Shopping: Summer bargains on the home front

Whether you live in a palace or a pied a terre, you can spruce it up with a little something from the shelves of housewares on sale now

THE SUMMER sale season is here again - so it's time to indulge in some serious home therapy. Furniture and accessories bargains are particularly good this year. The Aero shop sale starts today and continues until 2 August at 96 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 (0171-221 1950). There will also be Aero warehouse sales on 27-28 June and 4-5 July, at 46 Weir Road, Wimbledon, SW19 (0181-971 0022). Reductions include 15 per cent off Wave Shelving, which is now pounds 135, K9 CD racks reduced from pounds 65 to pounds 22.50 and 15 per cent off all new upholstery orders, including the Grove sofa.

The Pier summer sale started yesterday and runs until 19 July at all 14 of its UK stores. The sale stock includes a special purchase Massimo beech table and four chairs for pounds 349. There are reductions of 25 per cent on Tuscany and Umbria dining furniture as well as on textiles and china.

If you can't find what you're looking for at Aero or The Pier, try the House of Fraser sale, 3 July to 2 August (to 3 August in Scotland) Call 0171-963 2000 for details. You could pick up a Meyer six-piece non-stick cookware set, with stay-cool handles and tempered glass lids, for pounds 80 instead of the usual pounds 150, or splash out on an extravagant silver-plated salad bowl and servers for pounds 14 instead of pounds 21.

Meanwhile Dickins and Jones (0171-734 7070) is offering 20-30 per cent off bedlinen, furniture and glassware, including a Wallace & Sewell tablecloth reduced from pounds 87.50 to pounds 35.

Also starting on 3 July is Graham & Green's sale, at 4, 7 & 10 Elgin Crescent, London, W11 (0171-727 4594) and 164 Regents Park Road, London NW1 (0171-586 2960), including fabric, linen, furniture, cookware and lighting. Best deals include pounds 45 off a Mulberry holdall, making it pounds 180, Richard Sapper chairs down from pounds 69 to pounds 39 and an 18-in Horwood fish steamer for pounds 15 instead of pounds 26.

Also in London, Ciel Decor, at 187 New King's Road, SW6 (0171-731 0444) has all manner of imported French items for sale. A sunglasses case now costs pounds 7; table mats cost pounds 9.50 each. The sale will continue until stock runs out. Three other sales already under way are Habitat, The Source and Ikea. The Habitat sale (call 0645 334433 for details) started on 18 June and merchandise has been reduced by up to 50 per cent, so you'll have to be quick to find anything left. Items on sale include Milton CD storage boxes, reduced by pounds 8 to pounds 10, Cobalt blue Bombo vases are reduced to pounds 15 each, and Cairn double duvet sets now reduced to pounds 29.

The Ikea sale (0181-208 5600 for details) continues until 19 July. Frihers dining tables are reduced by pounds 169 to pounds 129, Osterby rugs are reduced from pounds 79 to pounds 39, Kopper green sofas are reduced to pounds 199 and fabric starts at pounds 1 per metre.

The Source sale takes place at 26-40 Kensington High Street, London (0171- 937 2626) and at 10 Harbour Parade, West Key, Southampton (01703 336141). It started last week and continues for four weeks. There are bargains in all departments including jumbo towels reduced from pounds 29.50 to pounds 14.75, chocolate-coloured velvet throws reduced by 50 per cent and pear-shaped vases reduced from pounds 17.95 to pounds 11.95.

Finally, from 11 July until 25 July, the General Trading Co has a sale at its stores at 144 Sloane Street in London (0171-730 0411), at 10 Argyle street, Bath (01225 461507) and at 2-4 Dyer Street, Cirencester (01285 652314). A terracotta garden urn by St Jean de Fos is on sale at pounds 146 instead of its usual price of pounds 195.