We need to talk about Homesense. I feel like it is my public service to tell you all to get there immediately if you’re looking for…well, actually, that’s the real beauty of the place, you never know what you’re going to find! It is part of the TK Maxx family – think interiors rather than fashion – with a huge variety of homewares, big brands and up to 60% of retail prices…what is not to love? I’m going to be working with them this month so I will try to show you what it is all about if you haven’t been before.
These days I am a fully committed online shopper; negotiating London’s shops is completely exhausting. However, I have begun to feel that I am missing out on finding potential bargains or one off pieces. Also, I genuinely enjoy shopping and browsing online doesn’t quite cut being able to browse the aisles and see products close up (don’t you just hate it when you order stuff online and it arrives and it looks or feels nothing like you’d imagined?).
Therefore, my recent trip to the new Homesense store in Greenwich was a revelation. I went there thinking I wanted some new cushions and kitchen pans but actually left with a one off piece of furniture, clothes hangers, some baskets and a toy for Mimi. “Find exactly what you weren’t looking for”…so very true.
What I love most about Homesense is the thrill of coming across a major bargain and a complete one off (there aren’t rows and rows of the same item like in a lot of high street stores). The stock varies from store to store and day to day, you see, so you never know what you’ll find. I have to admit to grabbing things a little too quickly or protectively putting myself between an item and another customer so that they couldn’t see what I’d found whilst I decided whether or not it was what I wanted. In fact, the day I went I spotted an armchair, of which there was only one, and I walked a few paces away from it to look at it from a distance and the manager started to move it back into position and I mistook her for a customer and VERY quickly had to make it known that it was *my* chair. Ha! If you see a piece of furniture that you love, you need to be quick!
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- In love with his bench.
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- Look at the price! £149.99 compared to the RRP £739!
One off sofas and chairs – love the mid century vibe of this sofa. I think it’s a bargain at £299.
Statement pieces like this chest of drawers are great finds.
The soft furnishings are also brilliant; a huge variety of unique and on trend cushions and blankets at a fraction of the recommended retail prices as well as great quality. Why did I leave this zebra cushion behind?!
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- Zebra cushion love for only £19.
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- 100% wool blankets – perfect for autumn.
As well as quirky or one off pieces you will also find a huge variety of every day homewares including a great kitchen department filled with things you didn’t know you needed or wanted and much cheaper than elsewhere, as well as essentials like glasses and crockery. The last time I went I bought some beautiful copper pans that are still serving me very well.
The kitchen department is brimming with great stock.
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- Cute enamel pans in lovely colours for only £7.99.
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- Want this teapot! £14.99 instead of RRP £39!
These cactus themed friends came home with me – the packed lunch box was only £2.99. I’ve recently pledged never to buy a plastic bottle of water again.
There were some really cute kids things in the Greenwich store and I got far too excited about finding these lovely crocheted Danish designed toys for a fraction of the recommended retail price. There will also be loads of things that you would never buy or have in your home in a million years but that’s the great thing about the store; there really is something for everyone and it’s so fun trying to find what is to your taste.
One for Mimi and one for her best friend, Olive. These Danish designed weeble toys are so lovely and such a bargain at £4.99 instead of the RRP of £29.
Cute flamingo wool blanket for only £19.99 and I like the little house shelf.
The outdoor and garden department are full of great finds, especially the plant pots that I find difficult to source elsewhere at a reasonable price. Really good faux flowers too…
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- Such good value faux flowers.
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- Only £12.99 for this plant basket.
If you see something you like and there is only one of them you need to decide quite quickly whether or not you want to buy it because the stock varies from store to store and day to day and a one off really is a one off so there won’t be more in the stock room.
It’s so much fun hunting for the one off products like this pigeon hole shelf for only £25. This would look great in a hallway or workspace.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the baskets…
Watch out for the every day essentials like cleaning products, storage solutions and stationery (think French hypermarche style stationery perfect for the start of the new school/work term).
I am always drawn to the everyday essentials in store and I was very tempted by these aesthetically pleasing cleaning products.
Love this sort of stuff! Honestly, these will double the storage capacity of your kitchen cupboards, they’re brilliant.
Watch out for a couple more posts in which I will show you what I bought – one big purchase for the living room and a few essentials to help re-organise my wardrobe.
Have a good week, all!
Katy x
*This post was written in collaboration with Homesense.
I really wish they’d open one of these in Ireland, we just have TK Maxx at the moment. Frustrating much!!!!
Hi Keira. They have one in Dublin 15. I’ve almost taken up residence!
When are they coming to Australia! Looks fab xxx
Love this.
Why has no one told me about this place before??? I just told my husband we are going there immediately and off we go – ha!
I went to search out the bench you have featured and turns out it’s slightly too big for our hallway! So gutted! It’s even better in real life. But thanks for introducing me to this place, defo a new fave. 🙂
Oh, and by the way, I didn;t get the each bbut I did get a stool, some hooks, a shelf, a pillow, some stationery and about a billion other things I didn;t go there for. It’s like IKEA – you always leave with stuff you didn’t go there for!
Is that handmade basket, it looks cool.
Not one in Cornwall but when I visit my mum I always insist on a trip to the store in Southampton!