H&M Expands Its Homeware Collection

And in many ways the only proper response to that headline has been – and about time too. H&M has been quietly gathering a reputation as the place to go for affordable cushion covers and bed linens as well as small household items such as mugs and vases. Finally, they are expanding in to small items of furniture.

And if that works one can only assume they will go further. My local branch of H&M, which is at Oxford Circus, has occasionally had a window display of furniture with products styled among it. I have admired it so much I have been in to ask whether it was possible to buy the larger pieces but was told that no it wasn’t part of the range.

Until now. The collection includes the black bench table pictured above – it’s a really great piece that is so versatile. I had it in the hall for a while but it seems to have found its space up in the loft. And do you know what I particularly appreciated – it came ready assembled. It’s a small thing but it arrived on one of those days when the temperature was nudging 34 degrees and I was so thankful that I just had to take it out of the box and put it in position.

There is also this large floor cushion, which also comes in cream as you can see in the H&M campaign shot below. This is a really useful and well-sized cushion and has solved the problem of the lack of a third chair in the library where there isn’t really room for one but there does need to be more seating ( I didn’t photograph it in there though because it’s a dark room with a dark rug against dark shelves and it just didn’t show so I put it here you can see it better.

You are lucky to be seeing some of the collection two days before everyone else as H&M sent me the press release and insisted I didn’t write about it until 23 August. But I managed to talk them into sending me a few products and allowing me to go two days early with the story so you can see it here but you won’t be able to buy any of it until Thursday.

So what do you think? There is a mix of products and materials from powder coated steel to marble and more organic shapes using wood and straw. Mattias Chrisander, the product designer at H&M Home, said each piece had been designed to fit effortlessly into any home. Which is key, because it means it has been designed to fit in with what already have, making it a great hard-working line of products that you can move around the house as you see fit.

“We are very excited about this launch… [which] expresses timeless design and diversity in style,” he said.

This first collection was designed in house – but I’m sure, given the success of the fashion collaborations, that that will change in time.

There are two main styles, although they mix and match perfectly well together. One is clean, minimal lines while the other is more rustic with soft shapes and natural materials. The colour palette is black with natural beiges and metallics with accents of dusty pink,  emerald green and grey.

In short, you shouldn’t have to try to hard to fit something in with your existing decor. And, or course, it’s H&M so prices start at a very reasonable £17.99 and go up to £149.99. The black table and cushion that I have photographed are both £79.99.

So there you have it. That is all. Back to your holidays now.