The best online homeware brands for an instant interiors refresh
Banish weekends spent at Ikea with these must-know digital interiors destinations
All products are chosen independently by our editors. Luxury London may earn commission on items purchased.
There was once a time, not too long ago, when even something as simple as buying a new lamp or pair of curtains meant hours spent trawling warehouse-style stores in suburban retail parks or, if your pockets were a little deeper, zig-zagging across London to visit the interiors hotspots of Pimlico, Chelsea and Tottenham Court Road. If you’ve ever embarked on a major interiors project and felt as if Heal’s became your home-away-from-home, you’re not alone.
But no longer. While we would still recommend seeing and feeling pieces in the flesh if you’re making a major investment or looking for something custom, when it comes to decorative accessories, soft furnishings, lighting, and kitchenware, an explosion in online offerings is putting the best of the design world at your fingertips. Here are the best online homeware brands to know now.
Our Place
These sophisticated and adorable pans don’t just sit pretty on your worktop but really do earn their keep. In my experience, they last far better than the rest, even with relentless mum-life use. Spotted in the kitchens of Selena Gomez, Gwyneth Paltrow and the Beckhams, the ceramic cookware line, from the 10-in-1 Always Pan (you can literally cook anything in there) to the versatile Perfect Pot, is engineered with the brand’s signature non-toxic, non-stick coating, which means little use for oil-loading when cooking, and an almost wipe-down clean-up.
If you’re looking to invest in your cookware again from scratch, choose the 13-piece collection in the new Vanilla Bean colourway, a sun-soaked neutral with a unique speckled finish. Champagne gold hardware elevates each piece, reserving both aesthetic elegance and culinary excellence for everyday use. And no killer chemicals, either.
13-piece cookware set
Designers Guild
Headed and owned by brother and sister duo, Tricia Guild and Simon Jeffreys, who first set up shop on the King’s Road in 1971, the Designers Guild’s now-global business philosophy is to combine creativity and innovation with the highest levels of quality. Famed for its stunning collection of wallpapers, textiles, weaves and upholstery, from a range of top interior brands including William Yeoward, English Heritage, Christian Lacroix, and John Derian, it also stocks a wealth of home accessories and decorative soft furnishings.
What truly attracts those in the know, however, are the spectacular own-brand wallpaper collections, especially scenes, murals and panels largely inspired by nature. Veritable works of art for the living room or bedroom, the instantly recognisable designs add a sense of depth, drama and originality to any space. From painterly washes of colour to figurative and ornamental motifs digitally printed for maximum effect, the stunning designs offer a creative and truly bespoke alternative to paint or regular papering. Assam Blossom (pictured in emerald) has been digitally printed onto a non-woven ground and is available in three glorious colourways.
Assam Blossom wallpaper in Emerald
Net-A-Porter
Already a fail-safe for the fashion crowd, good old NAP has a seriously solid homeware selection. Featuring all the usual suspects from the old guard (Ralph Lauren Home, Missoni Home, L’Objet, Dolce & Gabbana) to the more avant-garde (La DoubleJ, Tekla, Fourth Street, Cabana), the range of decorative pieces, tableware, vases, throws, cushions and linens is as expertly curated as the shoes and handbags.
The best way to spruce up or season-switch a living space is with a simple scatter cushion changeover. These gorgeous Brunello Cucinelli raffia-effect throw cushions with a piped leather edge bring a refined sensibility to any chair or sofa, crafted from a textured cotton blend that offers a natural look, without being scratchy or easy to fray. Come autumn, switch them up with Cucinelli’s shearling and leather versions, interspersed with a striped mohair or cashmere cable knit.
Brunello Cucinelli raffia-effect cushion
Abigail Ahern
A brilliant British interiors and lifestyle brand that’s been around for more than two decades, Abigail Ahern’s Islington showroom is just a jumping-off point when it comes to the full range of pieces available online. Originally known for its great selection of faux botanicals (before Ikea and Dunelm had a dedicated department for those), it’s a go-to for homely, neutral pieces, including mirrors, baskets, art and tableware, as well as meatier furniture buys.
With lighting one of the most significant elements to consider when buying for the home, as it has a direct impact on mood, energy, and all-round ambience, Ahern has a charming selection to peruse. Pendants, chandeliers, table lamps and portable lights are available in a varied collection that juxtaposes modern statement lighting with forever pieces. Using a range of timeless textures and materials, they can be layered to build upon what’s already in the room. Choose to make a statement or fade into the background with a lamp like the Hurdcott Travertine, with its natural stone base and raw, country look.
Hurdcott Travertine Table Lamp
Rebecca Udall
Renowned for textile excellence, and a thread-count that would satisfy even the fussiest hotel guest, Rebecca Udall’s unique homeware selection marries the skills of artisan manufacturers from across the continent with heritage designs updated for contemporary living. With an ethos to ‘elevate the everyday’, the product offering spans table, bed, bath, and home décor. Relatively new to the world (it was founded in 2019), this summer the brand is introducing its first range of printed bed linen, and we are obsessed.
The three hand-painted designs (botanical Polino, ruffled floral Rovito and Oneta) depict acorns and oak leaves, and are designed in Yorkshire and crafted in Italy utilising the heritage techniques of local artisans at an esteemed mill. Marrying exemplary Florentine expertise and artistry with colours and patterns evocative of nostalgic British interiors, each piece is woven exclusively from long-staple yarns for a soft and silky sateen cotton, before being finished by skilled craftspeople. If you needed an excuse to stay in bed all day…
Polino pillow case
Soho Home
I mean, who doesn’t want their home to look like a Soho House? The only problem would be pinpointing your favourite location to replicate. Get the worldwide vibe by buying as much as you can afford straight from Soho Home, and you can pretend you’re on the beachfront in Malibu or swigging cocktails in White City every day of the week. The bathroom offerings are particularly niche, and nail the look instantly (vanities and mirrors, we’re looking at you), but if you’re going to spring for one big investment piece to anchor the entire home, then go for a dining table and chairs, and enjoy it every time you sit down to eat a meal.
Inspired by Soho House Amsterdam, the Brynn dining table features a glossy, olive-stained oak burl inset top, beautifully framed in solid oak, and supported by bold, L-shaped legs crafted from oak veneer. Paired with a set of Zita dining chairs (crafted in Italy from solid beech with a mid-tone finish), they take their design cues from London's 180 House, with curved seats and backrests upholstered in boucle. Pass the Eastern Standards immediately.
OKA
A veritable online department store for the home, the selection at Oka is impressive without being overwhelming. And there’s always a fabulous sale edit, too. Filter by room, furniture, pattern, or colour, or head straight to the ‘icons’ drop-down where you’ll find a great range of standout pieces that can be matched (or deliberately mismatched) with whatever you’ve already got going on.
Whether a sofa or an armchair, nothing says Oka quite like the Tarma seating range, inspired by a rug discovered in an antiques market. Featuring handwoven and handprinted upholstery with signature removable fringing, it is stylish, striking, and surprising, but somehow still classically traditional. Oka also carries a stunning selection of rugs, complete with an online buying guide that covers zoning, measuring, and print queries. Come summer, there’s a great range of outdoor furniture too.
Tarma Lazaret Cotton 2-Seater Sofa
RH
The wholly American luxury home furnishings giant RH (the artist formerly known as Restoration Hardware) runs a breathtaking rural destination in the Cotswolds, at the famed Aynho Park, and has just opened a sprawling, multi-storey flagship gallery and hospitality complex in the heart of Mayfair. But if neither of those locations suit you, or you’d rather just browse from the couch with a cuppa in hand, then there’s plenty to enjoy at the tap of a keyboard too.
The outdoor furniture is particularly impressive, and we love the Balmain Rope collection, designed by famed Australian designers Harrison and Nicholas Condos. Informed by the iconic arch of the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, the gorgeous range, which includes lounge chairs, day beds, tables, sofas and dining chairs, reflects the duo’s classically handsome architectural aesthetic. Handcrafted in a choice of finishes and built from premium solid teak, each frame is hand wrapped in all-weather rope with an open weave.
Balmain Rope teak lounger chair
