Updating a room can be a costly business, but if you look to the high street, you can achieve a new look for a fraction of the price.
One of the easiest ways of transforming a room, and one that doesn’t involve major decorating or DIY, is to focus on changing the accessories. It’s amazing what a difference little changes like this can make. Tesco recently launched a number of new home ranges, including the Couture collection, and asked if we’d like to take part in their Spruce up Spring challenge.
The Couture collection is based around a theme of pretty pinks and neutrals, delicate florals and sumptuous fabrics. It’s not really a trend we’d instantly go for, but we were very pleasantly surprised by the products we received, both in terms of the quality and price. Our pieces were based around neutral/taupe with pink accents and we used them to uplift our somewhat neglected spare room.
The five pieces we tried come to £50 in total, which seems very good value for what they are:
Script double duvet set in taupe – £15
Rose pink crackle ball vase – £10
Beaded cushion – £12
Round enamel frame – £5
Velvet pink dream cushion – £8
The script duvet has a French theme to it, with images of the Eiffel Tower, birds and crowns mixed with French themed words, numbers and swirls. Put together, it creates an interesting overlay effect. The taupe colour is nice and neutral, so you could easily use it alongside bolder colours on the walls.
We like the fact that both the duvet and the pillowcases have a contrasting stripe design on the other side, so if you fancy a change of pattern, just flip them over! Two designs in one are always a hit. Duvet sets elsewhere can often be expensive, or come without any pillowcases. But for just £15 with two pillowcases included, this seems like a brilliant deal for a double duvet. Even the king size is only £18.
The two cushions – the large square Dream cushion in pale pink velvet (almost lilac), and the smaller cream beaded cushion – worked well together, especially with their contrasting textures. Both of them look and feel like they should be a lot more expensive than they actually are.
We loved the handmade crackle ball vase. It’s a lovely size and shape and amazingly well priced at only £10. The rose pink colour is subtle and we could easily imagine some short stems of big, blousey headed pink and cream peonies or roses displayed in the vase.
With the crackle glass effect, we thought it would look great with some fairy lights inside it, which you could use to create atmospheric lighting at night, or even use as an alternative to a bedside lamp. (It would look best with battery operated fairy lights, but we only had plug-in ones to hand, so excuse the cable!)
The small round enamel frame was a good piece too. It looks a bit vintagey in style, and goes very well with the colours and theme of both the duvet and cushion. At only £5, you can’t really go wrong with it.
The Fresh Design verdict
It was great to be able to try out these products and we’re really impressed with the quality, style and value. It’s not just a theme for a bedroom, it would work well throughout your home. We’ll definitely be looking at Tesco again for homeware, bedding, accessories and cushions, and are tempted to invest in a few more pieces from this lovely range.
In addition to the Couture collection, Tesco also launched ranges based on some other key home trends. Monochrome – classic black and white with a pop of yellow, Sherbert Crush – aqua blues, raspberry sundae pinks and sunny yellows, Seaside – fresh blues and nautical touches and Moroccan – featuring sunset shades and glittering lights.
Included in the Love Your Home linky:
Great to see you can add a little style to your bedroom without the need to re-mortgage. Good article and lovely stylish blog also.