How I Shop with Michelle Ogundehin: ‘We grownups have enough stuff already’
Ever wondered what everyday items celebrities purchase, where they shop for food, and which basics they choose to economize on? Interior design expert Michelle Ogundehin discusses museum shops, sake, and loft insulation with the Filter.
Michelle Ogundehin, former editor-in-chief of Elle Decoration magazine, serves as head judge on the BBC’s Interior Design Masters and co-host of Grand Designs: House of the Year. She trained as an architect and also works as a commentator and consultant, in addition to being a trustee of the Design Museum.
Her bestselling debut book explores how the home influences health and happiness; her forthcoming book, due in spring 2027, examines the home as a partner in wellbeing, an ethos she promotes through her coaching service, which offers guided monthly sessions.
What’s the last treat you bought for yourself?
A small bundle of artist-grade watercolour paper. Not exciting on the surface, but it gives me disproportionate pleasure. I’ve learned that treats don’t need to be indulgent – they need to remove friction from something you love doing.
Great linen sheets fall into this category, too. I still have an ancient pair of Belgian linen sheets I bought from an Elle Decoration special offer back when Ilse Crawford was the editor.
Khadi Papers white rag paper pack, A6 20 sheets
Where do you buy your food from?
Michelle purchases basics and staples from Sainsbury’s or Waitrose online and receives a weekly organic vegetable box from Riverford, where she also sources most of her meat. She prefers food shopping to be rhythmic rather than overwhelming, favoring fewer choices and better ingredients.
What’s the best present you’ve given?
Over the last few years, we agreed between friends and family that we wouldn’t do gifts for adults any more, only for our kids. We grownups have more than enough stuff already. The kids too, to be honest.
… and the best present you’ve received?
Souad, the owner of Larusi, which sells exceptional vintage Berber rugs, sent me a gorgeous small tapestry for Christmas, which I absolutely love. I’m not sure where I’m going to put it, though. I’ve promised her a visit.
What’s your favourite online store?
Michelle does not enjoy browsing online and prefers real-life stores that feel curated rather than infinite. However, she always opens emails from Japan House about products to buy. If something interests her, she prefers to purchase it in person in London. She has been eyeing a bottle of yuzu sake priced at £49.
What’s your favourite bricks-and-mortar shop?
She appreciates independent hardware or DIY shops, calling them the unsung heroes of domestic wellbeing. She also enjoys the shops at the Design Museum and the V&A, as well as traditional art supply stores like Cornelissen’s near the British Museum, and any bookshop.
What’s the gadget you use most often?
Her most frequently used gadget is a matt stainless steel stove-top kettle, originally designed by Sori Yanagi in 1953. Next is her water filter jug from Aarke, made of glass and stainless steel with no plastic components.
What’s the purchase you regret the most?
I don’t regret anything I’ve bought because usually by the time I’m ready to part with cash for something, I’m already fully in love with it. I’ve learned to wait – your habits reveal themselves if you give them time.
What’s the thing(s) you get delivered?
Michelle has routine deliveries of essential items such as toilet paper and dog food.
Where do you buy your underwear?
She buys underwear in packs of three from M&S, prioritizing comfort over appearance for long days.
What would you buy with £20 – and £200?
With £20, she would purchase a hardback notebook from Papier or the thin brown-paper-covered notebooks from Muji. With £200, she would invest in lighting, which she considers the most underestimated tool for wellbeing in the home.
What’s your ‘saved search’ on eBay/Vinted?
Michelle does not maintain saved searches, but if she did, they would likely include old wooden stools, lights, mid-century ceramics, or anything vaguely described as “Japanese pottery.”
What item do you buy on repeat?
She regularly purchases Tisserand organic essential oils such as juniper berry, lavender, clary sage, and rosemary, noting that scent influences the nervous system of a room more than people realize.
How do you make your coffee at home?
Michelle does not drink coffee; she drinks only water and one cup of green tea in the morning, sourced from a stash brought back from Japan by a friend.
What’s your biggest splurge?
My house. I’m right at the beginning of a renovation, so about to spend a lot of cash on all the boring but important stuff like insulation.
And what everyday item do you scrimp on?
Everyday items are the things you need to spend the most on because they’re the things you will use the most: pens, notebooks, loo roll, door handles. The touchpoints of life are the essentials.
What’s your greatest vintage find?
Michelle’s greatest vintage find is a 1950s chandelier made of teak and ribbed glass with five hanging pendants. She left it in her old house when she sold it because it complemented the bathroom perfectly, though she now regrets not taking it down due to the difficulty involved.
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