Emporium of delights

Now they are so busy that their large family home is gradually being turned into a workshop as they upcycle and paint old and distressed pieces of furniture, and supper with several tins of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint cluttering up the table is not uncommon.

It was a large timber mirror picked up on one of their many holidays to France that set the Wilsons on their current course. After revamping it and other pieces they had picked up, the couple set off to an exhibition in York, where they received a fantastic reception from shoppers.

“We were constantly asked where our shop was, so we decided to go for it,” says Kathleen. It had been a lifelong dream of the couple to own a shop, similar to the ones they loved to visit in France. And when, recently, the dream came true, they were over the moon when a new customer described it as an “emporium of delights”.

“All our bespoke pieces of furniture are special because each one is different and made to fulfil a client’s brief,” says Kathleen.

“Our favourite upcycled piece is usually the one we have just finished because we are constantly trying to raise the bar.”

John has a background in commercial interior design, working in London and then spending 30 years running his own business in the North-East. Kathleen was a secretary in the City at the head office of a large building society until she became a stayat- home mum to their five children. Now that their brood is fleeing the nest, the couple decided it was time to do something they loved.

Since opening, they are building up a stock of furniture sourced from auctions and private sellers throughout the region that they upcycle ready for sale.

”We are always looking for the unusual and because John loves a challenge, the condition is often irrelevant,” says Kathleen.

From something intended to showcase the mirrors and furniture the Wilsons have designed and made, the Stokesley shop is gradually evolving and now stocks gifts, vintage ephemera and upcycled decorated furniture. “Initially, we took most of our inspiration from a love of all things French,” says Kathleen. “We obviously hit the mark with our designs when we were commissioned in our first month to make bespoke pieces to be shipped out to a holiday home in the French Alps.”

Any changes in focus have happened organically, say the Wilsons, each new addition coming as they responded to customer requests and requirements.

Most of the furniture items are painstakingly restored and then painted with Annie Sloan paints, which the shop stocks. “It is the best to use for painting furniture because no priming or sanding is required. It’s very userfriendly and perfect for decorative paint effects,” says Kathleen. The couple also give workshops to demonstrate decorating techniques using Annie Sloan decorative paint.

“We are constantly surprised by the demand for things we create,” says Kathleen. “Moving into our second year we are still as full of enthusiasm as ever for our business and are excited to discover in which direction it will take us.”

Handmade And More, 63 High Street,
Stokesley TS9 5BQ.
T: 01642-711799;
E: handmadeandmore.co@gmail.com
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