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IT IS a boutique dedicated to giving new life to old furniture – while the store next door dresses people in stylish “pre-loved†clothes.
Both Bespoke Home and its neighbor Repeat are on a mission to help people be stylish and eco-friendly.
Our Trader of the Week, Bespoke Home, run by Sabrina Lock, has only been in business since May, although everything was set to open before the long winter lockdown last December.
“I can turn a boring piece of furniture into a piece of art by cutting it out,†explains Sabrina.
Visitors can see the workshop where Sabrina works to “upcycle†the furniture. They can see the range of Mint By Michelle craft papers that she uses for decoupage.
It’s a technique that has been bolstered by the popularity of Money For Nothing on TV.
“A lot of people have a boring old piece of furniture, but it’s still usable,†says Sabrina.
The furniture sold at Bespoke Home are mainly small storage pieces such as dressers and desks, as well as tables and mirrors.
There are also “statement chairs” – new chairs upholstered in fabrics of the buyer’s choice.
Next to the Bournemouth Road store, Parkstone, is Repeat, which Sabrina’s daughter Jemma Harrison runs with her partner Anna Maria Dew.
Neighboring businesses are also linked by their desire to avoid waste and give a future to things that could have been thrown away before.
Repeat – with its slogan “Buy, wear, swap, repeat†– offers people the option of a stylish new look from clothes someone else is done with.
People can bring in their used clothes for cash payment, or get 20% more for them if they take store credit instead. This credit can also be used on the store’s website.
The trendy “disposable†fashion is a big environmental concern. Some street stores have very low cost clothes that are meant to be thrown away. And many people order clothes online and miss the deadline to return them – or buy from sellers who don’t accept returns.
“We often tell people that the only way to buy clothes in a sustainable way is to buy second-hand clothes,†says Anna Maria.
“Some people really like to change their look. They can wear something multiple times and whatever they buy from us they can bring it back.
The shop has links to a church and a refuge, so what cannot be sold will not be wasted.
Its website and social media channels are very popular, with the website updated nightly Tuesday through Thursday. Rather than just posting photos of the clothes, Jemma models them for people to see on the site and on Facebook Live broadcasts.
“We are giving people more and more information to make more informed purchases,†says Anna Maria.
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