The Clothing Store That Secretly Sells Trendy “Designer” Home Decor (for Under $20!)

I firmly believe that a home is never “finished.” In fact, if anything, I pride myself on constantly rotating out my decor, accessories, and art throughout the year. I live by a “one in, one out” rule that means I’m constantly adding new finds into my small New York City apartment as they catch my eye. But there’s one aspect of my apartment that I routinely refresh — and guests are shocked when I tell them where I shop for this essential.

You’ve likely heard rules around changing your pillows (and pillow inserts!). But I take it a step further and try to refresh my bedroom and living room seating area with fresh pillow covers at least three times a year. While that may sound absurdly costly compared to simply laundering them, my hack hinges on where I buy them.

Because H&M limits its decor selection to flagship stores and larger metropolitan stores only, you might not have realized that this fast-fashion retailer offers furnishings and home accessories. I’ve been shopping their designs for well over 10 years at this point, after discovering this under-the-radar section while in college when my budget kept me bargain-hunting full-time. 

But as the years have progressed, H&M Home has become a more steady go-to for me in particular for dressing up my bedspread — as well as my brown suede sofa. I often shop their linens and duvet covers for my bedroom in the summertime, as I love that they fully embrace trending motifs and designs but keep materials light enough to be breezy (I’m a hot sleeper, after all!).

H&M’s throw pillow cover selection, however, never ceases to amaze me; the brand routinely refreshes this section with linen, cotton, and even finer velvet covers that are highly seasonal. Prices usually stay well beneath $20 per cover (and often go on sale, even for seasonal designs, which is impressive!). 

I recently wanted to completely change my bedroom for the upcoming sweltering heat that takes over NYC in May. I was able to wash a pair of old IKEA inserts to use, and then I bought a set of new throw pillow covers for just $14.99 each (now on sale for just $10!). I leaned hard into a trendy circus-chic look by selecting a new H&M duvet cover that drenched my bed in tonal stripes in a warm color palette. Green and pink have never looked so good!

The set of three pillow covers at H&M didn’t cost me more than $40, and my duvet cover rang in at just $49.99. In total, I had a complete bedding makeover for less than $100 — and I didn’t even have to go to more than one store to do it.

Don’t fret if you’re unable to find an H&M store with a home decor section near you — all of their designs are available online, and you’re also able to stack coupons that you already may be using for new clothes. If you sign up for a loyalty membership at the retailer, it also means you get free shipping on orders over $60 (even less if you hit status!). 

If you’re itching to be more seasonal and embrace trends without breaking the bank, H&M Home is going to be your new best friend — I give you full permission to not gatekeep the source of my cute, trendy throws. Happy shopping!