The beautifully edited product range at Abode includes soft furnishings by Donna Wilson, Jonathan Adler and Missoni Home, contemporary lighting from Timorous Beasties, BTC and Abigail Ahern and accessories from Marimekko, SCP and Normann Copenhagen. Suffice it to say if you're looking for something gorgeous for the design junkie in your life, or if you are that junkie, look no further.
We spoke to co-owner Lynda Everett:
The Abode shop in Chiswick, West London. Pic: Abode
How would you describe Abode to someone who had never visited?
An eclectic mix of contemporary design and beautiful objects for the home. It's about individual pieces rather than a total look, although they do all come together in a rather lovely way. Every day we receive comments from people walking around the store as to how lovely everything is! When it comes to buying we are fussy, if we don't think it's right for us, we know pretty much straight away.
What are your current three favourite items in the shop?
We love the Miniforms tables, I particularly like the Link low table which is well priced and well made. The range of table lights we have from Abigail Ahern are gorgeous, the black poodle (pictured below) is so cute and probably the most popular with our customers. Our black crow (also below) is a fun cheeky piece that adds a quirky touch to any décor. I have one on my window sill to scare the pigeons off the balcony so he's fuctional too, although I'm not sure if it really works!
Poodles, bulldogs and crows - all part of the Abode family. Pic: Abode
I have a budget of £50 for each and want to buy something for: i) my best friend's birthday; ii) a housewarming gift; and iii) a treat for myself. What would you recommend from Abode?
Friend's Birthday: a Marimekko cushion - we have a few to choose from but I would probably go for Tuuli the lovely tree design in black and white.
House warming: two pairs of Aarne cocktail glasses from Iittala. Cocktail glasses are so nice to have for inviting friends over and yet so few people have them. A martini in one of these is a stylish treat.
Treat to self: a set of Missoni towels, I would probably choose the Giacomo design which is a lovely array of blues and black.
What trends are you seeing for the coming season?
There is still a lot of colour around and we love splashes of colour so we will definitely continue with that. I think there is more emphasis on natural fibres and ethically produced items now and buying from smaller suppliers makes it easier to keep control over this. We really try to find products that are produced in the place of origin and always check for sustainably sourced materials.
Link low table, £275 at Abode. Pic: Abode
Which new designers are you excited about?
There is a lot of good classic design and we believe good design is timeless, with the resurgence of the mid century modern style there are a lot of classics coming back in to circulation. We also keep an eye out for new design and have some great products coming in this season. Beautiful lambswool cushions from local designer Gabriele Vary, a lovely range of knitwear accessories from Hikaru Noguchi and some fun little bowls which would make great gifts from Yas Ming ceramics. All are designed and made in the uk which is great. Many of the existing design houses we deal with are constantly refreshing their ranges and I would say Marimekko have had some great new products lately and we love US designer Jonathan Adler's ceramics and cushions, he has such a sense of fun!
If you weren't running Abode, what would you be doing?
Taking a few more holidays and spending a bit more time on my own home!www.abodeliving.co.uk