Event: Next Homewares

On Tuesday evening I headed over to the huge Next store at Edinburgh's Straiton Retail Park with a few of my fave Scottish bloggers to have a look round the homewares department. I've always associated Next with clothes and accessories, and the occasional picture frame or cushion, but I had no idea they had such a wide range of homewares too. Everything from furniture to bed linen to kitchen utensils to patterned wallpaper and of course lots of pretty nick-nacks!

It seems quite a lot of people are just as clueless as me when it comes to Next homewares, which is why they've just launched a brand new Next Home TV advert. After a look round the store, we all headed over to Hotel du Vin for some drinks and canapes (which were AMAZING, by the way!) to watch the advert and see a behind-the-scenes look at how it was all put together. We also had time for a chat with the lovely Next people and it was so interesting hearing about the design process behind all the things we saw in the store. I always just assumed high street shops bought their homewares from somewhere else, but in Next almost everything is designed by the in-house design team. Some collections are designed around a year before they actually hit shops, so the team really have to stay ahead of the trends! There's a collection coming out in a few months called "Modern Romance" which I think will be right up bloggers' streets - lots of shabby chic and Parisian-inspired decor.

Next also very kindly gave us a gift voucher to spend in store so I chose a few different things for my flat, including a couple of the heart shaped plates pictured above. So cuuuute! I'm going to be doing a flat tour post very soon (once I get round to tidying up...!) so keep your eyes peeled for a few new Next items making my living room prettier than before!

I absolutely love homewares and could spend hours wandering round fake bedrooms and living rooms - lately I've been finding myself spending more money on homeware things than clothes, does this mean I'm a grown up now? Next already have a couple of stand-alone Home Stores and there are plans to open four more very soon - I'm hoping one will come to Scotland in the not too distant future! I've been browsing through the catalogue and the online shop and I've got a wishlist as long as my arm now, think I'll definitely have to order myself a few more things soon. This Isabella dressing table is so dreamy, wish I didn't have to make-do with my landlord's boring furniture! I also love this silver sparkle mirror and punched metal lantern. Oh and also this embroidered birds cushion. I basically want everything!

Thanks very much to Next for putting on a really lovely event, it has definitely changed my opinion about their Home department!

Are you a fan of Next homewares?

Gillian x