Interior expert reveals the top three décor items Brits waste money on

Homeware-addicted Brits are spending up to £1k a year on new cushions, blankets and lighting

·       Roughly 3.35 million Brits (5%) repurchase these items at least once a month

·       10 million buy these items at least once every three months

·       Almost one in ten (9%) throw away unwanted furniture, cushions, lamps and more – amounting to 69.9 million items every year  

·       A quarter (25%) say that keeping up with homeware trends is important to them, often buying new homeware items after seeing them on social media 

·       Joshua Hammonds, of Hammonds Furniture, provides advice on how to cut back on your homeware spending habits

• More information about this study can be found here: https://www.hammonds-uk.com/blog/the-uks-fast-homeware-habits

Joshua Hammonds, Marketing Manager at Hammonds Furniture, explains which key homeware items Brits are spending too much on, and how they can save money by buying home décor more mindfully and sustainably.

“A recent study from Hammonds Furniture revealed the top three homeware items that Brits are wasting their money on, by replacing them as frequently as once a month.

Roughly 3.35 million Brits (5%)¹ admit to buying new cushions (including covers), throws or blankets, and lighting such as lamps or fairy lights at least once a month, costing them an estimated £1,116 in total per year, according to our research.

The biggest chunk of this is spent on throws and blankets, with shopping fiends splashing an average of £547 a year on these cosy homewares alone.

Many (25%) say that keeping up with homeware trends is important to them, while others (25%) are regularly buying trendy homeware items after seeing them on social media.

  

Not only are Brits buying these home décor items often, but as a nation, the UK throws away almost 70 million items of homeware each year.

This is despite two in five (41%) agreeing that fast homeware trends are as damaging to the environment as fast fashion.  

Overall, an estimated £2.17 billion worth of homeware items are being sent to landfill each year – with Brits individually throwing away £337 on average.

Almost one in ten (9%) admit they’ll just bin items they no longer want – estimated at 12 pieces of décor per year – rather than recycling or donating them. 

Buying new homeware that matches their current décor isn’t a priority for nearly half (44%) of Brits, and another 14% do not think at all about whether they’ll still like a new homeware item in a few months’ time before buying it. 

Fab or fad?

There are a few things to bear in mind, to help you decide when trending homeware items are actually worth investing in.

Often, online homeware trends can make it feel like buying certain popular items will make or break your home’s look. For example, the Danish pastel-style ‘mushroom lamp’, which has 12.5 million views on TikTok, retails between £40 and £80 – so is quite a big investment.

If an item like this really feels like ‘you’, and you can picture it blending with your other items nicely, it’s probably a good purchase.

But often, these items can be novelty purchases that quickly fall out of fashion. Another example from the Danish pastel trend is flower shaped cushions, which have 1.6 million TikTok views.

This type of cushion is difficult to re-style if you decide you don’t like it later on. Buying regular cushion covers in a ‘danish pastel’ colour scheme is more cost effective, and these are much easier to store away, swap out or even upcycle if you want to switch things up again. 

When it comes to buying new homeware, there are some factors you can keep in mind such as:  

1. Materials – Looking for products made from eco-friendly materials is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. Organic materials that are easily renewable and collected in a responsible way, such as bamboo or organic cotton, are perfect for homeware items  

1. Buying for longevity – Investing in quality products that are made to last is a great way to ensure you don’t have to keep throwing away or rebuying items. Opting for a timeless design, and something that is flexible and can be adapted or change with your needs can ensure that you’re not feeling the need to replace items.  

1. Finding your own style – Ignoring trends can be hard, so it’s not about completely cutting yourself off from them, but instead figuring out which trends speak to you the most. If you see a trend and want to buy new items that fit this, think beforehand if you really enjoy the aesthetic, if it will go with your pre-existing items or if you’ll have to buy more items to match. And most importantly, will you still love this new item in a year when it won’t be as trendy?

1. Recycling or repurposing – if you have a homeware item that you truly no longer have use for, upcycling items is a great way to give your homeware a new life. Or, donating items, giving them to friends, or selling them on second-hand sites can help you avoid a trip to the skip.”