I was asked by the lovely girls over at Finders Keepers to compile my top Christmas decor picks by independent designers. You can read the full round-up over on the brilliant Finders Keepers blog, which also includes Christmas picks by Uponafold, Adore Magazine and Hello Polly.
See anything you fancy?
‘Ben Pentreath’ could very well be a byword for all things splendid and in very good taste, because his eponymous shop, in London’s Bloomsbury, is a veritable treasure chest of the most covetable things for your home.
The shop was a wee favourite of mine when I worked at Time Out London, and whenever I was on a present-buying mission I would make a beeline to Rugby Street. In fact, Ben Pentreath could quite possibly be one of my favourite shops – in the world. And as you well know, I’ve been to a few.
Mr Pentreath, an architect and interior designer, along with shop manager, Bridie Hall, have filled the shelves of their store with an immaculate and eclectic collection of glassware, linen, candles, vases, lights and books, as well as a lovely selection of prints, furniture, children’s toys and other ‘curiosities’.
By applying their designers’ eyes to wares from all over the world, they have carefully chosen what they consider to be the very best in terms of quality and design from each category. To that end, glassware is La Rochere, striped linen napkins are from French Catalan company Le Toiles du Soleil, and baskets (made to traditionally winnow grain) are from Zimbabwe. And you can’t miss the striking display of creamy Hunslet tableware from Leeds – the solid pared-down design was inspired by eighteenth century servants’ crockery.
The shop’s fondness for Victorian-style curiosities, such as crocodile skulls, and unusual shells and botany prints, makes it the perfect showcase for Peter Hone’s architectural plaster casts. The overall effect is reminiscent of Sir John Soan’s house (an absolute London must-visit), but unlike the museum, you can buy everything on site.
Many of the items are exceptionally good value, and you’d get quite a bit of change from 20 quid. Take, for instance the brightly coloured felt German coasters, £15 for a set of six, mercury glass candlestick, £9, and glass urchin plate, £8.50.
Children are also beautifully catered for with imaginative and timeless treasures, such as bottles of invisible ink for £4 (great stocking stuffer), paper doll dress-ups, £4.50 and a classic tin trumpet, £5.50.
One you’re done extricating yourself from such splendid-ness, make sure you stop by Suzannah Hunter further down Rugby Street for handmade leather bags, as well as Darkroom (incredible design-led fashion, homewares and accessories) and Persephone Books around the corner on Lamb’s Conduit Street.
Best buys include John Derrian red letter glass plates, £38, Hunslet footed mugs, £13.50, large blue glass vases (rather like vintage Holmegaard, only much cheaper), £45 and the London Night and Day vintage book, £35.
Ben Pentreath
17 Rugby Street
London WC1N 3QT
Tel. 020 7430 2526
Nearest tubes: Russell Square and Holborn
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 11am-6pm
Ben Pentreath is on Facebook and he also has a rather fine blog.
Refuel at Cigala, pick up some mini fruit tarts at Sfizio (their mini fruit tarts are divine), and if you’re in the mood for fish & chips, head to The Fryer’s Delight (a classic chippy and a Wee Birdy favourite).
{Photography by Wee Birdy}
Does this look familiar? While Follow Store is the relatively new addition to the Cleveland Street independent retailscape, the charming heritage-listed shopfront is actually the former home of Bird Textile, the first (and ahem, only) Sydney store I reviewed last year before The Pregnancy of Terror commenced.
When Bird moved on to fresh (online) pastures earlier this year, the former 1890s chemist was snapped up by Brooke Johnston and Sarah Thornton, the clever ladies behind the hugely successful Finders Keepers Markets (read my review of the Sydney market here).
A big part of Finders Keepers’ success is down to Brooke and Sarah’s artful skills as curators. So many craft and design markets are a bit ‘samey’ and become ho-hum with the usual suspects and copycat products. But Brooke and Sarah keep the line-up fresh, original and clever – and Follow Store is the exciting (and permanent!) new home to some of Australia’s best design and handmade goodness.
Highlights include the rather special line-up of jewellery, including the genius pencil shaving necklace by Victoria Mason, vitreous enamel hexagon necklaces and brooches by Megan Perkins and animal rings and earrings by Momoko Hatano. There is also an excellent range of art prints by Naomi Murrell and Gretchen Mist starting at $33, and original watercolours by Emma Leonard.
Other stand-outs include intricate papercut artwork by Hardwick and Cesco and beautifully made leather bags by Oktoberdee. Add to that an array of homewares, stationery and a small range of clothes, as well as an in-house collection of lamp shades and jewellery (with more on the way).
It’s all a wee bit exciting – like the markets have come to town and set up permanent residence in Surry Hills. And with neighbours such as Garden Life, David Met Nicole and the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide’s best new restaurant, Porteño, this wee stretch of unlovely Cleveland Street is fast becoming Sydney’s hottest little spot.
My top five picks:
1. Candy Stripe Cloud garden chalkboard bird stakes, $24.95 for a set of four.
2. Erin Lightfoot porcelain bangles, starting at $55.
3. Minnen geometric timber brooch, $40.
4. Gretchen Mist art print, $33.
5. Bespoke Press vintage map envelopes, $14 for a pack of five.
Click here to look at the full set of pics.
Follow Store (The equally terrific online shop is now live)
380 Cleveland Street
Surry Hills, Sydney
Tel. 02 8068 2813
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Friday: 11am-6pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10am-4pm
Follow Store are also on Facebook and Twitter.
And they have a good blog, too!
Refuel at Twig Café (inside Garden Life) for coffee, Mint for breakfast and lunch, and at the Norfolk for drinks (and their delicious tacos).
{Photography by Lucas Boyd}
The rather lovely UK-based online stationery shop, Papermash, has stocked up on some super-sweet things for Christmas.
I love the wine letterpress gift tags (£2.25), the dainty and delicate tissue snowflake card (£5, and it ships flat) and the very special London snow globe print, which was designed by Clare Owen (and is exclusive to Papermash, £46). I think I really need one on my wall to remind of London's winter wonderland right now (it's way too hot, humid and sticky here in Sydney!).
And if you're in a crafty mood, you might like to try the pretty snowflake doily project, which is featured in the 'Free' section of the site.
www.papermash.co.uk
Phew. I'm a bit puffed. We moved into our new place last weekend and I've been trying to conquer the seemingly expanding mountain of boxes (I think they're breeding) while dealing with a 27-week baby bump and an ever-growing list of utterly mad pregnancy maladies.
But I was so delighted to take a break on the weekend and finally delve into some Australian independent design, in the form of the brilliant Finders Keepers market at Eveleigh's CarriageWorks.
It was my first visit to CarriageWorks and my first real foray into Australian independent design since returning from London. And after covering so many design markets in London (including Bust) and seeing the best of UK talent, I wasn't really sure what to expect. After all, when I left Sydney in February 2007, there wasn't an awful lot happening with local design and craft, but the scene has really taken off since then.
And joy, oh joy, Finders Keepers was an absolute treat! I was not only impressed by the high standard of work but also the diverse and beautifully collated line-up of 75 exhibitors, spanning furniture, fashion, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and stationery. The carefully considered mix of designers offered a new surprise at every turn (my head was just about spinning), neatly avoiding the trap of 'samey-ness' that can sometimes plague design markets.
CarriageWorks itself is a wonderfully cavernous and light-filled industrial location to hold a busy Christmas design market on a humid Sydney weekend, complete with an excellent bar and cafe.
Here are some of my Finders Keepers highlights, with more posts to come over the week. Overseas readers can also purchase some great Australian design by clicking on the websites, which link through to contact details, blogs and online stores.
Super-sweet rabbit characters adorn The Storybook Rabbit's collection of vintage plates.
Loved the 'Noice' biscuit tea-towel at Materialistic's stall.
Sophisticated simplicity from Mr & Mrs White's range of homewares and furniture.
Charming handprinted stationery at Write to Me features adorable vintage motifs.
Cory Child's beautifully pleated fabric necklaces.
Loving Bride and Wolfe's Scandi-inspired circle wall shelves – perfect for collectables and displaying children's figurines.
Vintage fabric and a whimsical timber panel illustration combine to make a gorgeous and unique handbag at Oktoberdee.
The Missing Piece's handcrafted stools feature beautiful organic design and unexpected pops of colour.
The most splendid pre-loved vintage books have been repurposed as journals, photo albums, diaries and sketchbooks at Rebound Books.
'Scratchie' cards, advent calendars and beautiful graphics at TMOD.
Adorable handcrafted creatures (think pugs, owls and foxes) and whimsical embroidery at Cat Rabbit. (Nice website, too.)
Lox+Savvy's brilliant installation of a paper metropolis and eye-popping collection of stationery.
Finders Keepers markets are bi-annual events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Visit their website (and check out their brilliant blog) for more information about the next event.
For more photos, click here for my Flickr set.
My top picks of the best wee pretties around, starting at £10.
1. Charbonnel et Walker pink Marc De Champagne truffles (oh dear god, my favourites), £11.50, from Liberty (ships internationally).
2. D.L. & Co Le Pomme rose mini candle, £30, from Liberty (ships internationally).
3. Stella McCartney Knickers of the Week camisole, £65, from Net-a-Porter (this links to the UK store, so be sure to select your own country before purchasing).
4. Bourjois limited edition Paris-themed blush pots, AU$20, for Australian stockists call 1800 181 040 (available from Boots in the UK).
5. Guerlain Or Impérial Sublime Radiant Powder Face & Body, US$85, from Sephora.
6. Pink Rob Ryan journal, £12, from John Lewis (only ships within the UK).
7. MOR Lychee Flower Lip Delight, AU$14.95, from MOR. (UK readers can purchase MOR products from Space NK).
8. Strange Invisible Perfumes in Prima Ballerina, £120, from Content (ships internationally).
9. Day Birger et Mikkelsen pearly knitted open-ended necklace, £60, from Net-a-Porter (this links to the UK store, so be sure to select your own country before purchasing).
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