Want to support young and up-and-coming designers? Or simply crave something totally one-of-a-kind for the home? These design platforms are the places to start your shopping journey…
Slancha
This versatile design gallery and platform was founded in 2022 by Edinburgh College of Art product-design graduates Harvey Everson and Findlay MacDonald. On its online store, you’ll find eclectic one-off works that are tricky to source from elsewhere, and limited editions such as This Is Byron’s wooden wall cabinet and James Stephenson’s horny pewter wall hooks. Each piece is chosen for its utility and material integrity.
Beyond the retail arm, though, Slancha hosts physical exhibitions and events, allowing newcomers to showcase work to international audiences. Most recently, it held the group show ‘The Car Boot Sale’ during last year’s London Design Festival, where half the pieces shown came from Slancha’s existing roster of early-career designers, such as Scottish designer Jeremy Hollister’s ‘Too Cube’ lamp (pictured top) for his studio Korrom. slancha.com
The Oblist
An expertly curated platform for contemporary and vintage design, this is the go-to online emporium for Gen Z’s interior-design enthusiasts. While some head there for its impressive library of rare mid-century furniture, there’s a wide range of price points and an evolving edit of work by the next generation of designers. The site’s founders, Paris-based partners in life and work Leia and Gary Sfez, and their team of curators cherry-pick each item to create this covetable edit. Pieces that are already in our shopping cart include the standout teapot by Natalia Criado and Jessi Burch’s ‘Seven Ball’ cutlery set (pictured). oblist.com
The New Craftmaker
If you’re looking for the best of British, The New Craftmaker (formerly The New Craftsmen) has an unmatched portfolio, in no small part thanks to the sharp eye of its creative director Sarah Myerscough. Over nearly 15 years, it has represented hundreds of artisans (including Matthew Raw, whose ‘Welcome’ cabinet is pictured) working across textiles, silverware, furniture, ceramics, jewellery, glassware and more. Now based in the heart of Pimlico Road’s design district, its showroom offers a unique experience akin to sifting through someone’s beloved handmade possessions, and the brand has a reputation for championing burgeoning talent with The New Craftmaker Award at New Designers. thenewcraftmaker.com
Objective Studies
The brainchild of e-commerce whizz Lijana Norkaityte and furniture designer Matteo Fogale, this online marketplace for contemporary designs has a business strategy that sets it apart. By sharing profits with designers and makers, Objective Studies is attempting to bring greater equity to the industry, especially at a time when traditional retail contracts see manufacturers taking big cuts. Focusing on one-of-a-kind pieces, including Elis Monsport’s vase (pictured), with select works for commission or scaled production, it serves collectors, institutions and industry partners. The brand launched collections at the two latest 3 Days of Design festivals, and this year is no different. Drop 003 will be comprised of a small series of objects such as a tea-light holder and a wooden tray. objective-studies.com
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Seeds London
Now in its 11th year, you may have seen Seeds (an acronym for Special Events Exhibitions and Design Selection) at one of its pop-ups at notable galleries and fairs – perhaps at Collect art fair or London Design Festival. Dedicated to uncovering, showcasing and championing collectible and unique contemporary designs, the platform is a must-know for the discerning design shopper, stocking exclusive pieces by everyone from designer Marco Campardo to Tokyo-based studio We+ and its ‘So Coloured’ chair (pictured). There’s a physical shop and gallery space too, located inside founder Nathalie Assi’s Kensington townhouse, where A-list interior designers go to conduct their field research. seedslondon.com
Cockpit Studios
Housed in a former 1960s council office in Deptford, this cluster of makers’ studios has birthed some of the biggest names in contemporary craft, including wood artists Darren Appiagyei and Eleanor Lakelin. Run by a charity and community enterprise that awards talented makers free spaces to practise from, Cockpit Studios was renovated in 2024 by architecture studio Cooke Fawcett, with a focus on opening the space to the public. Twice a year, you can attend its open house to meet makers and purchase wares like Morag Seaton’s ‘Making Faces’ cushion (pictured). cockpitstudios.org
Fels
Where would you go to buy works by the likes of Rooms Studio, Grace Prince and LS Gomma (whose pieces are all pictured)? Fels, of course. This lockdown project by Finbar Conran and Oscar Mitchell brings together a diverse mix of lesser-known makers under one virtual roof. The platform also has a spiritual home with partner Grymsdyke Farm in the village of Lacey Green in Buckinghamshire (where pieces are made and designers engage in researching materials and crafts) and regularly curates exhibitions that bring together contemporary artists who focus on hand-wrought production. fels.world
