Happy spring homeware
Sitting here in my home office every day over lockdown I’ve watched spring slowly emerge. The move to Level 3 has inspired a spring shopping splurge for home things that makes me feel happy. Fortunately, online shopping still lets me access all the great stores I love at Albany Mega Centre.
What a month (and a bit) it has been. Lockdown, wet and cold weather, floods, terror shootings and a whole lot more. The news and social media are full of bad news stories. It’s enough to get a girl depressed so I’ve worked hard to stay positive. Fortunately, my home office overlooks the garden – one of the main reasons I bought this house. Over the last five weeks in lockdown, I’ve seen spring flourish. First came the daffodils, followed quickly by the trees revealing their new season leaves. Last week you could hear the sound of birds returning and the days feel a little warmer and longer. Add to this, the move to Level 3 and I started to feel positive and optimistic about life again.
Off to get my second Covid vaccination, I drove by the Albany Mega Centre and felt a sense of sadness. I miss going there but I wasn’t going to let it change my good mood. I decided then and there that when I get home, I’m going to get online, support my local and buy new things for the house that make me happy.
The virtual trip to the Albany Mega centre started at Adairs online store. They’ve got amazing stuff for the whole house and because they are an independent brand, you don’t see the same things anywhere else. I decide to start with the bedroom and bathroom. First, there’s a beautiful set of Home Republic towels in a lilac colour. It’s not the sort of colour I’d normally go for but it feels happy and right for spring. So into the cart they go. Next is a floral duvet cover and a set of vintage-looking stone washed sheets in a taupe colour called ‘beach.’ The name makes me smile and that makes them an instant purchase. Buying everything online couldn’t have been any easier.
Next stop, One Story. All their furniture has that unfussy Scandinavian look that I love for my place. They had a stunning range of dining chairs in a range of vibrant colours. I decided to go for one style but in an eclectic mix of red, green and yellow. I also found a simple circular rug in a soft grey colour. This goes under the dining table, bringing out the colour of the new chairs. My last purchase here was a really sleek white shelving unit, that fits nicely in the hallway, for books, photos and ornaments. Again the online process of buying, arranging assembly and getting everything delivered was really simple.
I’ve always hated the lighting in the living room, it’s so bright and glary. This time at home has made me even more aware of it. There was a beautiful white ceramic lamp with a concertina detail that I saw in the Albany Mega Lighting Direct store before lockdown. I jumped onto the website hoping it was still available. Fortunately it was, and it was even more beautiful than I remembered it. I paired it with a white linen lampshade that looks stunning on the side table and gives the room a warm glow. I also threw a small, but stylish, desk lamp into the cart. These sit nicely next to my favourite reading chair.
Within a few days all my purchases arrived, were arranged and are took pride of place at home. My mood instantly lifted up to another level. Fresh homeware always cheers me up and so does shopping at Albany Mega Centre. Combining all that with spring in the air and even Covid can’t bring me down this lockdown.