London calling
A whirlwind trip highlight reel - where to shop and shop and shop some more
I recently had the chance to travel to the Cotswolds and London for a retreat with The Birdie Agency - it was lovely and inspiring, and I met so many incredible women business owners. Travel is a huge source of inspiration for me- I love wandering around a city with a loosely planned itinerary but no real agenda, popping into shops and just taking time to notice small details (the color pairing on a building, the shape of a door or hardware, etc etc) I always come home with a full camera roll and ideas swirling in my head.
The Cotswolds were beautiful. A little bit rainy, a little bit cold - the perfect temperature for tromping around the grounds in rain boots (borrowed from the hotel’s fabulous boot room) or cozying up by the fire. It’s rare that I get away on a trip like this solo, so this was a real treat. After a few restful days we headed into London which was a total whirlwind full of inspiration. I managed to squeeze in quite a few design showrooms and shops between retreat panels - here are my highlights!
Truly a delight (and maybe my favorite experience of the trip). Beata Heuman is an incredible interior designer and has restored 188 Hammersmith Road to house her offices and a showroom. I love her book so I knew this would be good, but every detail is divine - I found myself wanting to capture each thoughtful moment (down to the pen used to sign the guest book!) Walking inside you’re welcomed and immediately comfortable - as if you’re in a good friend’s (extremely chic) home. I love seeing how other interior designers work, and store samples, and prep for client presentations and so was happily surprised to get to peek into Beata’s office- such a treat. I left inspired, and with a trove of fabric and wallpaper samples that I cannot wait to put to use.
2- Wicklewood
Such a joyful shop, full of colorful fabrics, pillows, and home decor. We spent a bit of time with the founder, Caroline Downing Nadel, who was so warm and welcoming. I loved hearing about how she started the business, how she juggles it with being a mom of two etc etc - I could have chatted with her for hours!
Caroline’s reason for the shop existing is very much in line with my design ethos, so it’s not surprising that we got along. “We exist to light up the everyday, to bring people together, to celebrate the small things (which are really the big things).” I managed to fall in love with the one item on display not currently for sale (ceramic fruit shown below…I can’t explain it but I need the strawberries.) Besides those I have several items currently on my wish list including these pillowcases and these scallop dessert plates.
3 - The Cloth Shop
We only had about 15 minutes to squeeze this shop in - and it was absolutely not enough (although I managed to do some damage in that time so maybe it was.) This place is chock full of fabrics, rugs, trimmings (so many good ribbons!) and art. I snagged a few yards of block print fabrics that I plan to use for some sort of project (undecided exactly what - stay tuned) and a few paintings in vintage frames. They are back-painted on the glass and I just loved all of them.
The exterior happens to be made for instagram - covered in blue and white dishes, you can’t miss it. This shop has the best linen napkins and tablecloths (I shared some in my tabletop post - and yes, I am a tad obsessed.) These are stocked a few places in the US as well so clearly I am not the first to discover them.
I met Louisa at a pop-up in NYC over the summer, so it was such a treat to get to visit the studio and see all the fabrics in person. It’s a stripe-lovers paradise and completely customizable! So many colors - endless possibilities. I need to find a spot for the skinny wiggle (I love it on the counter stool below!) If you do pay a visit, don’t miss the shop next door, Record 28 Books - a gem full of rare and collectible books. I snagged a few that added considerable weight to my suitcase but will look amazing on my coffee table, if I ever have a coffee table again. (More on that in another post!)
6 - Columbia Road
Vintage Heaven was my favorite stop along this road (which I just wandered and popped in anywhere that seemed interesting) loads of shops and cafes and a flower market on Sunday - what more could you want?
Happy shopping! Xx Sarah