Nine Years on King Street
I always wanted to move to the seaside.
We'd started AARVEN in London, our first shop was on Columbia Road, right on the flower market, which I loved. But London rents had reached the point where so much of what I could pay myself as an emerging business was disappearing straight into rent. I had a decision to make: quit the business, or move out. So I chose the sea.
Not long after I'd moved to Margate, a friend sent me a photo of a property up for rent on King Street. We put in an application and didn't get it. It went to someone else; we were second choice. Then, while I was away on holiday, I got a message to say the first choice had fallen through, and would we still like it? It was a dream come true.
We spent a month getting it ready, sanding the floors down, painting, installing all the shop displays and hardware. My husband Freddy did all the shop fitting, and has done ever since; the space has evolved constantly over the nine years we've been here. It's never quite finished, and I rather like that.
A town that's changed
Margate has transformed in the time we've been here. When I first moved in, there was one yoga studio and a couple of cafés. Now the town is teeming — art galleries, restaurants good enough to draw people from all over the UK, the Turner Contemporary, Tracey Emin. It's become one of the most vibrant places I can imagine being, and I feel really lucky to be part of it.
Which leads to my favourite shop memory. Holly Tucker of Not On The High Street and Holly & Co was in Margate on her small business tour, and came to interview us in the shop. While we were talking, Tracey Emin walked in. Holly was completely starstruck, and what could have been just an interview turned into this lovely, unexpected moment shared between all of us. That's the shop at its best, really - you never quite know who's going to walk through the door!
Why you'll still find me on the shop floor
Nine years in, I still love being in the shop. I like engaging with customers one to one, that immediate, first-hand feedback is precious, and it genuinely guides my designs. I'm always thinking about our customers when I'm designing, about what they need and want, and there's nothing like watching someone's face when they pick something up for the first time.
What I most want is for someone walking through the door to feel like they've been transported somewhere else, into different cultures, different worlds. I want them to share our love and appreciation for the artisan crafts we've gathered, to leave feeling inspired, maybe wanting to add a splash of colour to their own home.
The people who make it
None of it works without the team. Natalie has been with us for six years now — she knows every single aspect of the business, and has been a real rock to me personally over that time. More recently we've been joined by Alex, Hannah and Jenny. Hannah and Jenny are both artists, so they bring a real wealth of design sense and love of colour to the shop floor. And Alex is just wonderful with customers, always getting lovely reviews, one of those genuinely likeable people everyone warms to.
I should also say a word about these photographs, which were taken by Joe Lang — a brilliant local photographer, and a dear friend. Working with someone who knows the town, and knows us, made the whole thing feel like exactly what it is: a local independent business, photographed by another.
Come and see us
If you're in Margate over the bank holiday, do come in. We've got all our paper light shades back in store, the hand-painted pottery is back in stock, and there's incense, jewellery and homeware waiting to be discovered. You'll get to take home a little piece of Margate, a little piece of summer, something ethically made, and really thought about in the design.
Find us at 34 King Street, open seven days a week. I'll probably be on the shop floor. Come and say hello.
Amy x
Photography by Joe Lang
