A Cool Homeware Designer Shares Her Little Black Book
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If I could only buy homeware from one place, it would be antique markets. Although it is a bit of a commitment and takes time, when you find what you’re looking for it’s the best feeling. I’ve also developed an obsession with The-SaleRoom.com. I moved house earlier this month from a one-bedroom studio into a cottage so I have a lot of furniture to buy and this site has a range of pieces and prices. My favourite vintage piece is a gilt-framed circular mirror that once belonged to Cecil Beaton.
The most interesting interiors shop is Astier de Villatte on Rue St Honoré in Paris. I just love all the perfectly imperfect white porcelain and its unique shop could not be a better showroom. The small boutique with its creaky wooden floorboards and beautiful antique display cabinets instantly transports you back to Paris in the romantic age.
The best department store in the world for homeware is Mercí in Paris. I lived in Paris in my early 20s and spent many hours browsing when I should have been studying French.
The coolest independent interiors brand is Feldspar. It makes and sells beautiful bone-china tableware out of its Devonshire studio. It’s so delicate and creative; I just love everything the team produces. I have a set of espresso mugs and find myself making tiny cups of tea (I cannot drink that much coffee) throughout the day just to keep using them.
The best destination for independent designers and makers is Glassette. It launched less than two years ago, but Laura Jackson and her team have done a fantastic job of gathering some great designers and makers under one roof.
The under-the-radar brand I’ve recently discovered is Beki Bright. She’s an incredibly talented textile designer and screen printer who designs wonderfully imaginative fabrics inspired by antique etchings, vintage ceramics and the natural world.
My perfect shopping day would include going to a flea market in the south of France. I’d stop for coffee and croissants then meander back through the French countryside with the car packed full of treasures.
The best sustainable brand is Soane Britain. Lulu Lytle designs the most incredible lighting, furniture, fabrics and wallpapers that are all made by people in the UK. It is a brand that really champions great workmanship and supports traditional British craft. Another British brand I love, especially for something really special, is Robert Kime.
The best interiors gift I’ve ever received was a bronze sculpture of two antelopes made by my father-in-law Mark Coreth. It was a wedding present. Among the chaos and clutter caused by moving house I find it to be a wonderfully calming presence in the kitchen.
The most recent item I bought for my home was a Welsh dresser for the kitchen. I bought it on Facebook marketplace and drove over an hour to collect it only to discover it didn’t fit in the car! Luckily the man selling the dresser had a caravan, so he kindly packed it up and drove it back with us.
I’m about to make the most expensive investment for my home – fabric for all the curtains throughout. Currently every window is bare, so there’s lots to be done. At the moment, I’m enjoying spending hours browsing the wonderful collections from Fermoie, Christopher Farr, Colefax & Fowler, Soane Britain and many more. It’s going to take quite some time to decide.
It’ll come as no surprise that I love to dress the table with items from my own collection. I design all our pieces from scratch, so there’s really nothing more enjoyable than using the finished product. I also love finding vintage Burleigh pieces, and we have classic French style crockery from Villeroy & Boch.
I like pure linen sheets. I’m a big fan of Piglet in Bed, Once Milano and The White Company. For extra warmth in the cooler months, Projektityyny makes lovely patchwork quilts.
I love glassware in all its many forms and have quite a mixture – I am a big fan of The Vintage List’s champagne coupes. Our new Swirl tumblers and Pom wine glasses are also favourites.
My grandmother and my mother Clare Granger are both wonderful artists. Both have given me quite a number of their paintings over the years, which I love. My husband Jamie Coreth is also an artist, so our walls are well stocked with family paintings.
For soft furnishings I like OKA, Alice Palmer's wonderful striped cushions and Volga Linen. For furniture I tend to buy antique and second-hand pieces from places like Vinterior and eBay. I’m also a great admirer of furniture makers like Alfred Newell, Anselm Fraser and Rupert Scott.
A great shop for lighting is Pooky. While not the most exotic destination, it really does cater for everyone and has every different style, height and variety known to man. I have a pair of wireless rechargeable brass lamps which are a fun addition to an outdoor dinner party.
The item I regret not buying is a Persian rug from Liberty. I used to spend a lot of time in the rug department when I first moved to London; it feels like its own secret emporium. There was an incredible azure blue rug that I kept going back to visit. At the time, I didn’t own a home or live anywhere remotely big enough to house it and so reluctantly I had to let it go. Somehow, I’ve never forgotten it.
If my house was burning down, I’d save a painting Jamie made for me. It’s of the Albert Bridge in Battersea, viewed from the spot where we first met, which he gave me on our first anniversary.
Next on my shopping list is an ODD Rocker. My grandparents had a swinging seat in their garden when I was a child and these beautiful rockers fill me with a wonderful sense of nostalgia for the warm English summer days of my childhood. ODD has taken this classic piece of furniture and made it effortlessly cool. I have wanted to own one for years and now that we have moved to the country, I think the moment might have finally arrived.
Visit IssyGranger.com
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