Supermarket Sweep: Checking Out The Best Homeware

When hunting for bits and pieces for my flat, I tend to stick to a few faithfuls: Domestic Sluttery favourites (Rockett St George, Graham and Green and the like), high street stores such as House of Fraser and Ikea. It would never occur to me to look in the supermarket for anything but the most functional of kitchenwares.

But perhaps I should think again, as the supermarkets have all been upping their homewares game recently. The downside is you need to look through a lot of stuff to find the good bits - their websites aren't made for casual browsers - but the rewards are interesting pieces at seriously budget prices. Here's my sweep of the supermarkets' best.

Asda has produced a range with the Prince's Trust, featuring the work of two young designers. I love these bee mugs by Amanda Bradley: £4 for a set of two.

Her love of animals, and the colours yellow and black, can also be seen on these cute hare canisters, £5 for the set.

Dimitria Jordon's work, meanwhile, is cheerful and colourful - just look at her multi floral stars cushion, priced at a mere £5.

The George at Asda own range has some treats too. OF COURSE I want these pineapple and flamingo glasses immediately. They're £2.50 for a set of four.

This yellow desk lamp, meanwhile, has looks that belie its £25 price tag. There are plenty more where that come from in the furniture section too, with treats such as these metal cafe chairs.

Moving onto Tesco, somewhat predictably given my love of sailor style, I've fallen for their new nautical collection. It's full of all the red, whites and blues I could want, and desirable designs such as this fisherman's pendant, available for £30.

Look at this chirpy whale cushion too! It's £8.

Their chevron rug is a great way to cheer up a dull bit of floorspace for only a tenner. I also recommend taking a look at their pricey-looking decorative candles, and the Henley duvet for full-on floral loveliness.

The range at Waitrose is a bit smaller (thankfully, as it's really hard to browse on their website) but has some nice little bits for baking in their farmer's market range. These measuring cups are £7.50, and you can get a pretty pink cake stand for the same price.

They've got some great bits of serveware too, perfect for anyone who likes to entertain. This Tea Party jug is £15 and would look as nice filled with flowers as with lemonade or Pimms.

I was really impressed by the lighting range at Sainsbury's. Not the first place I would have thought to look but now bookmarked for the future. They have some interesting pieces at reasonable prices. This  Starlight cluster lamp, for example, is £45.

This striking Tripod floor lamp, meanwhile, is £75.

There's plenty in the way of kitchen linens too - these hedgerow tea towels have a kind of vintage charm and come at almost vintage prices - £5 for the set.

I'm still working out what I can keep in their small storage glass cabinet, £20. Perfect for showing off some new purchases, and definitely worthy of some internet investigation.

So, what do you think of supermarket home ranges? Ever picked up anything great in the supermarket along with the weekly shop? Let us know your favourite finds!