THE STORY BEHIND… online shop Rowen & Wren
A brave financial decision led Lucy Uren and Graeme Purdy to create an online store with the home at its heart
As with many stories, Rowen & Wren’s has humble beginnings. The online shop, which champions simple design and quality craftsmanship, found its feet in 2011, in Lucy and Graeme’s small one-bedroom flat. The couple, who met in a shared university hall of residence in Nottingham, and are partners in life as well as in business, soon found themselves living almost entirely out of their modest bedroom. ‘We kept all of our stock for the store in the living room, which is where we also did all the packing for the orders and photographed our early lookbooks,’ recalls Lucy, who trained as a textile designer.
She first learned the interiors ropes at John Lewis, channelling her creativity in the home design studio, and advising buyers on trends and colour palettes. This experience proved instrumental in the couple’s brave decision to invest their joint savings – intended for their first home together – into a website showcasing beautiful homewares, initially sourcing and selling artisan accessories made by other designers. Today, the couple – along with product designer Alex Bilton – create around 80 per cent of the pieces sold on the site themselves.
‘We now have broader product categories, including bathroom accessories and hardware. Graeme and I have always been fans of traditional interiors with modern finishes. With any new design, we start by looking at vintage and reclaimed pieces, often at flea markets, and then we add our own twist,’ Lucy explains.
What’s more, the brand cleverly bridges the gap between interior and lifestyle products. ‘Stocking local, talented makers is high on our list of priorities for the site,’ says Lucy. ‘We like to layer artisanal products among our own core pieces.’ The Bilton bathroom collection, for example, is designed in-house, and is paired with handmade toiletries that complete the range. ‘We work with an artisan in Lewes who creates beautiful small batch toiletries that help bring our own designs alive,’ adds Lucy. ‘The grey charcoal soaps work perfectly with our brass soap dishes.’
For more information visit rowenandwren.co.uk