Happy Friday all, Sadie here!
Say hello to the second in the new series of interviews with independent businesses. If you didn’t catch the first one, click here to read about Clare from ColourBloc Photography, and also for an introduction to the interviews.
And if you already read interview number one - continue below to meet Helen from The Upcycled Home Co!
Helen’s shop is a treasure trove of locally made, sustainable, beautiful gifts and homewares, located in stunning Mount Edgcumbe, across the water from Plymouth.
♥ Helen’s Interview ♥
Describe your shop in three words: ethical, artisan, sustainable
How long have you been running your business? I first opened The Upcycled Home Co as a market stall in Tavistock in 2013. We were lucky enough to move into The Old Coach House in The Barrow Centre Mount Edgcumbe Country Park in 2014 ....so 6 years and counting!
What inspired you to start your business? My mum was always my inspirational and moral guide - from a very young age she taught me how to recycle and reuse with a creative flair. She was an exceptionally talented lady always willing to push boundaries and try new ways of doing things. I’m so proud of her and the values she instilled in me.
Combined with a realisation that consumers were being bombarded with a mass produced cheap imports and that we were in danger of losing true talents, skills and crafts as people were not able to make a living from them anymore. And alongside the fact that I was becoming increasingly alarmed at the crisis our planet was, and still is, facing ....I decided to do something to educate consumers, promote artisan makers and champion sustainable living.
And what keeps you going? In six years I have seen a huge shift in the public’s interest in all of the above....we wouldn’t still be here if things hadn’t changed.
I love that we have helped many artisans to go on to have a successful career on their chosen creative path and that our customers wholeheartedly embrace the uniqueness and eco core values of our store. It’s great to see that not only have we been successful in business but our business has brought about positive changes for our lifestyles and planet.......that’s what keeps me motivated!
What’s your favourite ever item that you have ever stocked? The book ‘Sea and Shore Cornwall’ by Lisa Woollett. It’s the most beautiful collection of her photographs entwined with her equally stunning finds. A book all can enjoy, and which will open your eyes to a new way of thinking and viewing the incredible coastline we (in Cornwall!) get to call home....oh and it’s the perfect gift!
What do you think the future holds for shopping? I would like to think that we will see the return of the high street and independent retailers. More and more people want to know the provenance of the goods they are buying, meet the maker/producer and also know where their hard earned money is actually going....
What’s the best bargain you ever bought? Bargain! Who doesn’t LOVE a bargain.....I didn’t get the nick name ‘Skip Rat’ by shopping in Harrods! My home and wardrobe are full of bargains I’ve accumulated across the years....I never buy anything unless I truly love it and if it’s a bargain, even better!
If I had to choose one it’s probably my 1988 Eriba Puck Caravan. I had wanted one for years but had never been able to afford one. Then a few years ago I spotted the most beautiful little van, on an online auction site. I put in a stupidly low bid.....and won it! It’s worth far more than I paid for it and I have been asked to sell it on several occasions....but we love her too much. We’ve had many fab trips full of amazing memories in her and I’m sure we will continue to do so for many years to come.
What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done? The scariest thing I’ve ever done is walk away from a career as a civil servant and retrain as an interior designer. The second scariest thing was opening up my own business in interior design. Thank goodness I did both - I’ve never looked back!
What’s your biggest fashion faux-pas? At a festival recently met Dave Hill from 70s band Slade, who was there to be interviewed on 70’s fashion. I told him this story and forgave him for being the reason it happened!
I was about 15 and desperate for flared trousers and platform shoes. After much pleading I finally got them both and set off to impress a guy I’d had my eye on for a while. As I walked past him, hands tucked into my skin tight thigh pockets, flares flapping in the wind...my platform shoe got caught in the turn up on my flares. Unable to get my hands out if my pockets fast enough I face-planted the pavement right in front of my first crush...... DEVASTATED.......I still cringe to this day! It didn’t put me off flares or platforms, but I couldn’t look the guy in the face again! Oh the shame.....
Visit The Upcycled Home Co at The Barrow Centre, Mount Edgcumbe Park, Cremyll, Cornwall PL10 1HZ.
Click here to for their website and here for their Instagram.