What your favourite high street homeware store says about you – from being ‘basic’ if you like IKEA to savvy bargain hunters at B&M, and resourceful if you shop at Poundland
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Are you a hardcore IKEA devotee who strongly embraces the flat-pack lifestyle and the brand’s beloved meatballs? Or are the trendy white and neutral offerings at the White Company perhaps better suited to your taste?
From the affordable staples on offer in The Range, Poundland and Home Bargains to the pricier items available in Soho Home, shoppers are investing in their homes now more than ever before.
But according to Laura Windsor, known as the Queen of Etiquette, where you opt to buy your latest candle or cushion says far more than just your interior design taste.
Instead, it can actually reveal a great deal about your personality and values – and also how much you prioritise the feel and appearance of your home for future guests.
In her view, IKEA shoppers are more ‘practical minded’, while B&M is a place you tend to frequent if you are looking for a family-friendly and affordable selection.
White Company shoppers, meanwhile, are ‘indulgent and refined’, while John Lewis appeals to those who are ‘well-established and value quality over price’.
Read on to discover what your go-to homeware store says about you, and the ultimate products to get your hands on during your next shopping spree…
Laura described a John Lewis shopper as an individual ‘who loves to spend on good-quality products they know and trust’
A trusted British department store that promises reliable, in-house design collections, John Lewis shoppers can get their hands on best-seller which range from signature armchairs, such as the Hendricks and Hoxton models.
Laura: John Lewis is for the shopper who loves to spend on good-quality products they know and trust.
You can’t really go wrong with its thoughtful range, and the quality helps make any home look beautifully stylish and affluent.
It shows you care, and it’s the details that matter.
If you choose John Lewis, you’re saying you’re pretty established: you value quality over price, and you’d rather buy it once and buy it well!
‘They may be looking for a more polished look, are not in it for the discounts and are looking for more coordinated looks that feel stylish without the designer price tags, while still keeping an eye on the budget,’ said Laura
Renowned for its affordable and trendy pieces, Dunelm Home is best known for its Georgina Porcelain dinner set and Hampton dinner sets, alongside their 40piece Yinka Ilori x Dunelm Range.
Laura: Dunelm shoppers are sensible yet more style conscious.
Definitely a step up from the other stores, it’s mid-market for shoppers who want more than the basics.
They may be looking for a more polished look, are not in it for the discounts and are looking for more coordinated looks that feel stylish without the designer price tags, while still keeping an eye on the budget.
According to Laura, the White Company ‘is for the shopper who obviously adores white, or anything close to it’
Promising affordable luxury homeware that seeks to bridge the gap between high-end luxury labels and high-street stores, the White Company is best-known for its Egyptian cotton sheets and premium range of home fragrances and candles.
Laura: The White Company is for the shopper who obviously adores white, or anything close to it.
Every time you walk into a store, you know your home is about to make the most of life’s simple pleasures.
The pieces are stylish, and the fabrics are soft, lush and beautiful to the touch. You feel as if you’re wrapping yourself in luxury, with real attention to comfort.
You don’t really care about the price. You care about having it all, because everything looks so beautiful.
If you choose The White Company, you’re saying you’re indulgent and refined: you appreciate the finer things, and you believe you are worth it!
According to Laura, Soho Home appeals to an ‘aspirational and style-led’ shopper who ‘wants a home with atmosphere, and you’re happy to invest in the look’
Bringing the vintage yet modern aesthetic of Soho House straight to your front door, Soho Home offers oversized sofas and armchairs, alongside statement light fixtures and tables such as their Genoa Dining Table and Charli Coffee Table.
Laura: Soho Home shoppers are trendy, stylish, and aspirational.
Its products capture the warm, lived-in, boutique-hotel vibe of Soho House private members’ clubs and its shoppers want a piece of that.
The products create a vivid setting that all you need to do is step into it and you feel as if you are living it and the materials reflect the luxury: velvet, bouclé, dark walnut, marble, travertine, and vintage-style brown furniture.
As a Soho Home shopper you are aspirational and style-led: you want a home with atmosphere, and you’re happy to invest in the look.
Laura described the ultimate IKEA shopper as someone who is ‘practically minded, often imaginative and you value products that work quite well, that do the job, and you don’t mind letting go when it falls apart’
Promising functional yet stylish home accessories and furniture that can be assembled quickly, IKEA’s shelving units and home decorations are a staple sight across many British homes.
Laura: For the practically-minded. You want your place to look tidy, current and well presented, but you don’t want to overspend.
If a piece gets damaged, it doesn’t matter, because it’s easy and quite inexpensive to replace.
You are often imaginative and you value products that work quite well, that do the job, and you don’t mind letting go when it falls apart.
In Laura’s view, the Range appeals to those who are ‘curious and adventorous’. She added: ‘You enjoy the hunt, you like having endless choice, and it’s difficult to walk past a shelf without finding something you didn’t know you needed’
Offering a range of homeware, garden and lifestyle products that span 16 departments, the Range is widely acclaimed for its large designer-style mirrors and luxury fragrance dupes.
Laura: The Range is for those who love a bargain and love variety.
There’s so much to look at, from furniture to crafts to seasonal decor, that you get a little dopamine hit with every aisle.
If you choose The Range, you’re saying you’re curious and adventurous. You are like a kid in a sweet shop.
You enjoy the hunt, you like having endless choice, and it’s difficult to walk past a shelf without finding something you didn’t know you needed.
B&M
‘B&M is for the whole family. Everything you need is under one roof, at a budget-friendly price,’ Laura said
With an eclectic range of cleaning, homeware and seasonal products, B&M offers affordable wall-coverings, garden pieces and upmarket homeware pieces, including the likes of the Cozy Luxe Collection and candle dupes.
Laura: B&M is for the whole family. Everything you need is under one roof, at a budget-friendly price.
It’s practical and it stocks a wide range of brands, with something for the children as well and always something unexpected to discover.
It provides a whole range of products that you probably don’t need, they look nice so you may fill your trolley more than you meant to.
The furniture is quite basic-looking – they are not going to win any design awards anytime soon, but it definitely does the job.
Poundland
‘Poundland is for the budget-conscious and the resourceful – you are thrifty and unpretentious,’ said Laura
With offerings that range from a £1 vase, to £2 ornaments and soft furnishings of a high-value at a remarkably affordable price, Poundland is best known for its PEP&CO Home Range and low-cost kitchen essentials.
Laura: The ultimate no frills shopping stop. You really can’t get more basic than Poundland.
But look hard enough and you’ll find good products at the prices you would expect. It isn’t always a pound, but we all know that.
Poundland is for the budget-conscious and the resourceful – you are thrifty and unpretentious.
You walk in knowing you’ll spend something, but you’ll walk out with more in your pocket than you would if you went elsewhere.
No frills, no fuss over packaging, just the product itself.
Home Bargains
Laura described a Home Bargains shopper as ‘savvy and thrifty’. She added: ‘you know a good deal when you see one, and you take great pleasure in keeping your money where it should be!’
Launched in 1976, Home Bargains ‘ bestsellers range from its signature Wickford & Co Jar Candles to premium beauty ‘dupes’ and an impressive range of cleaning products and soft home furnishings.
Laura: Home Bargains comes down to one word: discount.
It’s the no-frills shopping stop, packed with well-known brands at prices you simply can’t refuse, because walking away would mean missing out on pennies you could be saving for something more special.
If you choose Home Bargains, you’re saying you’re savvy and thrifty; you know a good deal when you see one, and you take great pleasure in keeping your money where it should be!
