At a trade show, you always get chatting to lots of people, from buyers to exhibitors. With lots of like-minded people under one roof, it’s hard not to! It was at our most recent show that during a little wander, I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Anna the founder of ALSO Home. This lovely lifestyle brand boasts a gorgeous selection of unique, high quality linens, tableware and home accessories for Scandinavian inspired interiors. We found some lovely synergy between our brands and thought that you’d love them as much as we do!
So we’ve taken some of Anna’s time and asked her a few questions about ALSO Home so you (and us, we’re nosy, too!) can find out even more about them, their ethos and inspirations. And don’t blame us if you head over there immediately after reading this Q&A for a beautiful linen table cloth or whitewashed garden trug! What’s not to love!
Tell us about yourself and what led you to create ALSO Home?
I’m Anna, 41 year mother of one and a wife. I’m also step mum to two girls, so on top of the business, family life is full! For as long as I can remember I’ve loved creating and designing and fairly early on in my career I started to dream about having my own business. Having travelled a lot for work designing and sourcing all over the world, I wanted to create my own brand and range of products. I got to the point where it was ‘now or never’ and so took the plunge……….just as the recession hit in 2008.
As a small business ourselves, we understand the struggles and obstacles that one has to overcome day to day, but what has been your proudest moment with ALSO Home?
My proudest moment probably came this year when we moved into the new premises that the business is now run from. It seemed beyond my wildest dreams and suddenly very grown up. Having started the business in a recession, you don’t take anything for granted and have to work so hard to keep moving forward.
How much does social media play a part in your business?
It is starting to play a large part in Also Home. However I do find it hard to get the balance of working on content for our Social Media channels without getting consumed by it. As a small business juggling time is always a struggle, but we are trying to find the right balance finding our voice.
Where do you find your inspirations?
Mostly from my travels but also from everyday things around me.
What is the brands ethos?
We design and create a unique range that is exclusive to us, that are wherever possible hand crafted or hand made. We source ethically and work with artisans and craftspeople in the countries we source from and work to ensure they are given better opportunities through the products we give them and the work we do with them. We also have a strong conviction to recycle, reuse and protect our planet. At the moment we are starting the journey of removing plastic from our business. As with anything this is going to take time, but it is something we are challenged to do and over the coming year we will be changing our packaging to remove plastic and help our oceans and planet.
What is your favourite item from the collection?
It’s probably our washed 100% linen bed linen. Having trained as a textile designer for me it’s all about fabrics and our linen is such a lovely quality. It’s super soft and perfect all year round. Linen keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer and allows your body to breath as you sleep. With our busy lives we need to ensure we have a great night’s sleep and choosing the best fabrics for your bed linen is essential.
Try our Silver Grey Lisbon Bed Linen.
What would be your one top tip for adding finishing touches to your home?
Be true to who you are and what you want your home to reflect in terms of style. Showing your personality in your home is the best way to create a space that you can relax in. Add textures and layer up. Throws and blankets on sofa’s and beds, different sized cushions and a cosy rug under foot. We are strong believers in finding that Hygge moment within our homes, and in order to achieve that, the finishing touches should be there to help you and your guests relax and feel at home.
And finally, what does the year ahead hold for ALSO Home?
We have an exciting year ahead in our new HQ. We are opening our showroom at the end of March and planning various events throughout the year. We are looking forward to collaborating with other brands locally and holding shopping mornings in our showroom. We are working hard online to grow our online sales and for more people aware of Also Home. As a small business it’s easy to be missed and obscured by the larger brands, but I believe a lot of people want to buy and source from smaller businesses and we need to use that to our advantage.
Thanks to Anna for her time and answering these questions for us! Keep your eyes peeled for an exciting competition coming very soon!
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