Treasures from the attic

Your first instinct on walking into From Loft to Loved is to smile. Entering the little shop, tucked between a hairdressers and the Co-op on Sherburn’s main street, you’re met by a metal staircase with flowers winding up it and quotes written on the walls – “I found I could see things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t see any other way”; “Shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist”. It’s an Aladdin’s cave, bursting with colour and life. Upstairs, the impression continues.

In the main room are pastel-painted tables and one wall is a garden scene, complete with giant tissue paper flowers and a multi-coloured picket fence. There’s a toadstool for a doorstop, and the door itself is covered in floral wrapping paper. An adjoining room has a grass-effect carpet and another has bright yellow wallpaper with birdcages and pink birds printed on it.

If it’s all a bit busy, owners Sarah McManus and Kim Campbell make no apologies – this is where they showcase their crafts. It also happens to be their taste. “We like colour and we like the mixture of wood and colour. Some of our stuff is a little bit out there for some people,” admits Sarah, 33. “I think what we wanted was for the shop to be nice and bright and a happy place,” adds 35-year-old Kim. “We essentially wanted it to be Pinterest.”

The pair moved into the original shop, formerly a tattoo studio, about a year ago but have only just acquired the flat next door, which has allowed them to expand. They stock their own and other people’s crafts, with the only provisos being that they must, as far as possible, be hand-made and local. One of their mainstays is Everlong chalk paint, used to give furniture a distressed look, which is produced in Amble by Sarah Ashurst.

“She got in contact with us through Facebook to see if we would become a stockist,” explains Sarah. “She sent us some samples and we loved it. To begin with, we were selling it from my house.”

Having met in a former job, Sarah and Kim realised they shared a common interest in painting furniture. They decided to set up the business with just £10 each and a couple of pieces which they stored in Sarah’s garage in Sherburn. From there, the venture took on a life of its own.

“We had a proper paint display and then – how did it even go from there?” laughs Kim, who lives in Bowburn. “Kim started doing Durham market every Saturday and, eventually, we got a permanent pitch,” says Sarah. “It just sort of grew and grew,” adds Kim. “We put every bit of money back in.” “It got to the stage where one of us had to leave work, so luckily Kim decided she wanted a better work/life balance,” laughs Sarah.

From painting furniture, the pair have progressed into other areas like decoupage and making framed pictures. They love to experiment and are always on the lookout for new ideas and trends. “I’m doing a ukulele at the moment,” says Kim. “Someone brought it in and asked me to decoupage it with Jimi Hendrix. I’ve also started dabbling a bit in paper cuts. It’s endless.” “Because we like to be a bit different and decoupage has got quite popular in terms of that florally vintage style, we’re looking at more retro looks using different materials,” says Sarah.

Typical decoupage items are things like glasses and bottles, which brides have used as table centrepieces, and Sarah and Kim have started working with the bridal shop over the road, Pressed, Prom & Bridal, supplying its customers with gifts and decorations. They acquire furniture from wherever they can get it – one table was left abandoned at a bus stop – and people often turn to them to breathe new life into old pieces.

“That’s how we started – trying to make something out of nothing on a really low budget. Just turning everyday items into something more decorative,” says Kim. “At first it was just for ourselves and then people started asking for it. I think people are using me as a sort of house clearing service now. I’ve got to the point where I can’t see anything go to the tip.”

For mum-of-two Kim and Sarah, whose three-month old son, Lincoln, often comes with her to work, an important part of what they do at From Loft to Loved is passing on their skills through various classes. “People have either got no inclination to do it themselves or they really want to know how to do it,” says Kim. “We offer a half day furniture painting workshop where people will bring a piece of furniture and we’ll show them how to transform it from start to finish, guiding them through the cleaning, painting and finishing,” adds Sarah.

An obvious next step seems taking private bookings for things like children’s birthdays and hen parties. This is something Sarah and Kim are considering and have already started making provision for. “We’re getting two espresso machines so we’ll be doing tea, coffee and homemade cakes,” says Sarah. “We like to plan. We do have a plan but it’s really flexible.” “As this is so creative, our plan has to be,” adds Kim.

With getting their own website next on the agenda, Sarah and Kim are exploring all options. While, at the moment, they’re still struggling to make a profit, they’re hopeful for the future.

“I thoroughly enjoy doing this and I’ve got a much better work/life balance but at some point, I need to make some money,” laughs Kim. “But when you think we started with £10 each we’ve come really far,” reflects Sarah. “We know what we’re trying to do but it’s having faith and confidence in each other.”

From Loft to Loved, 80 Front Street, Sherburn Village, 07833 226676

W: facebook.com/fromlofttoloved