NKUKU
Founded twenty years ago by husband and wife team Alistair and Alex Cooke, Nkuku was born from a transformative journey to East Africa. Moved by the skilled artisans they encountered and their dedication to their craft, Alistair and Alex felt a calling to support these artisans while also building a business opportunity for themselves. Their shared passion for the environment, fair-trade practices, traditional crafts, and interior design laid the foundation for what would become Nkuku.
On the shores of a distant beach, the original business plan was scribbled on the back of a paperback, fueled by inspiration and the desire to make a difference. The name "Nkuku" was borrowed from a village they encountered during their travels through Zambia. From those humble beginnings, Nkuku has held steadfast to its core values: Ethical, Eco-Friendly, and Handmade.
Their journey continued, leading them to India, where they explored more traditional crafts and connected with small businesses. While away, they sent numerous purchases back home, setting their sights on selling them upon their return. Relocating from the bustling streets of London to the serene landscapes of rural Devon, Ali and Alex began showcasing their finds at local markets and fairs, using the proceeds to develop their own line of exquisitely designed photo albums, journals, and photo frames. With limited resources for travel, they chose to focus on a single country, forming a partnership with a family business they had encountered during their travels.
Nkuku initially thrived as a wholesale homeware business, supplying independent stores across the UK before evolving into a prominent retail brand.Today, Nkuku operates a beautiful lifestyle store in Totnes, Devon, and serves customers directly through its website, Nkuku.com, which was launched in 2019. In March of 2023, after undergoing two years of rigorous assessment, Nkuku achieved certification as a B Corp, proudly joining a growing global community of companies redefining business by prioritising purpose alongside profit.
At Nkuku, every piece tells a story, weaving together a tapestry of culture, craftsmanship, and care for the planet. Founded with a spirit of compassion and adventure, Nkuku continues to thrive, touching the lives of artisans, customers, and all those who hold a special place for handcrafted homeware with heart.
LAYERED LOUNGE
Layered Lounge style transcends the world with influence taken from the Modern Coastal interiors of the United States to sleek Scandinavian design and relaxed Australian vibes. Layer your home with Layered Lounge for a simplistic paired back elegance. With a love of natural textures, soothing neutral colour palettes and harmonious relaxed styling, Layered Lounge strongly believes in a home being a haven, a place to retreat and relax into.
THE COTSWOLD COMPANY
Founded in 1996, The Cotswold Company embarked on its journey, establishing its first store in Bourton- on-the-Water, nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds. Continued growth led the business to later relocate its flagship store to the enchanting Stow-on-the-Wold. Today, The Cotswold Company boasts a network of 8 stores across the UK and an easy-to-shop e-commerce site, offering over 1300 individual product lines. A UK- based call centre provides customers with excellent service, advice on the brand's collections, and information about its high-quality delivery service, with a majority of orders delivered by an in-house delivery team.
The Cotswold Company continues to draw inspiration for its furniture and accessories collections by the natural beauty, way of life, architecture, and spirit of the Cotswolds. Initially renowned for finely crafted and beautifully designed cabinet furniture, the company has evolved to offer a diverse range of homeware categories. From furniture tailored for both home and garden, upholstery, lighting, tableware to bed linen.
At the core of their commitment lies the use of responsibly sourced timber for all wood furniture, whether it's natural oak, cherrywood, or pine. The brand meticulously traces the origin of every piece back to its forest roots. Since their inaugural sustainability pledges in 2020, they have planted over 75,000 trees and eliminated over 90% of polystyrene from their packaging. The use of fine materials and a rigorous testing process has enabled The Cotswold Company to craft products that will last a lifetime for the customer. Coupled with the brand's commitment to providing a 15-year guarantee on its furniture lines, customers can invest with confidence in timeless, high-quality, and well-crafted pieces for their homes.
In 2022, the brand collaborated with Emmaus, a UK-based charity and community dedicated to working together to end homelessness. By offering advice as furniture specialists, The Cotswold Company will continue to work with Emmaus on a range of different initiatives.
chiswick house & gardens
Chiswick House and Gardens is one of the most glorious examples of 18th-century British architecture and landscaped gardens, with over 300 years of discovery, inspiration and delight.Two Georgian trendsetters, the architect and designer William Kent and his friend and patron Richard Boyle, the third Earl of Burlington, created the House and Gardens between 1725 and about 1738. Influenced by their travels on the Grand Tour, they rejected the showy, Baroque style fashionable in England, in favour of a simpler, symmetrical design based on the classical architecture of Italy. Together they broke down the rigid formality of the early 18th-century garden to create a revolutionary, natural-looking landscape. Chiswick, the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement, went on to influence gardens from Blenheim Palace to New York’s Central Park.
EMMA DODI LONDON
Emma has always sought to push boundaries by creating, elegant bespoke cakes and exquisite hand-painted macarons.Since founding the business in late 2016, Emma has designed unique and luxurious cakes that are personal to each client. Every person has a story and with this in mind Emma translates the vision into a bespoke reality, bringing character and romance to each design.
Another hallmark of Emma Dodi's, are the instantly recognisable hand-painted macarons. Truly exquisite, these intricately hand-painted macarons are a feast to the eyes. From floral representations to contemporary designs including fashion and luxury, Emma relishes the challenge of bringing design to her sweet creations.
Using only the finest ingredients Emma is equally focused on taste and texture. You often find Emma experimenting in her kitchen with new methods and flavours. It is the taste and flavour that will keep you coming back for more.Emma’s passion for style and design is infectious, she loves what she does and cherishes every new and exciting challenge.
INKIFI
Inkifi was founded in England in 2012 by Paul Mosely who wanted to merge his business expertise with his love of travel. After lots of research Paul found that there was a gap in the market for a printing company whose goal was no less than to revolutionise the digital printing world. He envisaged a modernised approach that would both produce images of flawless, supreme quality and be sustainable as well as affordable. On top of that, he also took into account the growing social media community and wanted to create a business that would facilitate the printing from accounts such as Instagram and Facebook.
Paul’s respect for nature and its natural resources is at the heart of the business ethos of taking pride in creating fabulous products which are also kind to nature. Inkifi is determined to show the world that environmentally friendly products can be the most trendy of all and that style and sustainability make a very happy marriage indeed.
The majority of Inkifi products have now been certified by the FSC, the Forest Stewardship Council. This global non-profit certification guarantees that their products are made from materials that promote responsible and sustainable forestry. Having transparency about where their materials come from is one of their top priorities. It's so important to Paul that you can buy Inkifi products in the safe knowledge that they have been produced in an environmentally friendly way.
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