From positive patterns to curated cushions, the new interiors companies are putting the love back into lifestyle
THE PATTERN PIONEERS
Anna Murray and Grace Winteringham co-founded Patternity as an image archive nine years ago to inspire positive living through design. Now the company has evolved into a creative agency and has collaborated on a home and lifestyle range with John Lewis.
Anna (left) and Grace at their London-based studio
What’s the story behind Patternity? The company started out with a very simple concept – we wanted to share with the world the wonder and beauty of pattern and encourage a new way of seeing it.
Why pattern? The pattern of our lives is shaped by the places and spaces which we inhabit and our John Lewis collaboration is a celebration of that. We’ve designed a pattern-focused homeware and fashion collection to help people create mindful daily rituals.
‘We are constantly collecting and documenting patterns, and our Instagram followers also share their images using #patternity – which is a great fountain of inspiration,’ says Anna
How would you define the term pattern? Our designs are very simple but there’s a lot more to them than what you see on the surface. So much of what Patternity is about is exploring interconnectivity and encouraging people to be more mindful of the shapes and textures that make up life here on planet Earth.
Whether you look through a telescope or a microscope, life is made of fundamental forms and shapes that repeat – it’s a wonderful and curious thing.
‘We start each day with an ideas meeting where everybody from interns to financial advisers can share new ideas, updates and inspirations,’ says Grace
Why a monochrome palette? As newborns we are only able to see in black and white, so these colours reflect our first experience of the world. And in an era of limitless choice, a minimal colour scheme creates a sense of simplicity.
Where do you find your inspiration? We have an open-minded approach and believe inspiration can be found in anything – from appreciating a great cup of tea to marvelling at the moon.
CUSHION, from £30, and RUG, from £80, both Patternity + John Lewis, johnlewis.com
How has Patternity evolved? The brand has gone from an image archive to an organisation that works across the creative, science and spiritual world. It’s been an exciting journey so far and it feels like it’s just beginning.
To shop Patternity + John Lewis, visit johnlewis.com and patternity.org
THE CUSHION CURATOR
A self-confessed interiors fanatic with a passion for travel, Lisa Mehydene founded Edit58 as a platform to share the handcrafted artisan designs she discovered overseas. Lisa’s capsule collection of textiles is now available at Liberty.
Lisa with her cushion collection. The lamp is by Les Couilles du Chiens and the sofa is by Rutland, all available from Liberty, libertylondon.com
What is the concept behind Edit58? We collaborate with artisans from around the world to bring customers one-of-a-kind treasures that they won’t find anywhere else.
From handpicking vintage Moroccan fabrics for our cushions, to the charming papier-mâché animal heads that are handmade in Portugal, the result is a thoughtful edit of pieces to cherish in your home for years to come.
‘I love looking through the fabric archives at Liberty and deciding what my next collection will be. This year I am really drawn to bold pattern and colour,’ says Lisa
How is Edit58 different to other interiors companies? Everything we stock is carefully curated and considered. It is very much a reflection of my taste and my eye and, ultimately, a collection that feels very personal. Edit58 is 100 per cent a passion project.
Which corners of the globe do you source your stock from? I’m lucky enough to have discovered a number of our wonderful artisans on my travels. Our stock comes from all over the world – mainly France, Morocco, Portugal, Turkey, Bali and the UK.
Lisa’s moodboard of postcards, fabric, drawings, stickers, and magazine tears provides inspiration for future designs
Why is supporting craft and working with artisans especially important to you? There are so many talented crafts people pursuing trades that are unique to a particular region and have been passed down through the generations.
Not only does working with these artisans bring their beautiful work to our shores, it enables them to continue doing what they know and love. There is a story and a skill to their creations – and unique artisan products will add interest to your home.
How do you decide which products to sell? From the very beginning Edit58 has been a reflection of the items I love and have in my own home.
When I discover new pieces or design something myself, you can be certain that I’m obsessed by it and want to share it with you. If I wouldn’t want the product in my home, it won’t make it on to the website.
What does the future hold for Edit58? Lots of exciting things! A lighting collaboration with a fellow homeware brand, a new range of cushions, the introduction of eiderdowns and quilts and a steady stream of one-off vintage rugs.
To shop the Edit58 range, go to edit58.com and libertylondon.com
THE FRAGRANCE AFICIONADOS
Simon Leighton and Gavin Pickburn are behind Fellowstead, a hand-poured, soy-wax candle company that they started from their South London kitchen in 2015. The duo have recently launched a home fragrance collection at Heal’s.
Simon (left) and Gavin at their studio in Peckham, Southeast London
What does Fellowstead mean? Our company name is our ode to ‘slow living’. A couple of years ago we realised that we were both living hectic lives that weren’t necessarily resulting in us being any happier, so we decided to shift our focus.
The brand began as a homesteading project; a conscious effort to be more creative and savour time spent with each other, friends and family.
‘Balanced and poured properly, the right blend can be incredibly evocative – there’s a whole psychology behind how smell informs our mood,’ says Simon
Why scented candles? We wanted the brand to begin at home and candles felt like the logical first step. There is something hugely therapeutic about blending and pouring the ingredients by hand; when you get it right scent will evoke memories and emotions we associate with particular aromas.
Fragrance is an often-neglected element in the home so we’ve expanded our range to include reed diffusers.
The duo’s Orange Peel & Ginger candle. ‘This is my personal favourite,’ says Simon
How involved in the making process are you? The most exciting part of starting our own business was the idea of blending the products ourselves. We’ve always felt that there’s something lovely about the tactile nature of the hand-poured, small-batch process. This spurred us on when developing our first collection; we mix and hand-pour every candle.
BASIL, SAGE LEAF & THYME REED DIFFUSER, £24, and CLARY SAGE & CORIANDER SEED CANDLE, £18, both available from heals.com
What makes Fellowstead different from other home-fragrance ranges? Our ethos is ‘natural, simple products handmade with integrity’ and this drives everything we do. We use only soy wax and have developed clean, paraben-free fragrances for our reed diffusers.
We’ve also invested a lot of time in pouring techniques, which ensure our ingredients work together and burn cleanly and evenly without the need for anything else.
To buy Fellowstead’s home-fragrance range, visit heals.com and fellowstead.com