Interior Inspiration: Copper and Wood

So .... I'm a bargain hunter. Sure, I love luxe details, but I bought my agate bookends from eBay and most of the homeware you see on my Instagram account cost £10 and under (see this post for evidence of my bargain-hunting ways). And when I'm back in the States, I scour stores like Target, Marshall's, and Ross for all the clearance items I can get my hands on. There's no shame in my game.

I particularly like a bargain challenge, so when T.K. Maxx provided me with a £20 gift card to spend in their homeware section, I wandered around my local branch (and even drew unwanted attention to myself when I accidentally toppled a stack of trays balanced precariously on the shelf edge - oops) brainstorming ideas for what to buy.

In the end, I went over budget (I said I was "bargain hutner", I never said I was responsible), but I hope you'll agree that my purchases were worth it!

I'd been searching for a good, wooden tray for a while but hadn't found quite the right one ... until I spied this stunning, floral-etched tray hiding at the back of a shelf. Made in India, it's beautifully rustic and light to carry, which is perfect for breakfast (or lunch) in bed and for serving drinks outside once the work on our garden is completed.

I also like using it as a display in our house and was pleasantly surprised at just how well it fit in with the other items of homeware we already own, like this market basket and risograph print. 

I can't emphasize how useful trays are to have around in your home - both on a practical and decorative level. They're great for grouping objects like candles or fragrances or accessories, but I also love to use them under bowls when serving food on the table.

After finding my tray-treasure, I continued on with the thought of entertaining outside. I spotted some pretty, clear plastic (but convincingly similar to glass) cups that resembled vintage whisky tumblers but - and here's where shopping at T.K. Maxx can get a little tricky - there were only two on the shelf. Glumly, I tracked down a member of staff (who was so helpful and sweet), but even she couldn't help me track down a family of four tumblers.

Then, I noticed the copper mugs on the bottom shelf: they had gold handles. Gold. Perfect for Moscow-mules, smoothies, mimosas, gin and tonics ... and any other summer drink I'd care to throw in there. I grabbed four and made my way to the till.

(Don't worry, that's water in my copper tumbler in the background - not having a Moscow mule with my pancakes.)

Now I'm just chomping at the bit for our garden to be finished (progress was impeded by heavy rain a few weeks ago) so we can sit outside on our floating bench and enjoy drinks served in copper mugs and food carried out on this pretty tray!

What about you? What's the best bargain you've picked up recently? I'd love to know!

This post was written in collaboration with T.K. Maxx. All opinions and shopping triumphs/disasters are my own.

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