/Summer 2013 range shows that wasn't just a blip on an otherwise naff horizon. What a shocker. And it's all pretty affordable too... What do you think?

Orange 'Brighton' chair, £80

Brighton table lamp, £20

Brighton floor lamp, £130; armchair as before

Brighton sofa, £899 and armchair, £599. Hove nest of three coffee tables, £139, Reno pendant light, £35

Bath mat, £16

This is all from the brand new 'Brighton' range, which doesn't hit the shops until next year. Look out also for the soon-to-arrive 'Essentials' kitchen accessories (I have my eye on a 60s-ish yellow kettle). Really beautiful, bright, classic designs.

BHS 'Skandi' collection

When this email full of pictures of lovely looking lighting dropped into my inbox, I was surprised to see it was from BHS. 

It is from their new Skandi collection, which goes on sale any day, and I think they've done it pretty well.

Here are my favourites...

Erika bamboo pendant, £130

Tobias Table Lamp, £40

Klara Spun Wooden Shade, £80

Walden Wooden Table Lamp, £35
This also comes as a floor-standing version.

Colby Ceiling Shade, £35
I'd put this on an old, late 1960s table-lamp base.


I also had a nose around the website to see what else they're selling these days – and found a few other nice-looking bits and pieces. I won't post an image of the chenille cushions – as they're fairly plain to look at – but I've been after some decent, mustard-colour cushions for a while, and these ones are just £8, and in a good tactile fabric too that'll contrast with the cottons I already have. They come in heaps of colours too, have a look.

Wooden elephant, £14

Ceramic bird trinket holder, £5

Blue and white tealight holders, £15 for three

How to... fill a big blank wall

Alun is a man. And his flat has been declared “too manly” by his
new flatmate, who is very female in her Calamity Jane makeover
scene urges (Doris Day’s spartan cowgirl shack gets a girlie gingham spruce-up). The main concern? Bare walls. BIG bare
walls. Small budget. Tips?

Wall of me Wall of me: clockwise from top left: the home-made art at the Saltoun Supper Club; BHS's chic, cheap standard lamp;  a V&A botanical prints; Deborah Bowness 'Books' wallpaper; 'Pottery' wall stickers from John Lewis; Scandivis 'Raven' clothes hangers.

Stand tall Forget attaching things to your walls. A giant plant and a stylish standard lamp (to create interesting shadows) will go a long way. Love the Elin floor lamp, just £35 from BHS (top right in collage image above).

Stick 'em up I've gone off wall stickers a bit, on the whole I think they've jumped the shark. However, I have long loved the shades-of-green vase-shaped 'Pottery' ones from John Lewis, £19.

Shelve it To fill a whole bare corner in my house I had some wonky box shelves built – different sizes and depths (there they are, above). Painted to match the wall the effect is quite sculptural and, MDF-made by a builder (not a specialist), cheap too. Or try Cubit.


Portraits of you Think you can’t afford a huge portrait? Try Paperface – from £299 for a quirky collaged commission.


Hang up Dangling pretty dresses or giant bits of jewellery from your walls is instant and free (if you already own them, of course). Love the Raven wooden bird clothes hangers, £39 a piece, at Scandivis (see collage image at top).

On the tiles Away from the kitchen/bathroom, tiled walls are a striking statement. Mismatched = more affordable, so pick odd tiles (one colour but different thicknesses) or mix patterns in the same palette. The floral Welbeck Tiles vintage range (above) is gorgeous (thanks, Flowerona, for the tip-off).

Wall for one A papered “feature wall” can look passé. The “books” wallpaper from Deborah Bowness, however… wow. £173 per (generous) drop. Or make a patchwork of favourite samples – again, limit the palette. If you're crafty – or inclined to become so – the lovely, and super stylish Papered Parlour in south London do screen-print-your-own-wallpaper classes. You can see their own design in the PP studio, above. 

Collage days Use what you have: Odd plates, favourite old record sleeves, or cherished postcards and photos. For the latter, frame them using the same types or colours of frame for cohesion, and build a grown-up collage. Love the wicker baskets (above) covering a brick wall at the chic Saltoun Supper Club.


Take art Paint your own: Stylist Pippa Jameson suggests using a giant canvas and painting a loose, random pattern in favourite colours. “The bigger the better: this type of painterly effect looks great in really large spaces,” says Jameson.


Flower power V&A Prints sell gorgeous repro antique botanical prints from £15-£100. Create your own wallpaper by pasting a selection to your wall for the ultimate girlie makeover (see collage image at top).