For me, home is the quality of things under one roof, not the quantity. It’s the feeling created from a series of carefully curated items which accompany us through the ups and downs each day of our lives.
It’s the hot cup of tea steaming in the sunlight, the smell of pancakes growing golden on a pan, slippers sliding across cold terra-cotta tiles, the bruises and chips on mix-matched plates, a thriving plant reaching up in elation, the whir of the blender, a souvenir magnet, my grandmother’s carpet, the basket of dried flowers hanging awkwardly from a nail, my partner slumbering beneath a marshmallow duvet, sunlight passing through a prism which throws rainbows around the room, my niece’s wooden toy train she stowed into my bag on my last trip to London … the little details of daily life that make our ‘houses’ homes.
My dad’s house (which you can take a glimpse at it here) is full of relics from the past, made up from generations of randomly collected durable artisanal creations, covering everything with an indescribable richness that has nothing to do with the monetary value of any one thing.
When I buy something for our home, second-hand, or new, I try to ask myself if they’ll offer the same feelings of enchantment my father’s worldly objects offer me … I also like to know that the person who made the item did so by choice, that they were paid fairly, and that the item was made somewhere the person making it felt safe.
It is utterly enchanting, logically reasonable, and scientifically proven that objects which we (non-indigenous people) usually think of as inanimate hold and share energy with other living things around them. My favourite example of this way of thinking is Dr. Masaru Emoto ‘s awe-striking water molecules experiment, which shows how water molecules are affected by our thoughts, words and energy. Two of my favourite recently published books on non-human consciousness, Peter Wohlleben’s ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’, or Sy Montgomery’s ‘The Soul of an Octopus’, also offer insight. Energetically and morally, curating items for our homes which tell a tale of time spent slowly and lovingly, promise a sweet state of sentimentality most modern production practices don’t hold.
For these reasons, ‘Pinterest’ worthy items created by pseudo-bohemian brands like Anthropologie are amongst the worst of the worse. They promote themselves behind their smoke and mirrors goodwill by ‘looking’ sustainable and ethical, taking advantage of a generation searching for meaning. But it’s misleading, as they’re not. In fact, Anthropologie rates 0/5 on Good on You ‘s site, while their sister companies, Urban Outfitters and Free People, rate 2/5.
In a bid to offer solutions (rather than just outlining the problems) I thought it could be helpful to showcase various brands which align visually, as well as ethically and sustainably, to the type of products Anthropologie tries to hawk.
A ceramics studio built on giving back, each product you purchase provides 1 week of clean water to someone in need. The designs are American made, handcrafted in Warsaw, Indiana with clay that is 100% non-hazardous, using glazes and underglazes that are lead-free and nontoxic. They also work hard to minimise waste, reusing any clay that might get scrapped by mixing it into a new batch. SHOP>
ITEMS OF THEIRS I HAVE IN MY HOME: 1x BLUE JEAN TUMBLER & 1x ORGANIC BLUE JEAN MUG
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| Ian Snow CUSHION COVERS | Sustain By Kat TOP | Urbana Sacs CREATIVE SAC XS |
One of the oldest ethical homeware companies still running in the UK, Ian Snow offers a soulful an eclectic range of carefully curated hand-crafted and recycled items. SHOP>
ITEMS OF THEIRS I HAVE IN MY HOME: CUSHION COVERS & DOOR KNOBS
These washable paper sacs are made from sustainable, lightweight textiles infused with a special blend of virgin pulp fibre and recycled felt which is manufactured through cultivation, not deforestation. The sacs are so flexible you can get them wet and reshape them like clay to your needs, and durable, meaning you can clean them, reshape them and use them again and again. SHOP>
ITEMS OF THEIRS I HAVE IN MY HOME: CREATIVE SAC XS & CREATIVE SAC 3-PIECE SET & CARRY ALL TOTE & CREATIVE SAC XL
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| Banyan Tree OIL BURNER | Urbana Sacs CREATIVE SAC 3-PIECE SET |
Getting your house scented serenely is best done with Banyan Tree, they are sister brand to popular conscious fashion brand, Matter Prints, as well as the spa essentials branch of the environmentally responsible retreat hotel chain by the same name. SHOP>
I am a massive fan of each unique design by this beautiful brand. Each blanket is made from recycled cotton, giving a second life to pre-consumer fibres, reducing the amount of energy and water needed to produce new cotton, while making use of fibres and clippings that would otherwise end up in the landfill. SHOP>
ITEMS OF THEIRS I HAVE IN MY HOME: 1x WINK BLANKET & 1x AZTEC BLANKET
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| Urbana Sacs CREATIVE SAC XL | Happy Habitat WINK BLANKET | Buy Me Once FINLAYSON BEDDING | Azura Bay PJS | Mud Love BLUE JEAN TUMBLER |
The brainchild of Tara Button, Buy Me Once tries to find the longest-lasting version of everything you might need in both your wardrobe and home. The brand also lobbies government, hoping to force manufacturers to indicate product lifespan before purchase, ending the spin of our throwaway culture. I probably use their site the most as I trust their curations completely – if there’s an eco, durable, ethical version of whatever I’m looking for, they’ll have it all on their organised site SHOP > (UK / USA).
ITEMS OF THEIRS I HAVE IN MY HOME: FINLAYSON LINEN DUVET SET & COYUCHI SHEETS & ROWENTA IRON & 6x WINE GLASSES & ABEEGO WRAP & STASHER BAGS & LIBERTY TABLE TOP CUTLERY SET & STOVETOP COFFEE MAKER & PLUMEN LIGHTBULBS & LUKS LINEN TOWELS
Rustic Loom
Rustic Loom is a woman and mom-owned textile design studio based in Brooklyn, NY, creating modern textiles for the global good. Each piece is created in collaboration with fairtrade non-profit organisations in Ghana and India, with the aim to foster a sustainable livelihood for the artisans who make our collections.
Rustic Loom is a woman and mom-owned textile design studio based in Brooklyn, NY, creating modern textiles for the global good. Each piece is created in collaboration with fairtrade non-profit organisations in Ghana and India, with the aim to foster a sustainable livelihood for the artisans who make our collections.
ITEMS OF THEIRS I HAVE IN MY HOME: IKAT TEA TOWEL
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| Happy Habitat WINK BLANKET | Ten Thousand Villages MEASURING SPOONS | Symbolic Bamboo BAG | Eco Roots PRODUCE BAGS |
The pioneers of fair trade, Ten Thousand Villages has a wide selection of beautiful ethically-sourced wares which put people and the planet first. SHOP>
ITEMS OF THEIRS I HAVE IN MY HOME: MEASURING SPOONS & SEAGRASS BASKET & BOHEMIAN WALL HANGING & HANGING PLANTER
Eco Roots
A collection of super beautiful zero waste items for the bathroom and home. SHOP>
A collection of super beautiful zero waste items for the bathroom and home. SHOP>
ITEMS OF THEIRS I HAVE IN MY HOME: BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSHES & STAINLESS STEEL STRAWS & ROSE GOLD SAFETY RAZOR & STRAW CLEANING BRUSH & WOODEN DISH BRUSH & SHAMPOO BAR & ORGANIC FACIAL ROUNDS & PRODUCE BAGS.
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| Rustic Loom IKAT TEA TOWEL | Asquith CLOTHING | Ten Thousand Villages MEASURING SPOONS | Mud Love BLUE JEAN TUMBLER |
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