Home & Bargains

Recently I was lucky enough to be on the judging panel for the 2011 Homes & Gardens Designer Awards. My category was Retailer of the Year. This presented me with quite a considerable dilemma.

Previous years’ winners included behemoths of the high street such as Laura Ashley and John Lewis. Whilst I could well see why either of these retailers might justify winning on the grounds of choice or value for money, my feeling was very much that the current zeitgeist of retailing is all about individuality, a truly original customer proposition and even a little eccentricity, as we all seek to make our homes a true reflection of our own personality.

Consequently, I decided to champion the much smaller retailers who are delivering a more bespoke proposition, people like An Angel at my Table, Twentytwentyone, Labour & Wait and RE. I was absolutely thrilled when my fellow judges agreed that Re should take the crown.

A wonderful website and retail outlet that sells quirky and unusual objects, some recycled, some restored, most just remarkable, RE is a brilliant example of how a small operation can reach a large audience, and how genuine passion and enthusiasm (that authenticity thing again), will always find its following. Congratulations Simon and Jenny. Richly deserved.

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