The store selling hyper-local homewares
- Jenna Fansa
- Jun 7, 2023
- 2 min read
Karen Sims has an eye for design and has forged the perfect business – selling the creations of her most-loved local makers.
The interiors stylist studied at St Martins School of Art and worked in New York and Toronto before founding Stoke Newington store Know & Love. It offers a beautiful collection of gifts and homewares – many crafted by designers in North and East London.
They include these plates by Stokey-based Maria Willi – hand-pressed with flowers and leaves and glazed in natural colours as well as a beautiful collection of bowls, mugs and vases by ceramicist Claire Wan, who works from a studio in Haggerston.
The store also stocks candles by Dalston-based House of Buckley – it’s founder Caroline Buckley set up the business after her husband died by suicide and her employer made her redundant. Creating candles became a kind of mindfulness therapy. They’re hand-made in small batches, paraben & phthalate-free, with cotton wicks for a clean burn. And they smell wonderful!
Artist Janne Cornish’s love of pottery stems from a childhood spent with family in Karatsu, Western Japan. The Hackney primary school teacher describes her stoneware pots as “small containers of quiet.” Her work was recently exhibited at the Barbican.
Making small-batch botanical soaps from home-infusions, Skunk Superstore is Juhi Pande’s pride and joy – she works from a home studio in Hackney. Her products also include items made from unique pop-coloured concrete.
When former BBC radio producer Phil Landers visited Guatemala it sparked a dream to make good, sustainably sourced chocolate. He quit his job and trained as a chocolatier, working with chocolate guru Paul A Young and later The Mast Brothers before going it alone. His company Land Chocolate is based in Bethnal Green and every process takes place in-house (roasting, winnowing, grinding and wrapping. It’s stocked in Know & Love and you need to try it!
Also stocked in Know & Love are these stylish mugs by their neighbour Lesley McShea.
Know & Love has been running since 2016 on Stoke Newington Church Street and Local Buyers Club members save 10%.
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It’s interesting how the idea of “local” has become such a strong value in design — whether it’s homewares or clothing. Brands like Essentials in the streetwear world do something similar — focusing on minimalism, quality, and timeless design rather than chasing trends. It’s that same appreciation for simplicity and purpose that connects both worlds.
There’s something quietly poetic about the contrast between a handmade ceramic mug from a local artisan and a Stussy sweatshirt hanging in your closet. Both tell stories — one of tradition, the other of culture and community.
I think that’s what “hyper-local” really means today. It’s not just about where things are made, but about why we choose them. Whether it’s a sweatshirt from Stussy or a handwoven throw from a neighborhood studio, both can represent a sense of belonging — one to a global streetwear movement, the other to your local creative scene.
Maybe the modern home isn’t just filled with local goods, but with pieces that resonate personally — blending the street with the handmade, the global with the…
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