Back in early December, I drove out of Bristol to the beautiful Victorian seaside town of Clevedon. To meet the lovely Saunders sisters, my new stockists, at their shop
19 Alexandra Road.
The shop is situated on a beautiful leafy street just up from the old Victorian pier. With views overlooking the park, the shop is a delight. Full of GORGEOUS homewares. Vintage glass bottles, handmade ceramics, prints, vintage books, furniture. It is just perfect!
Becky and Victoria source unique vintage pieces from various local dealers and handmade craft items from local and national artists. The feel of the shop is so welcoming, I had trouble leaving! Wanting to take most of the stock with me.
I did take the large brown bottle above. You might remember it in my
Christmas posts, sitting proudly on my mantel. Whilst I was there, I took many shots of the shop and asked Becky and Victoria a little about themselves....
Who are you & what do you do?
We are Victoria and Becky Saunders or Saunders Creative. We have recently opened a
new Vintage and Artisan emporium '19' in Clevedon, with our Design studio
situated in the back half of the emporium. Saunders Creative produces bespoke
vinyl cut designs for commercial projects, commissions and a range of products;
which include hand adhered designs for prints and cards, and decals for
decorating walls, mirrors & furniture. With both of our creative backgrounds and experience in retail visual
merchandising expanding our business to open a shop lend itself well.
What is your inspiration behind opening the shop?
Our
new emporium '19' is a mix of all the things we love. We wanted to bring
individual pieces together in one collection to showcase our style and share it
with others who love an eclectic mix of beautiful items in their homes. The
emporium hosts a collection of Vintage and hand crafted interior pieces made by
local makers. Situated in Clevedon, an old Victorian seaside town, the
emporium couldn’t be in a more suitable place to bring Vintage into the
contemporary home of our customers.
Since we were very young, we have always had a dream to work together. Now we can
pull our experiences and skills into one creative force, the Emporium, 19 and
design studio is the result.
How would you describe the feel of your shop?
We wanted 19 to have a gallery / home interior feel so that when you step through the door, you were inspired. Styled displays give the customer a real sense of the pieces in the interior setting they are made for or a reuse. The interior of the
emporium is constantly changing as both of us have backgrounds in Visual merchandising. We have a passion for beautiful displays and wanted each individual item to have the space to be admire and see its unique detail. Every item in our emporium comes with a story whether it be Vintage or handmade. We want the emporium to celebrate this.
Tell us some of your favourite pieces /designers you stock?
Becky: A few of my favourites include the ceramics by
Hans Borgonjon with beautiful metallic details, 'Misty dew' photography by Sophie Travis, who was a fellow university student and the Vintage rulers.
Victoria: My favourite Vintage pieces are a Worcester vase with fern leaf design and an oversized bell jar, both I have
to resisting taking home. We also stock furniture & my favourite piece in store today is an old school desk. I’ve taken home two prints for my walls at home one was a botanical print by
Lou Archell & the other a bell jar
illustration by
Claire Owen.
What do you love most about what you do?
That it combines everything we love doing in to a job. We love styling & merchandising. We love designing our own products & buying Vintage.
Please tell us about your current loves...
Homes / Interiors:
We believe that your home is an extension of yourself. That it reflects your life, loves and personality.
A home interior is very personal and showcases the stories and history behind
the person. We have slightly different loves.
Victoria: I love faded florals,
botantics and Victorian romance.
Becky: I love geometrics and raw materials
like concrete but the overall feel is eclectic, full with attention to detail
with a mix of old and new!
Blogs:
Becky: I love following blogs, they are great for keeping me inspired. My favourite, at the moment is '
a merry mishap', I love her DIY projects and her home is styled beautifully. She
is a mum, blogger, stylist and jewellery maker, wow!.
Books:
Victoria: Etc, Creative walls, old classics (the covers are just as beautiful & inspiring as the
story), Catherine Batola all super inspiring and add to the displays in my home.
Where are you based and why should we visit?
We are based in Clevedon, North
Somerset. Clevedon is the destination for that unexpected day out, here you can
walk along the seafront, admiring the views of the restored Victorian pier and
of course pop in to our emporium. Where you will find that unique home
accessory either Vintage or handcrafted, also you can get a glimpse into our
working design studio, which we are trying to keep tidy!!
Thank you ladies! I LOVE your shop. I cannot wait to pop back in a few weeks (when I've saved my pennies), such beautiful things for the home.
I really do suggest if you are passing Clevedon via the M4 or live locally in the South West, to pay this shop a visit, it's worth the trip!
01275 340563