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6 clever Christmas storage solutions to protect and organise your decorations – the affordable buys I’m snapping up

6 clever Christmas storage solutions to protect and organise your decorations – the affordable buys I’m snapping up

by | Oct 12, 2026 | Design Inspiration

I recently moved house, and although all major reno plans are on hold for a while, I decided to treat myself to some upgraded Christmas decorations as a little moving-in gift. But when a new tree, baubles, wreath, and other festive bits and bobs turned up at my doorstep this week, I quickly realised I hadn’t ordered something else: storage!

It’s easy to overlook how you store Christmas decorations, but many of these festive items are fragile and breakable. Not to mention, they spend most of their days in a cold, damp loft, where they’re susceptible to dirt and mould, which can drastically affect their look and lifespan. That’s why I’ve been on the hunt for some new storage that can protect them properly.

Ideally, I’d love to start by buying the bauble storage trolley that Ruth Langsford uses (which, if anyone is interested, is the very fancy Deluxe Rolling Bauble Chest, £279 at Balsam Hill), but my small budget just doesn’t stretch that far. So, I’ve found some more affordable alternatives, and I thought I’d share them with you, too.

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I always love to be prepared, so buying these Christmas decoration storage solutions now will prevent any nasty surprises after Christmas.

Next just supersized the paper Christmas tree trend with its 5ft light-up tree – I predict a sell-out

Next just supersized the paper Christmas tree trend with its 5ft light-up tree – I predict a sell-out

by | Oct 12, 2026 | Design Inspiration

For the past couple of years, the Scandi-inspired paper Christmas tree has been a charming addition to our festive decor, nestled on windowsills, on staircases and as miniature add-ons to our main tree. But this year, Next has supersized the trend with their 5ft Light Up Paper Christmas Tree (£75), and I can’t get enough of it.

How do you take an existing Christmas decor trend and make it better and bolder? Make it bigger, of course! We’ve already seen this with the surge in popularity of XL bows, and now the paper Christmas tree trend is receiving the same treatment.

If you’re a fan of Scandi minimalism but want to make an impact with your Christmas decorating ideas this year, this Next paper tree is a happy medium. Here’s why I predict it will sell out fast.

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While the purpose of the paper tree trend was to strip back excessive decor and let shape do all the talking, it’s hard to ignore the sheer scale of Next’s new paper tree. Standing at 5ft tall, it’s big enough to replace one of the best artificial Christmas trees or even real trees in your home – perhaps a perfect solution if you don’t want to deal with dropped needles or even excessive decorating.

And that’s not all. Within the honeycomb weave of the paper tree, the decorative piece emits a warm, cosy glow. Main operated, it houses a warm-toned light that makes your tree glow when turned on – all without the need for fairy lights. This creates a gorgeous, hygge glow that is perfect for making your home feel more cosy during December, which, let’s be honest, is more often wet and miserable than it is a snowy scene.

White 5ft Light Up Paper Christmas Tree

(Image credit: Next)

This paper tree is incredibly simple in design, but it remains impressive – not just because it is so large! Minimalists will attest that it can be hard to decorate for Christmas whilst retaining personal style and not succumbing to masses of glitter and bold colours. But this tree makes it easy. Its simplicity makes it look beautiful, all the more backed up by its warm, steady glow, which I actually prefer to flashes of fairy lights.

Of course, if you are a fan of a colour, there is still a tree for you. The Brights Paper Tree (£38) is made up of rich shades of red, orange and green. Standing at 91cm tall. It’s large enough to make an impact in your home, or even as a replacement tree for small spaces.

If you’re loving the paper tree trend, like us, here are a few more statement designs I’ve found.

Are you for or agaisnt the XL paper tree trend? I personally am for…

6 Ceramic Table Lamp Sources Worth Knowing in 2026

6 Ceramic Table Lamp Sources Worth Knowing in 2026

by | Oct 12, 2026 | Design Inspiration, Lighting

A ceramic table lamp does more work in a room than almost any other object you can buy. It anchors a console table, softens a corner, and often becomes the one thing a guest asks about. Finding one that isn’t mass-produced takes a bit more hunting than scrolling the nearest big-box site, so here are six places that sell them, from small curated galleries to the department-store-sized retailers most people already know.

Table of Contents

Best for Rare and Independently Made Lighting – The Oblist

The Oblist is an online gallery built around collectible and contemporary design, with furniture, lighting and decorative objects pulled from independent studios, artisans and vintage dealers across 44 countries. Its ceramic table lamp selection sits inside a broader catalog that runs from Art Deco and mid-century modern furniture to sculptural lighting and handmade ceramics.

A lot of what’s listed is limited-edition, made-to-order, or genuinely rare vintage, which is a different shopping experience than picking a lamp off a shelf of identical units. Every piece is chosen by the site’s curators rather than pulled from a bulk supplier catalog, so the range leans toward pieces you won’t find duplicated on five other sites.

The Oblist also manages the purchase from start to finish and ships internationally to the US, which matters when the lamp you want is sitting in a studio overseas rather than a domestic warehouse. For interior designers and architects buying on behalf of clients, there’s a dedicated Trade Program built specifically for that kind of ongoing, project-based buying. It suits a shopper who wants one specific, hard-to-find piece rather than a quick replacement for a lamp that broke.

Best for Budget-Friendly Everyday Decor – At Home

At Home covers home decor, furniture, and holiday decor alongside outdoor lighting and patio furniture, and it’s built around the idea of stylish living on any budget. You’ll find table lamps mixed in with the rest of its seasonal and everyday decor assortment rather than as a standalone specialty.

The practical perks are straightforward: free same-day delivery on orders over $250, a Design Rewards program for repeat shoppers, and a clearance sale with markdowns up to 75% off. That combination makes it a reasonable stop for someone furnishing a room on a deadline and a budget rather than hunting for a one-of-a-kind piece.

The trade-off is the flip side of that convenience. A store built around affordable, broad-budget decor isn’t where you go for a limited-run or artisan-made lamp, since its model leans toward volume and price rather than rarity.

Best for Designer-Curated Furnishing Packages – McGee & Co.

McGee & Co. sells pillows, decor, furniture, rugs, wall art, kitchen products, lighting and accessories, all built around the idea of creating finished, inspired-feeling rooms rather than one-off purchases. Lighting, including table lamps, is positioned as part of that whole-room approach.

The brand says its pieces are selected to grow with your home, and it backs that up with practical details: in-stock furniture delivered in one to four weeks, free shipping on decor orders of $150 or more, and a rewards program for returning customers. There’s also a Designer Trade Program, so professionals aren’t an afterthought here either.

Because the catalog is organized around styled, cohesive collections, it suits someone furnishing a room as a set more than someone hunting for a single unusual lamp that doesn’t need to match anything else. Clearance markdowns run up to 70% off, which helps if budget matters as much as style.

Best for Sheer Selection Across Every Style – Wayfair.com

Wayfair.com bills itself as an online home store for furniture, decor, outdoors, and more, and the scale backs that up: the site carries 5,000 brands spanning furniture, lighting, cookware, and beyond. Table lamps show up across dozens of those brands in every price point and style you can think of.

Free shipping on most items removes a common friction point when you’re ordering something as awkward to ship as a lamp. The catch with a marketplace this size is that curation isn’t really the point. You’re choosing from thousands of options across 5,000 brands, which is a different experience than browsing a gallery where every piece has already been picked for you.

Best for Globally Sourced Statement Pieces – World Market

World Market sells furniture, home decor, rugs, outdoor furniture, pillows, imported rugs, and specialty gifts and food, all built around the idea of bringing unique pieces from around the globe into one store. That global-sourcing angle is the thing that separates its lighting and decor from a standard domestic retailer’s.

Best for Deep Discounts on Home Goods – Overstock.com

Overstock.com is built around the pitch of discovering designer brands and home goods at the lowest prices online, and it covers furniture, rugs, and outdoor living as part of that. Table lamps fall under the broader home goods umbrella here rather than getting their own dedicated spotlight.

The name tells you what to expect: price is the organizing idea, and that’s a fair trade for a shopper who wants a recognizable designer-adjacent look without paying full retail.

What to Check Before You Buy a Ceramic Table Lamp

Glaze and finish matter more on a lamp than on most decor objects because light passes through or bounces off it all evening. A matte stoneware base reads differently under a warm bulb than a glossy glazed one, so it helps to check a few listing photos taken in actual lamp-lit conditions rather than studio daylight. If you’re furnishing around other linen or natural-fiber pieces, this guide to building a timeless look with linen home decor has useful notes on pairing textures that apply just as well to lighting choices.

Shade proportion is the detail most people get wrong. A good rule of thumb from lighting designers is that the shade should be roughly two-thirds the height of the base and wide enough to fully hide the bulb from eye level when you’re seated nearby. The U.S. Department of Energy’s lighting guidance is also worth a glance if you’re pairing a ceramic lamp with a dimmer, since not every bulb type dims evenly.

Shipping and handling deserve a second thought too, since ceramic is breakable in a way that upholstered furniture simply isn’t. A lamp coming from overseas or from a small studio will usually be packed differently than one coming off a retail warehouse pallet, so it’s worth checking how a seller handles that step before you commit to a fragile, hard-to-replace piece.

Matching the Lamp to the Buyer

A same-day furniture run calls for a different store than a search for the one lamp nobody else will have. At Home and Overstock.com solve for speed and price. McGee & Co. for a styled, whole-room look with a trade program attached. Wayfair.com solves for sheer breadth, and World Market adds a global sourcing angle to a fairly standard retail model.

If what you actually want is a lamp that won’t show up in your neighbor’s living room, that’s where The Oblist stands apart. Between the limited-edition and vintage pieces, the curator-selected catalog and a Trade Program built for designers sourcing on behalf of clients, it’s the strongest pick here for anyone who treats a table lamp as a piece of design rather than a fixture to fill a gap. For furnishing an entire room to a budget, one of the larger retailers above will likely serve you better, but for the single rare find, The Oblist is hard to match.

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IKEA’s £22 candle chandelier is the ultimate cheat code to a cosy Christmas – it’s the perfect balance of festive and luxury

IKEA’s £22 candle chandelier is the ultimate cheat code to a cosy Christmas – it’s the perfect balance of festive and luxury

by | Oct 12, 2026 | Design Inspiration

If you’re already thinking about the upcoming festive season, and specifically how to decorate your house beautifully on a budget, IKEA is one step ahead of you. With much of their festive collection already available to shop, their lighting options have caught our eye, in particular the VINTERFINT Chandelier.

This year, IKEA’s Christmas lighting is bold, bright, and packed with red tones. The brand’s sell-out paper stars have returned to the lineup, but it is the addition of products like the VINTERFINT Chandelier that I think will be a big hit with shoppers this year.

If you’re looking for Christmas decorating ideas, the VINTERFINT Chandelier (£22) is the perfect balance of traditional and luxury design.

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I’m not ashamed to sing the Swedish retailer’s praises when it comes to their Christmas decor. Frequently inspired by Scandi traditions, IKEA is a master of the traditional festive look. Not to mention that many of their designs are small-space friendly, too. From the cult VINTERFINT peg tree to their most recent LED STRÅLA Christmas tree, IKEA is one of the best places for small-home dwellers to shop for festive decor.

Practicalities aside, I was immediately drawn to the VINTERFINT Chandelier because it offers opulent grandeur at a budget price. Created from steel and drenched in a rich, festive red colourway, this chandelier can hold eight candles at a time. If you want a traditional, flickering glow over your Christmas dinner, this is the piece to shop.

IKEA VINDERFINT Chandelier hanging above a festive dining table.

(Image credit: IKEA)

IKEA also says that it is easy to wipe clean, and its compact design makes it easy to store after the big day. Although I’d be tempted to whip it out every time I host for a dramatic, yet whimsical effect.

The chandelier was designed by Matilda Lindstam Nilsson, who recently collaborated on the IKEA PS Collection for 2026, and designed the space-saving Skiftebo chair bed, which our Sleep Editor, Amy Lockwood, raved about earlier this year.

Designer Matilda Lindstam Nilsson sitting on the IKEA PS 2026 Skiftebo Chair Bed

Designer Matilda Lindstam Nilsson.

(Image credit: Future / Kezia Reynolds)

‘I grew up in a house in the middle of the forest, surrounded by wild and magical nature. Christmas was celebrated traditionally, and this inspired me when designing my products in the VINTERFINT and STRÅLA collections,’ said Matilda.

‘I wanted to convey a genuine sense of craftsmanship where wooden elements create a natural connection to the forest. I also wanted to celebrate the warmth of Christmas with a modern twist. The result is products that combine nostalgia, tradition and a big dose of joy.’

If you love this cosy lighting idea, I’ve found a few more to help you feel inspired for the big day.

If you want to add a little extra drama to your Christmas decor this year, this festive chandelier makes it so easy.

Next has dropped the prettiest laundry hamper I’ve ever seen

Next has dropped the prettiest laundry hamper I’ve ever seen

by | Oct 11, 2026 | Design Inspiration

Laundry hampers are a practical household buy that I usually want to find ways to hide rather than show off. Let’s face it, an overflowing laundry basket doesn’t add anything to a bedroom or bathroom scheme! However, Next’s latest design has completely changed my mind.

The Next Pink stripe hamper is one of the most stylish laundry hampers I ever did see. In fact, at first glance, I’m not sure I’d even guess it was one.

With its structured shape, pink and white stripe upholstery and pretty brass-effect handle on the lid, it looks far more like a chic upholstered stool or a decorative storage solution than somewhere to stash dirty socks. It’s the perfect home buy, and here’s why.

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Stripes have been everywhere in interiors recently, and I love how Next has used them to turn something as ordinary as a laundry hamper into a feature you might actually want on display, which is especially useful if you have a lack of storage space to contend with in a bedroom or bathroom.

The upholstered finish makes it feel much more like a piece of furniture, while the brass-effect handle is a small detail that seems to make it look considerably more expensive.

And it isn’t all style over substance either. At 55cm high and 35cm wide and deep, it gives you a decent amount og space for clothes without taking up an enormous amount of floor space, which is useful if you have a small bathroom or bedroom. It’s also surprisingly lightweight, so you could carry it up and down stairs easily.

Next striped laundry hamper with frill

(Image credit: Next)

What really sold it to me was that there’s no reason you have to use it for laundry. It looks so much like an upholstered storage stool that I could see it working in any room as a secret clutter buster.

It could be filled with throws and blankets in the living room, used to stash toys in a playroom or to hide random clutter when you’ve got someone popping over in 10 minutes. I’ve actually been using it in my daughter’s bedroom, where her cuddly toy collection is out of control.

next striped frill laundry hamper in a bedroom with rocking chair

(Image credit: Future/Jenny McFarlane)

There’s also a striped laundry bag option that’s a little more budget-friendly if you prefer a flexible style, but for me, the structured hamper is the standout. Its furniture-like design means you could move it around the house and give it a completely different purpose.

At £65, it’s not the most budget-friendly hamper you can buy. I’d probably opt for something a little more affordable if you think you’ll most likely hide it in a cupboard. If, like me, though, you love a bit of practical, pretty-looking storage that contributes to the room rather than detracting from it, the price feels a little more worth it.

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Whether you want to use it to conceal a week’s worth of washing, your child’s toy collection, blankets in the landing or random living room storage idea for clutter, this is the laundry hamper I am happy to have hiding in plain sight.

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This clever Argos coat rack is now 20% off – and its bonus storage space makes it ideal for smaller hallways

This clever Argos coat rack is now 20% off – and its bonus storage space makes it ideal for smaller hallways

by | Oct 11, 2026 | Design Inspiration

I put it off as long as I could, but I’ve finally given in and brought my coats down from the loft. And just like I couldn’t ignore the colder mornings and torrential downpours, there’s no denying my hallway is now paying the price. So, to keep things tidy, I’m snapping up the Argos Home Hallway Wall Shelf & Coat Rack with Storage Boxes (£52 at Argos, or £41.60 with code COSY20)

Yes, right now I’m on a mission to autumn-proof my narrow hallway, as muddy shoes, wet coats, and messy bags have left my entryway feeling (and looking) worse for wear. And although I’ve already enlisted shoe storage ideas for smaller spaces to organise my muddy shoes, my coats still don’t have a proper home.

That’s why I’ve decided it’s time to stop flinging my jackets and coats over the bannister and invest in a proper storage solution that’ll keep coats tidy and give them space to dry. Not only does this Argos coat rack fit the bill, but it also comes with bonus storage every small hallway needs.

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As far as coat racks go, the Argos Hallway Wall Shelf & Coat Rack is definitely one of the prettier options on the market. Especially when you consider that old-school freestanding coat racks aren’t always feasible in a small hallway with limited floor space, and drill-in coat hooks rarely offer anything besides practicality.

But this one strikes a happy medium: cosy yet convenient, with a wall-mounted design that helps you create order in a small room by using vertical space. This means you’re not encroaching on the walkway, but still adding storage that becomes even more important during the autumn and winter months.

Autumnal hallway with sage green wall panelling and an autumnal wreath, and the white front door open next to an olive tree

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

The three double hooks technically offer space for six coats or bags – more than enough for every member of the family to have one each – but there’s nothing stopping you from layering them and adding more if you need to.

Just remember that if you want to keep the coats dry and prevent damp in your home, it’s best to organise your coat hooks properly and give them some breathing space.

But the pièce de résistance, in my eyes, is that this coat rack also comes with oodles of extra storage space, thanks to the three included storage boxes and the shelf above. This means you can store everything from your car keys to your post, hats, scarves, and other essentials, and use the top shelf for the all-important decor.

hallway with a storage bench covered in cushions and throws, next to boots on the floor and on a boot rack

(Image credit: Future PLC)

In my home, these storage boxes will work perfectly to store my dog’s leads, harnesses and poo bags so they don’t clutter up the rest of the house – and they’re always right by the door so I can grab my coat and doggy essentials just as I’m leaving.

And since many of the best storage baskets cost up to £30 individually, having them included with this coat rack is music to my ears. Plus, the beauty of a rack with hooks like this is that you can also use it in various rooms of the house.

Admittedly, its natural place is in the hallway, but you could also use it to hang towels and dressing gowns to organise a bathroom, or even in a bedroom for extra storage.

But if you need hallway storage and this isn’t quite what you’re after, I’ve popped some alternatives below, too.

So, don’t let your coats clutter your hallway this autumn!

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