In 2020, when the first lockdown forced many shops and galleries to close, we launched our Think Big, Shop Small initiative in a bid to support the many artisan brands and independent craftspeople in our collection. This year, our buyers have identified over 30 new brands from across the globe to take part. From Portuguese furniture makers to British ceramicists, there’s an artisan for every corner of the home and, when you shop from these brands, you're not only supporting creativity and passion, you're also saving 10% with the code SHOPSMALL10.
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Discover our Exciting Think Big, Shop Small Brands
Think Big, Shop Small is back with a new cohort of independent brands
By Jonathon Warren, Commercial Director
Think Big, Shop Small: Artisanal Furniture Brands
Starting big—in terms of scale that is—our selection of artisanal furniture brands celebrates authentic cabinet-making, traditional joinery and upholstering, as well as pioneering, modern-day techniques.
With pieces focussing on eco-friendly furniture crafted from wood such as Portuguese brands Azemad and Duistt to works of molten, moulded metal and stone by the hands of heritage Italian furniture brands De Castelli and Hebanon, the collection boasts quality materials and both natural and man-made finishes.
And for some future-collectible status, there are the contemporary artisan tables and furniture by French metalworker Franck Chartrain whose elaborate works are the stuff of furniture-as-art dreams and the works of award-winning Zieta. Fronted by architect Oskar Zięta, the brand’s customisable pieces were described by The Wire magazine as ‘furniture of the future’.
Furniture made in the UK is a focus too. The bold Asian-inspired silhouettes by Gerard Lewis Designs and contemporary furniture pieces by Herefordshire-based Hyde House happily sit side-by-side.
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Think Big, Shop Small: Independent Decor Brands
Artisanal ceramics are a perfect place to start in our assembly of small decor studios, like newcomer Claire Frechet whose otherworldly sculptures and bas-reliefs are handmade in her dwelling workshop in rural France. For pieces a little more familiar, look to British ceramic artist Alex McCarthy’s textured vases and decorative dishes that blend matte and gloss finishes with McCarthy’s signature drip detail or Pinetti’s handmade-in-Italy luxurious line-up of bedroom and bathroom accessories.
Amongst our independent home decor designers is another female-owned brand that specialises in sculptures far clearer in their influence than that of Claire Frechet’s. Alexandra Shorey’s handmade horse sculptures are collectibles for equine lovers, though if you’d prefer something more abstract and softly contoured, see the objets by Belgian curator, Gardeco.
Of course, sculpture is only one part of the art world, which is why we were keen to join hands with one-woman-band art and design collective Bromley & Bouverie to offer an initial edit of delicate, brushstroke oeuvres with customisable frames.
Onto matters less artsy, we count three artificial flower and plant studios in our collection too. From Silk by Design’s arrangements of white magnolia and blue hydrangea heads to the highly convincing silk peony petals by Fleurs de la Fontaine and RTfact’s blend of tea bush arrangements and potted orchids, there are florals for every room and every season.
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Think Big, Shop Small: Unique Lighting Brands
Don’t let the name fool you because the sole lighting brand in our Think Big, Shop Small collection might go by the name Storm Furniture but this Suffolk-based workshop is also responsible for making eco-friendly lighting designs.
With many of its pieces crafted from sustainably-sourced wood, Storm Furniture’s lights feature birch ply, ash dowels and natural sycamore veneers. They also incorporate Calex smart bulbs to be as environmentally conscious as possible and they avoid using lacquers and veneers wherever they can to reduce the amount of toxins in their designs.
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Think Big, Shop Small: Soft Decor Brands
Cushions, blankets, throws—the building blocks of a cosy, comforting scheme. Across the British Isles, there are a number of small workshops responsible for premium soft furnishings often made from nothing but natural yarns. There’s Adriana Gentile, Founder of Adriana Homewares, who proudly states that all of her pieces are woven using 100% British wool—Bluefaced Leicester wool, in particular, with its long fibres and sumptuous texture. There’s Scottish label BeggxCo whose commitment to heritage techniques and luxurious cloth can be traced back to the 1860s. And then there are the coveted blankets and cushion covers of Irish fabric brand Mourne Textiles.
Further afield, our Think Big, Shop Small initiative welcomes names such as Brazil’s Elisa Atheniense, whose cushions and baskets support local makers through sustainable partnerships, as well as alpaca blanket-maker Tuwi who works only with certified suppliers in Peru. Back in Britain, Rosanna Lonsdale’s colourful ikat cushions are certainly inspired by the ancient Indonesian pattern and, finally, Sirimiri’s global conscience means that it promotes manufacturing methods which minimise water, reduce pollution and focus purely on materials borne from the earth.
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Think Big, Shop Small: Independent Tableware Brands
And finally, keeping to the theme of all things decorative in a room, our small but growing edit of specialist tableware brands begins with British ceramic brand, Richard Brendon. A bar trolley bedecked with handmade decanters or a coffee table with a single diamond-etched whisky tumbler resting on top is set to impress with every sip.
More playful are the crockery and glassware designs from Custhom whose sets range from contemporary, monochrome pieces to those far more subtle and textural. See the Oblique collection as a case in point, created by overlapping parallel lines screen-printed onto vitrified porcelain and glass. And equally as playful are some of those found in the O.W. London edit where geometric patterns on coral backdrops are just as customary as its more demure fine bone china plates and bowls with a truffle-hued rim.
