Family Matters
We talk to Graham and Green about heritage, homewares and a very big birthday.
Homewares emporium Graham and Green is set to celebrate 50 years of business in April next year. For a proudly independent, family-run brand, this is a very special milestone.
On Easter Monday in 1974, Graham and Green began life in an old dairy on Elgin Crescent in London’s Portobello. Antonia Graham opened this first shop and filled it with kitchenware, baskets and plants she sourced from the Covent Garden Flower Market. It proved so popular that she opened a second and third shop on the street, both brimming with fashion, lifestyle and homeware finds from her travels overseas.
Today, the company is run by Antonia’s son Jamie (who was often found under the counter of the first store in his Moses basket!) and his wife Lou. Alongside the Notting Hill store, which you’ll find in the same spot today, are four additional shops across the UK, plus a thriving online business.
The brand’s flagship store in London’s Bayswater is the perfect place to showcase G&G’s growing collection of furniture, upholstery, lighting and home accessories. Just around the corner from the inspiring Westbourne Grove, it is large enough to accommodate a thriving trade department, too.
The brand spread its wings further with a move to the West Country in 2016 by Jamie, Lou and son Max, prompting a new store and head office in Walcot Street in Bath’s artisan quarter – the perfect fit for a home from home outside London.
Husband and wife duo Jamie and Lou remain true to the brand’s roots, their mission: to source the very best furniture, homeware and unique gifts that excite, inspire and bring joy. The secret of Graham and Green’s longevity and success is their unwavering dedication and passion for interiors, a joy found year after year discovering unique and eclectic furniture and homeware that combine craftsmanship, design and, quite often, a touch of playfulness.
While you will always discover something beautiful for your home in their stores and website, G&G is particularly well-known for their heritage pieces – bone inlay and mother of pearl furniture sourced and handmade from the same craftsmen in India for over 30 years. This season, these collections boast a more modern take with new intricate patterns and contemporary shapes, like the Zarina desk (pictured) and new Kaleidoscope collection. Graham and Green’s ever-evolving collections is largely due to Jamie, who studied furniture and product design before taking the reins from his mother Antonia.
Jamie designs many of the brand’s furniture collections, adding new additions to existing ranges and working with suppliers to customise pieces. He is always on the lookout for new and unique pieces for the brand. His latest project is a vintage collection of one-off pieces, due to launch soon. Jamie loves all things reclaimed, so these unique treasures will fit in perfectly in their new G&G home. As Jamie and Lou both agree: “We love homes that are full of eclectic pieces that tell a story. Our brand is a carefully curated emporium of treasures which do just that.”
And what can we expect to mark Graham and Green’s 50th birthday? Well that is a surprise we eagerly await.
