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These are the boring-but-brilliant M&S sale buys worth snapping up
As someone who happily shops for pretty things but puts off buying the everyday items that would genuinely improve my day-to-day at home, I use sale periods to stock up on the most gloriously unsexy products imaginable. I'm talking Tupperware, towels and toilet brushes.
For instance, I’d love to have my shelves stacked with aesthetically pleasing jars filled with dried goods, but the cost of each individual jar always means that idea gets shelved (excuse the pun). Instead, the bottom shelf of my trusty storage trolley is home to an assortment of half-open noodle packets and boxes of teabags. At the very least, a few unsexy storage boxes could bring some order to the chaos: one for pasta, one for grains, one for baking essentials. But have I done it? No. I’d much rather spend my money on the things that make my home feel like me – the fun stuff, if you will: artwork, cushions and vases.
The obsessive organisers among you are probably sharpening your pitchforks already. How dare I call these things unsexy? I'm not knocking them. In fact, they're some of the best things you can buy to make everyday life at home run more smoothly. Even among the House Beautiful team, there's plenty of debate about what counts as 'unsexy' – I think towels qualify, some say bedsheets, but everyone agrees on toilet brushes.
Below are some of my gloriously unsexy but genuinely life-improving finds from fan favourite M&S – and, thankfully, they're all on sale.
I have a habit of doing a food shop and then forgetting what's in the fridge, so containers that keep food fresher for longer are one of those boring-but-brilliant buys. Their clear sides make it easy to see what you have at a glance, while decanting everything into organised containers makes it much easier to keep track of what's actually in there.
A flat sheet has been at the top of my to-buy list since the first May heatwave, and, guess what, I still haven’t bought one. This one is made from lyocell, which is both breathable and moisture-wicking, making it an ideal lightweight cover for the hot weather I’m sure is still to come.
How often have you agreed to bake something for a dinner party, or a cake for a colleague, only to be caught short by your lack of baking trays and forced to make do with a collection of mismatched cake tins? Cometh the sale, cometh the baking tray. Pick one up now and you'll be ready to whip up everything from cookies to cupcakes.
This was particularly divisive at House Beautiful HQ. While I appreciate a soft fluffy towel, they do sink down my to-buy list quite rapidly. But M&S's towels are the softest I've ever tried and well worth paying full price for – even more reason to snap them up while they're on sale!
Joseph Joseph is the elite kitchen gadget and utensil brand creating solutions to problems you didn’t even realise you had. Its dish racks, in particular, are said to be life-changing, thanks to the clever drainage system at the base, which directs water straight into the sink and prevents it from pooling on the countertop.
A bread bin is another one of those nice-to-have items that can drastically improve the longevity of your loaf – and this one is another Joseph Joseph win. Its lid doubles as a chopping board, so you can simply lift, slice and serve.
Now, this is especially rogue of me because I actually find cookware very sexy. My bright orange Le Creuset, my mandoline and one seriously good spatula are the stars of my kitchen. My everyday pans, however, leave a lot to be desired – they’re hand-me-downs from my grandma. There are only two of them and both are missing their lids. This £45 set would, I have to admit, be a pretty sexy upgrade.
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