Each month I share a curated edit of my favourite simple homeware and minimalist designs. For March’s edition I’m focusing on small independent homeware shops that need all the support they can get in this tough, uncertain time.
I previously rounded up my favourite bricks-and-mortar homeware shops, but as they might be more difficult to get to during this period of self-isolation, all of the shops listed here have lovely online stores that are well worth a browse. If you have the means at the moment, consider shopping small and purchasing a voucher or buying a little something to help boost the spirits of a loved one in isolation. If not, simply show your love and support with a like, comment or share on their Instagram pages, or by signing up to their newsletters. Support small businesses, every little helps.
From design magazines and cosy blankets to relaxing bath oils, handmade soaps and natural candles, I’ve selected a few choice pieces from each shop that might help, in some small way, to uplift your home and ease the hours spent in isolation.
[None of these links are affiliate links and I don’t receive any commission from sales, I just want to show my support for my favourite independent homeware shops!]
Object Story
Object Story, recently founded by Alice (and fellow dachshund owner!), offers a handpicked edit of everyday objects that match form with function. From well-crafted kitchen essentials to stylish bathroom picks and beyond, these lovingly selected items are sourced from Alice’s favourite places. Many of them are affordable, others are ethical and the vast majority are minimally designed, drawing from a pared-down palette. Above all, they are objects that bridge the gap between practical and joyful, to elevate the landscape of the everyday.
Moroccan woven plate, £22
Honest relax bath and body oil, £20
Bare Bones organic dark chocolate, £6.50
Austin Austin Palmarosa and vetiver hand soap, £15
Honest eucalyptus leaf candle, £30
Marseille soap block, £7.50
Go Scandi
Goscandi is a new London-based online store selling a handpicked collection of modern Scandinavian home accessories and decor – and I think you’re going to love it. There’s a focus on sustainability, quality and function, from the use of eco-friendly organic materials to recycled and biodegradable packaging. The company was founded by interior designer Ana Saprygina, who wanted to offer customers a simple, uncluttered and stress-free shopping experience.
Alpaca wool throw in green, £110
Small Nib vase, £10
Beige wool throw, £54.99
Skandinavisk Hygge candle, £16-29
Tangentgc cedar organic hand soap, £18
Tangentgc Tulip organic hand cream, £14
Someday Designs
Founded in 2017 by Emily Mayne, someday designs is an online interiors store with a carefully considered edit of Scandi-inspired homeware. Having worked as a lighting and furniture buyer for department stores in the UK and independent design brands in Australia, Emily had always wanted to build a business of her own, hence the name ‘someday’. Someday Designs stocks British and Scandinavian brands alongside producing its own in-house collections too.
Sit on me pouf by OYOY, £149
K Lamp by Vitamin, £220
Ferm Living Calm cushion, £49
Ferm Living Plant Box, £239
Kippan grey throw, £69
Ferm Living desert chair, £229
Aerende
Founded in 2016 by Emily Mathieson, Aerende sells a lovingly sourced collection of ‘life-improving homewares’ for the home. I greatly admire Emily’s thoughtful, sustainable approach and I’m always learning from her. All of Aerende’s products are created in the UK by people facing social challenges. Produced in low-volume batches and designed to improve with age, each purchase from its range of ethical homewares directly supports and provides opportunities for talented makers.
Gift voucher, from £10
Contrast edge linen napkins, £12
Glycerin Soap – Pine, Bergamot & Cedar (Braeden), £11
Wool felt slippers, £65
Scented Rapeseed Wax Candle – Braeden (Forest), £37.50
Grey & White Stripe Linen Pillow Case (pair), £50
MOSS – Moments of Sense and Style
Moments Of Sense & Style (MOSS) is a lifestyle store and studio, with considered design and crafted product at the forefront. The brand was conceived after life took an unexpected turn for founders Rob and Syreeta, when Rob suffered a brain haemorrhage and stroke in 2014. The brand was born from a desire to create light out of the darkness; an innovative and conceptual approach to dealing with life changing events. If you buy one thing from MOSS, make it the ‘Choose Light’ matches.
No.3 Doddington on an Autumn morning candle, £30
Choose Light matches, £9
Gift card, from £10
Kin Home
Lewis Jenkins opened KIN in his hometown of Birmingham after realising how hard it was to find unusual, design-led products outside London. Today, KIN offers an antidote to the high-street, stocking a hand-selected range of homewares, gifts and stationery and offering a personal shopping experience – the perfect location (online or in-store) for shoppers seeking beautiful, functional items that you won’t find everywhere else.
Holy Water Forest bath salts soak
This is Home by Natalie Walton, £30
Cereal magazine, £12
Notem weekly planner notebook, £12
Earl of East Jardin de la Lune candle, £20
Nkuku Ama splatter tall mug, £15
Ingredients Ldn
Ingredients Ldn (ILDN) is an online homewares store that celebrates a slower pace of living. Their Instagram page is a dose of calm in a stressful world and I always want to dive right into their carefully considered images. We hand pick products that contribute to creating warm grounded interiors,’ they say. ‘A soft, subtle colour palette and simple, quality design out with the ebb and flow of trends create a timeless aesthetic that will look as good in years to come as it does today. Our products are selected with the intention that they will mellow over time, allowing the traces of their use to become a part of their story.’
A Frame for Life by Ilse Crawford, £30
Candlestick saucer, £33
Parade plant pot, £16
Natural dish brush, £3.95
Botanical dyed linen napkin set, £23
Handwoven cotton cushion covers, £32
Alice in Scandiland
Alice in Scandiland started as a blog and creative outlet, before becoming a vintage lifestyle store based in Lostwithiel in Cornwall. The shop is currently closed at the moment due to coronavirus, but her online shop is still very much alive. Alice has curated a lovely collection of handmade ceramics, unique vintage finds and Scandinavian art.
91 Magazine – Volume 9, £9.00
Fine Little Day Reading Print
CLAE Raw Exterior White Interior Mug, £21
Fine Little Day Magic Card, £2.50
Fine Little Day Botanic Cushion Cover, £45
Amber Glass Reusable Bottle, £6.95
Form lifestyle Store
Form Lifestyle Store was founded in Manchester’s Northern Quarter by couple Elly and Harry. Everything they sell has a focus on design, function and simplicity. They look for products that have been made on a small scale and with respect to the environment, from Earl of East candles and James Wilson prints to handmade cushions ethically made in Morocco.
Bloom Magazine Issue 4, £4
Hello Card, £4
Use Less / Useless Poster, £50
Stoneware Column Cup Dark Grey, £10
Here Comes The Sun print
Gift voucher, from £10
Tea and Kate
Tea and Kate is a homeware and lifestyle store based in the small town of Felixstowe on the Suffolk coast. The shop actually began life as an Instagram account. An online store selling gifts and accessories came in 2013, followed by a physical store in 2015. The Tea and Kate aesthetic is simple, considered and utilitarian. I love that there’s a mix of vintage finds from the likes of Ercol and much-loved design brands like HAY as well as unusual, hand-crafted pieces from lesser known emerging designers.
Bath Oil – Soul | Ritual, £28
Simple Fare, £20
ByMolle linen cushion in moss green, £55
Birch rack with 4 hooks, £14
HAY waffle bathrobe grey
Milk decoration Issue 31, £7
There’s far too many independent homeware shops to list in one post, but here’s a few others that are well deserving of a mention:
Inside Store Ldn – a design led concept store founded by Andrea Bates as Future and Found in 2012, and based in north London’s Tufnell Park
Lifestory – an independent homeware shop that opened in Edinburgh in 2014
Moxon – a place to discover and shop products from the most exciting independent brands and designers. I particularly love their MiGoals planners for staying organised
Marehalm – Founded by a mother and daughter team Heidi and Angela in 2014, they have a bricks-and-mortar shop in Berwick-upon-tweed and an online store that sells Scandinavian-inspired homeware (see images below)
Lisa Valentine Home – a curated online collection of practical, beautiful and useful homeware
White Black Grey – the monochrome lifestyle store
Earl of East – founded in 2014 by Niko Dafkos and Paul Firmin, they sell their own line of home fragrance products, produced by them in London, as well as a curated collection of like-minded brands such as Ferm Living and Kinto.
Jo’s House – a small, independent, contemporary lifestyle shop in the heart of Herne Hill in south London
Workshop – a lifestyle store for simple, uncomplicated, everyday living
Which are your favourite independent homeware shops?
