The best high street homeware collections that won’t break the bank

As fashion label Rixo launches a new Matisse-inspired line, here’s where to find stylish cushions, ceramics and napkins on the high street

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When the fashion label Rixo launched in 2015, it quickly became a cult favourite for its vintage-inspired dresses, statement prints, and playful approach to womenswear. Its debut homeware line, Casa Rixo, which launches on November 11, translates that aesthetic to a collection of cushions, tablecloths and napkins, intended to bring the brand’s signature joie de vivre to the home.
The collection has been a few years in the making, says Orlagh McCloskey, who co-founded Rixo with her friend Henrietta Rix. “We’ve been thinking for a while about how to get that colour and personality through in a home collection, in a way that feels like us, and the obvious way was through textiles.”
This wasn’t, however, a case of taking a print from a dress and putting it on to a napkin. “What we wanted to do was create prints that were for the shape of the cushion or the tablecloth, not just an existing print just chucked on,” says McCloskey. “We’ve been working with a mill that does homeware textiles, which is a different process [from fashion textiles]. We wanted to do it right, give it thought and attention, and make it really special.”
You might think that, as a woman who deals in fashion, McCloskey might be focused on trends; but when it came to designing homeware, the opposite was the case. “It’s not based on trends, so it shouldn’t need updating in five years’ time,” she says. “I think when you follow a trend, that’s when you get a bit sick of your interiors a few years down the line. If you stay away from that and focus on curating what’s right for you as a person and your own personal style, it won’t become outdated.”
The inspiration for the patterns she created came partly from the work of Matisse, an artist whose work has similarly inspired prints for Rixo’s fashion line. The process of colour selection, however, was also informed by c’s own experience of decorating her home.
“Henrietta and I have both bought our first-ever homes in the past few years, and that process has been so important in terms of understanding what it is you want from a home,” she explains. “You might like a certain pattern on a dress, but you need to think about how it might work with the colours that work in a home, which can be quite different.”
The cut-paper-style motif that McCloskey designed, which resembles a Matisse-esque canvas she painted for her own living room, has been imagined in two distinct colourways: one in a palette of vibrant red, pink, blue, green and yellow; the other in a more muted terracotta and cream.
“There are times when you want bright colours, and other times when you want a relaxing space that feels quite neutral and calm,” says McCloskey. “In my own home, both of those colourways would work: I have quite neutral walls, so the bright one would suit a nice sunny day, while the tonal one would suit a moody dinner.”
The beauty of home accessories is that the mood of a room can be changed completely – and temporarily – by swapping in a cushion or changing the tablecloth. “I think it’s a nice thing that you can create a different environment in such an easy way, whether that’s a bright, colourful feeling or something more relaxed and tranquil,” says McCloskey. “It’s like an instant hit for your home.”
Cushions, £75; napkins, £45 for two; tablecloth, £150; Rixo
Sustainable fashion brand Damson Madder is known for its leopard-print skirts, reversible waistcoats and big-collared blouses. Its first full homeware collection offers a similarly playful vibe, with table linens, tea towels, cushions, hand-painted crockery, and hot-water-bottle covers in leopard, bow and gingham prints. The patchwork stockings are sure to be a winner this Christmas.
From £20; Damson Madder
Hungarian fashion house Nanushka, known for its “refined bohemian” aesthetic, has teamed up with Zara Home on a range of furniture and accessories. The exceptionally pretty glassware, ceramics and candles would elevate a table setting, while the marble, wood and cement side tables make a modern statement. The wool rugs and cushions look far more expensive than their high-street price tag.
From £9.99; Zara Home
Mango’s new home collection has the festive season in mind, but there isn’t a novelty antler or a snowman motif in sight. The deep red embroidered tablecloth, green linen table mats and candy-stripe candleholders will look cosy on the Christmas table, but won’t look out of date come January, and the velvet cushion covers make a stylish addition to the sofa at any time of year.
From £2.99; Mango
The extensive homeware line designed by Lucinda Chambers and Serena Hood of Collagerie for John Lewis was the hit of the AW24 high street collections. Taking inspiration from John Lewis’s pattern archives, they designed everything from wallpapers and bedding to lamps, cushions and tableware, all with an expert mix of colour and pattern.
From £8; John Lewis
Fashion designer-turned-potter Henry Holland has teamed up with heritage fabric house Harlequin on a range of wallpapers and fabrics for curtains, cushions and upholstery. The collection blends classic with contemporary, featuring marbled, chequerboard, floral and geometric motifs in earthy tones; perfect for giving an old piece of furniture a chic new twist.
Harlequin
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