2022 reflections..
I often think that January gets too much bad press.
I find it a lovely time to check in with your thoughts, to look back on what you achieved over the past year, and to make plans for the future. This year I took my time returning to the physical studio, instead taking some time to walk, clear my head, write down my thoughts, parking my van in interesting places where I felt inspired with my flask of tea and leftover Christmas cake!
Its all to easy to forget what we have done, to constantly move towards the new and not place enough value on past achievements. Reminding ourselves of our worth and value is always a good thing, sometimes we find it easier to criticise than to congratulate, so I felt it would be a nice thing to start the year reminding ourselves of the lovely things the studio and store did last year.
It was our second full year in the store, and we were getting the hang of it a little better! Our thought process and design logic is really starting to take shape in a way that feels very natural, breaking the year into its seasons and natural rhythm, reflecting the change of energy and mood we all feel as we move through each one.
Using nature as our inspiration has become increasing influential in both the studio and store, we have reached for more honest uncomplicated finishes and materials in our design projects, sourcing finishes that will reward you as they age, putting you at ease in your home.
In the store we also found ourselves selecting brands that hold similar values, and again gravitated toward natural linens, cottons and wool, reducing significantly the amount of manmade fibres we are buying has also felt right.
The seasonal preloved clothing nights have also been a real highlight for us, little pockets of energy timed with the changing seasons, that have given us a guilt free way to refresh our wardrobes and emerge anew. We look forward to doing these all again this year, perhaps in even bigger and better ways who knows!
One of the best things to happen as a result of merging the studio with a store is how it has changed the people we meet and work with. It was very important to me when we opened the store that we offered the same design service to anyone who wanted it. A straightforward hourly rate consultancy that buys you creative input, expertise and solid guidance whatever size of project or design challenge you face.
It has worked!
It is a real pleasure getting to meet so many of you in your own homes, taking our conversations and advice from the store into your personal spaces and helping you to make them work better, feel better, and provide more comfort and relaxation at a time when we are all more aware of the importance of this for our quality of life and health.
This has really been the most rewarding part of the past year for me personally and is something I feel passionately about, we should all look forward to returning to our homes after busy days, and they should be the spaces in which we feel most relaxed , comforted and cared for.
And so we are excited and energised to do this all again, to build on what we enjoyed from the last year, to strengthen our knowledge of suppliers and makers, to meet new friends, to source more treasures, and most importantly to bring more joy, energy and inspiration into all our homes, and ultimately our lives.
I feel very lucky to be doing this.
Take good care
Sarah x
