The Edit #3: Staycation shopping
What do they call it...a busman's holiday?
Hey! How are you? Welcome (back) to The Home I Made. This week, I bring you the latest edition of The Edit, a monthly roundup of ideas for your and my home, each along a theme. A lust list, something I have bought and loved or just an idea I’ve spotted and liked. I’ll curate a collection of pieces and ideas that I like for my home and hope that it’ll inspire you for your spaces too, and I’ll try to keep it real with a mix of price points and a good balance between the achievable and aspirational, too. I’m always open to ideas, comments, shares and recommendations, so don’t be shy.
Call it an inability to switch off from my day job or (the one I’m going with) a love for all things interiors, but one of the things I can’t help but do when I go anywhere is to seek out homeware shops. You can’t beat a mooch around new boutiques, stores or markets filled with goodies. And when you’re away from home and the usual shops in your area, it all becomes that little bit more exciting.
On my return to work this week after a lovely staycation in Yorkshire and the north east of England, I interviewed a homeowner about their house and we had a long chat about how the pieces in our homes create the story of who we are and encapsulate memories of trips and moments of enjoyment – and that’s what I love about picking up pieces wherever I go. It serves as a memento that trumps a fridge magnet, shot glass or dodgy keyring in my book.
As I look around from my writing spot, I can see a large platter I brought back from Morocco (in a carry-on suitcase, don’t ask me quite how I managed that without a single break!) which I’ve hung on the wall, coffee cups from a little boutique found during camping trip to Norfolk, hand-thrown succulent pots from another camp near Durdle Door and I’ve just put away a serving board with an encaustic tile detail that I found in Porto on a girls’ trip.
So, as a lover of a good mooch, of course I made time to browse a host of independent shops on my most recent staycation (big fan of those too by the way, the UK has some absolutely beautiful gems to explore). With a week split between Yorkshire and the north east, the final stop was one of my favourites: Tynemouth.
As the name suggests, this a lovely little seaside town is at the mouth of the river Tyne where it meets the North Sea. The beaches are golden, there’s a great walk along the seafront with beautiful views (I once spotted dolphins. Yep, really), excellent fish and chips and each weekend, the Metro station hosts a huge market. I’m not talking your typical fruit, veg, meat and fish market either, but an array of street food, vintage wares, antiques, clothing, jewellery, homeware, you name it. It’s a gathering of local traders with so much to see. A moocher’s heaven.
I spent a good couple of hours having a look around on my most recent visit and came across some brilliant local, independent home design brands that I can’t not share with you here. Go check them out. They’re now firmly on my radar.
Five great independent brands I spotted when out staycation shopping in Tynemouth
1. Fettler Design
I was seriously impressed with the lighting by Fettler Design and the Neve pendant is on the list for when we get round to doing the main bedroom. Although I quite fancy one for the hallway too. Influenced by Japanese and Scandinavian interiors with a touch of post-modern inspiration, the brand creates bold and visually striking works using wood. A great find.
2. Studio5b potters
Oh my. Big regrets not buying anything from this stall, let me tell you. I knew I should have got more coffee cups and the oil pourer and milk jug were beautiful works of art. You can’t have enough ceramics, can you? The stall plays host to four Ouseburn-based ceramicists who share a studio, including Natasza Kwiatkowska whose work I particularly like. An excuse to go back at least, like I need one.
3. Konkret Pots
I bought one of the hand-poured concrete pots from this brand and it’s now looking rather pretty on my dining room shelves with a spider plant calling it its new home. When I bought it, the seller, who makes them from his garden shed, beamed. You just don’t get that reaction on the high street, do you?
4. Adamo Creations
If you can walk past a plant stall without hesitating, you’re more strong-willed than I am. Adamo Creations makes terrariums of all shapes and sizes with the larger oval-shaped bottles catching my eye.
5. Jules Fleur
This florist is a permanent fixture in Tynemouth’s Metro station, which by the way, is fully operational on market days so you’ll see trains going in and out as you shop. I was drawn in by the dried foliage bouquets (no, I don’t need more of those, I know) and then spotted a dried flower artwork made by weaving the flowers and fauna onto a wire mesh framework and a hanging installation, both for sale.
If you’re ever in the area, places also worth a look include the DELICIOUS Riley’s Fish Shack on King Edward’s Bay or the equally glorious restaurant just off the Front Street Riley’s Fish Shop, Deep North for coffee and donuts, and you can’t beat a walk along the seafront, no matter the time of year. It’s good for the soul.
Been to Tynemouth? Let me know your faves.