High Street Heroes

A monthly perusal of High Street seasonal newness to find my Top 12 lustworthy items to add to your home or inspire you this May.

Good morning my Substack friends and if the iPhone weather app is telling the truth, then today we should be basking in temperatures almost akin to the Med. Am hoping that the tiling in my courtyard starts next week and currently, it’s due to be a hugely hot (for us, not my international readers so much who I am sure are used to far high level temperatures) 24 degrees daily here in York for the foreseeable future. As I write this, the French doors are open, the cat is basking/debating whether she is too fat to jump the wall, and the Spanish students next door are chatting away whilst starting a BBQ and making me feel as though I might possibly be in Marbella. It’s 11am but Summer is in the air and a long weekend awaits. Honestly, good weather makes the BIGGEST difference to mood.

This weekend is even more exciting as I will be home alone, an unheard of occurrence. It was Leo’s 17th birthday yesterday and now that Max is a wage earning sibling, he pushed the boat out and bought Leo a surprise trip with Max and his friend Max (yes, confusing that Max’s best friend is also called Max) to Krakow. It was the BEST surprise - he gave him a birthday card last night and when Leo opened it, it had a voucher in for one Polish pint and a copy of the booking (leaving in less than 48 hours from opening) and I have never seen Leo quite so shocked. They go today for three nights and I am vaguely apprehensive but thanks to the joy of Life360 I will be able to track them at all times to check they are not frequenting strip clubs or drug dens that may lead Leo into dodgy territory. I have plans for their absence, mostly involving visits to local craft fairs but also sitting in my half done courtyard with a glass of wine and a book. I know that some people are not made to be alone and it sends them into a spin, but I can categorically tell you that I am not that person, ha. Silence is golden, with only the toll of the Yorkminster bells to interrupt my peace. Bring it on, baby.

But back to the point and what have I spotted whilst perusing the heady heights of the High Street? There’s a fair amount of velvet swooshing around and textural homewares in leather and stainless steel. Lots of organic/artisan made or inspired ceramics and embroidery is definitely having a moment, tactile wavy shapes and plenty of greens and blues. Outdoor living is top of everyone’s agenda and there’s some super cool garden furniture and accessories to choose from this year. Gone are the days of the basic brown rattan set - it’s a whole new world.

So here’s my list from twelve of the most alluring High Street homeware brands as seen this May. And my favourite find this month? I one hundred percent do NOT need another tablecloth but I am severely tempted by the crabs at H&M Home. Oh, and the oyster salad bowl from John Lewis is also topping my never ending list of wants.

1. Crabs Embroidered Tablecloth - H&M Home, £24.99

Embroidered tablecloths used to be the domain of the pricier independent designers but now, the High Street is getting in on the action. I bought the H&M dining embroidery version a few months ago; now, they have crabs. Who doesn’t love crabs (in the right context, anyway)? And fish too. Love the red here and also a fan of a good shellfish so this works for me. I mean, obvs it’s not hand embroidered which is what you’re paying for higher end, but it looks the part and going by the fact I’ve washed mine five times and it’s still looking good, it’ll probably last too.

2. Borosilicate Tumbler - Zara Home, £10.99

Borosilicate is having a moment, it’s all OVER the shop this month. If you are not sure of what it is, it’s super hardcore glass that you can use for freezing cold and boiling hot water equally (basically what Pyrex jugs are made of) and much more shatter resistant than normal glassware. These tumblers are outdoor dining perfection with the little raised dots adding texture and tactility. There’s a matching jug too with the same pattern.

3. Oyster Shell Salad Bowl - John Lewis, £25

Honestly, it’s nice to see a sea based dining item on the High Street that is NOT a scallop or a fish and I am totally here for this, although I am not an oyster fan. I really want to be; I’ve tried them multiple times and can scoff back shellfish in general like nobody’s business, but oysters? No, godammit. I bought an oyster wine cooler when I was in Italy last year and this beaut of a salad bowl would be the perfect match. Bravo JL for breaking away from the norm.

4. Leather Tray - Mango Home £22.99

Fathers Day is en route and although I have strong thoughts about pretty much every single ‘celebratory’ day (bar birthdays), this would without doubt make a good present and I am sure my own Dad would have liked one. These soft suede leather trays come in three sizes, the smaller of which would be great as a bedside tray for random pocket stuff - they’re a nice organic shape and good colours.

5. Three Nario Bowls & Tray - La Redoute, £52.99

It wouldn’t be a High Street Heroes without some sort of snack inspired item and this triple bowl and tray situation from La Redoute ticks the boxes. It’s reactive glazed stoneware (the sides are a lovely tobacco brown) and the bowls are perfect for crisps, nuts, dips, tapas, all the stuff. They’re handcrafted in Portugal and each piece is unique, so the perfect buy for your summer entertaining. As I write this, there’s a random 28% off but this may have gone by the time Saturday arrives, but keep an eye out as the good thing about LR is that they are hot on the discount codes.

6. Pure Cotton Outdoor Cushion - Marks & Spencer, £20

I’ve just invested in some olive coloured garden furniture and this cushion would be an excellent match. There’s a few things I like here - the thick stripe, the gradient of colours, the slub cotton and the soft fringing, all which makes this cushion a very good deal for twenty quid. Plus, it also comes in a light blue gradient colour way which is equally appealing.

7. Bernadette Lamp With Skirted Shade - Anthropologie, £168

This beaut of a lamp is on preorder but ooh la la, it is very nice. It’s a 50cm table lamp so a good size, with a faux silk shade and a handcrafted ceramic base and is entirely different from a lot of what else is on the market currently. It’s hard sometimes to find something that isn’t reproduced on a similar vein all across the High Street. Deeply tempted to buy this for a corner of my kitchen worktop.

8. Solid Oak Curved Mirror - Dunelm, £140

I struggled a bit with finding something to share from Dunelm this weekend, if I’m being honest. I massively rate Dunelm, but sometimes it can be hard to see the good stuff through the ceramic hedgehogs holding mushrooms and the rabbit cushions when you’re looking online. However, this mirror is a sure fire winner - it’s solid dark oak with a nice curve and comes in two sizes and looks super chic. Really loving dark wood at the moment and so good to see it popping up on the High Street rather than the ubiquitous pale.

9. Wavy Clay Planter - Habitat, £30

BIG fan of this. I have a very similar one of these at home which is half the size yet double the price so this is an excellent buy. Simple clay, nice wavy edging and would look great both inside and out. Perfect for herbs or flowers, I have a mini Lidl orange tree planted in mine but am planning some more of these for the courtyard once it’s done and ready to go.

10. Stoneware Tea Cup - Arket, £17

Arket are looking super hot on the kitchenware at the moment (LOVE these striped tea towels too) and this hand painted splatter mug is perfect for morning coffee. I have a selection of really nice coffee cups that I’ve collected over the years that I hang and I feel a severe urge to add this one to the line up. It’s slightly irregular in shape too that only adds to the appeal and comes in blue and splatter blue as well.

11. Large Rattan Laundry Basket - Oliver Bonas, £80

Laundry baskets are one of those things that I am always asked for on the Sunday Niche Edit but I have never seen one before that I’ve liked as much as this. Okay, it’s not the cheapest, but it’s quite unique and also, isn’t shaped like a lemon like the rest of the current OB stock. In fact, they’ve gone full on grocers this season - a trip in last weekend revealed a plethora of cherries, pears and citrus fruit whether you’re looking to update your wardrobe or homeware items. Is it possible to have TOO many fruit based items? I fear it may be. But either way, this laundry basket is a winner.

12. PS 2026 Trolley - IKEA, £50

It would have been very easy to show you the PS 2026 Floor Uplighter which has been flooding my social feeds as it is, admittedly, excellent, but I am presuming you have already seen it so I’ll give it a miss. Instead I’ll show you this, an update on their original wheeled trolley which comes in this sky blue and also beige for those not into colour. I give it three months before this makes it into my bathroom for storage purposes, ha.

So there you have my favourite finds this month. Which do you like the best? Do tell me in the comments below!

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