Herts &amp; Beds


<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/02/DONT-WORRY-DARLING-WARNER-BROS-.png" alt="Retro living room photograph with woman vacuuming " class="wp-image-142355" /><figcaption>Warner Brothers</figcaption></figure>



<p>Love clean lines and hairpin legs? Then you’re right on trend. Mid-century furniture is having a moment, and we’re head over Heal’s for it. Whatever you thought of the plot and much-twittered shenanigans between Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh following the release of <em>Don’t Worry Darling</em>, surely we’re all agreed on the that divine mid-century sunken living room? Couple that with the opening of Nordic design gallery Modernity at Newson’s Yard, London’s new design hub in Pimlico, and we’re all bonkers for Bauhaus. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.blacksofsopwell.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Blacks of Sopwell</a>, St Albans and Radlett</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="559" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-collection-blacks-of-sopwell-1000x559.jpg" alt="Blacks of Sopwell amber collection furniture " class="wp-image-75785" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-collection-blacks-of-sopwell-1000x559.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-collection-blacks-of-sopwell-800x447.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-collection-blacks-of-sopwell-900x503.jpg 900w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-collection-blacks-of-sopwell.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>This family run biz has been making sustainable furniture for modern living for three decades, so you can be sure that everything has been crafted with their expert attention to detail. While the focus is on modern design, their pieces are often inspired by mid-century furniture, including the current <a href="https://www.blacksofsopwell.com/collections/the-amber-collection" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amber collection</a>, featuring retro round-angled legs, curved lines and handle-less doors and drawers. Every piece is fully customisable to your spec and can be made from sustainable oak, walnut or ash to suit your scheme. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://findampthill.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Find</a>, Ampthill</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="928" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Find-Ampthill-928x1000.jpg" alt="Find Ampthill mid-century sideboard" class="wp-image-75786" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Find-Ampthill-928x1000.jpg 928w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Find-Ampthill-742x800.jpg 742w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Find-Ampthill-1425x1536.jpg 1425w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Find-Ampthill-487x525.jpg 487w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Find-Ampthill.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px" /></figure>



<p>This veritable emporium of mid-century furniture and vintage gems is a must-visit. You never know what you&#8217;ll find with everything from clothing and jewellery to home accessories and furniture, so it&#8217;s always worth a punt. Plus they run Vintage Flea markets in the courtyard outside, so keep an eye on their website and socials for news of the next one. You can even grab a coffee if you need a break from browsing. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.livingroom.uk.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Living Room</a>, Hitchin</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="598" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/living-room-hitchin-1000x598.jpg" alt="Mustard yellow cocktail chair and footstool from living room hitchin" class="wp-image-75793" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/living-room-hitchin-1000x598.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/living-room-hitchin-800x478.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/living-room-hitchin-878x525.jpg 878w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/living-room-hitchin.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Founded by Hitchin local, Joanne Coe, from her lifelong passion for mid-century furniture design, Living Room is all about quality, provenance and craftsmanship. Sofas and armchairs are the main offering with ranges designed in the Hitchin studio. The&#8217;re handmade and upholstered-to-order in the UK to a seriously high spec, with luxe linens, wools, velvets and tweeds. Plus there&#8217;s a range of handwoven cushions and rugs and a select collection of wooden furniture to complete the look. Ideal if you&#8217;re buying to last or are after a future classic. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-retrospective-interiors-borehamwood-herts"><a href="https://www.retrospectiveinteriors.com/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Retrospective Interiors</a>, Borehamwood, Herts</h2>



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<p>Prepare to have your mind blown by this vast showroom and homage to mid-20<sup>th</sup> Century British and Scandi furniture. Parker Knoll, Richard Hornby, Angraves, Heal’s and more – all the names are here, big and small, and we can guarantee you’ll come back with more than you bargained for.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.foxandmonkey.co" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fox &amp; Monkey</a>, Biggleswade</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/fox-and-monkey-1000x1000.jpg" alt="Fox and monkey biggleswade mid-century sideboard" class="wp-image-75795" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/fox-and-monkey-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/fox-and-monkey-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/fox-and-monkey-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/fox-and-monkey-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/fox-and-monkey-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/fox-and-monkey-1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/fox-and-monkey.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Husband and wife team, Katie and Sam fused their passions for woodworking (Sam) and interior design (Katie) to set up their furniture workshop in Bedfordshire. Sustainability and style are their calling cards and all pieces are crafted with high quality, locally sourced materials and sustainable hardwoods, plus they plant a tree for every order received! As well as their core collections which have a distinct mid-century vibe, they offer a bespoke service but only take on a few clients per year, so be sure to get in there fast if you&#8217;re keen!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://emmaus.org.uk/hertfordshire/what-we-do/upcycling/">Emmau</a><a href="https://emmaus.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">s</a>, St Albans, Tring, Boxmoor</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="886" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/emmaus-tring-from-facebook-1000x886.jpg" alt="Emmaus Hertfordshire 60s swivel chairs with Orla Kiely cushions" class="wp-image-75788" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/emmaus-tring-from-facebook-1000x886.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/emmaus-tring-from-facebook-800x709.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/emmaus-tring-from-facebook-593x525.jpg 593w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/emmaus-tring-from-facebook.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The Herts branch of this national charity, that supports people out of homelessless, provides work, not only selling in the shops but also restoring and upholstering donated pieces of vintage and mid-century furniture and homeware in its St Albans workshop. The re-loved pieces are then distributed to the four local stores in St Albans, Boxmoor and Tring and sold for really reasonable prices. I rarely come out empty handed! </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SHOP THE MUDDY COUNTIES…</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://mayandcointeriors.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">May + Co</a>, Oxford</h2>



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<p>Amy and Martin have an eye for an elegant piece of mid-century furniture so it’s no surprise to hear that their stock regularly sells out. Sign up to the May + Co newsletter to get a first look at the new stock, which goes online on the last Sunday of the month, or go and check it out at their appointment only warehouse in Oxford’s Hurst Street. Desks, books cases, and cabinets are their bread and butter but you’ll probably get seduced by the unusual pottery and accessories too.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.bullandtash.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bull + Tash</a>, Chesham</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/05/BullTash.jpg" alt="Bull + Tash Chesham mid-century furniture" /></figure>



<p>If mid-century is your thing then you need to stop by Chesham high street and pop into Bull + Tash’s fabulous showroom. They’ve had an online presence on IG for a while now, enticing South Bucks residents with gorgeous, one-off pieces sourced from the continent. Can’t make it to Chesham? No worries. It’s all online and is an interiors hipster’s dream.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.erfmann-vintage.co.uk/collections/mid-century" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Efrmann Vintage</a>, Sudbury, Suffolk</h2>



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<p>You can pick up a fabulously retro chair or storage unit here for under £300, which isn’t bad value in mid-century terms. With the best in Danish and Scandi design, this place has supplied collectors, interior designers, film sets and museums for 50 years, so if you see something you like online, you’d better get there quick to check it out. Viewings by appointment only.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.orangeandbrown.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange &amp; Brown</a>, Bristol</h2>



<p>You’ve gotta love the name of this place that just sums up the whole vintage/kitsch thang and it’s iconic design. You can shop small at this place – an Arne Jacobsen toast rack perhaps? Or go big with a whole set of his dining chairs – talk about Bauhaus.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://junkdeluxe.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Junk Deluxe</a>, Margate, Kent</h2>



<p>This place covers has the 20th Century heyday covered, from the 1930s to the 80s and every inch of rosewood and rattan in between. Check out the stock online or make a weekend of it with a trip to this seaside town which is up to its elbows in retro.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.theoldcinema.co.uk/midcentury.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Old Cinema</a>, Chiswick, London</h2>



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<p>A potter round the Old Cinema is never a wasted trip if you find yourself with an hour to spare in west London. The mid-century collection is always being topped up and has the more affordable Ercol items alongside the more striking – and eye wateringly-priced – rarer finds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.vintiquelondon.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vintique</a>, Peckham, London</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/02/Untitled-design-2023-02-21T094152.313.jpg" alt="Vintique Peckham" class="wp-image-142348" /></figure>



<p>With more than ten years in the business, this Aladdin’s Cave is a hotspot for vintage and retro finds and a little more at the affordable end with prices tending towards three figures, rather than four. While you’re in town, also check out <a href="https://www.twocolumbiaroad.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Two Columbia Road</a> in East London for statement pieces and <a href="http://ferrovelholondon.co.uk/shop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ferro Velho</a> near Old Street for icing-on-the-cake accessories, or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/2and4vintage/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2 &amp; 4 Vintage</a> on Southgate Road in Hackney which has a cult following for its bright and bold furniture and accessories.</p>



<p><strong>Shopping online? </strong>Check out <a href="https://midcenturyrefind.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">midcenturyrefind.co.uk</a> for its constantly updated selection of chairs, tables and storage or <a href="https://www.fourquartershome.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fourquartershome.com</a> to ogle its uber chic furniture, lighting and artwork. Like the look but don’t want to splurge? <a href="https://www.habitat.co.uk/inspiration/mid-century-trend" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">habitat</a>, <a href="https://fisheandlilly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fishe &amp; Lily</a> and <a href="https://www.westelm.co.uk/ideas-inspiration/shop-trending-styles/mid-century-furniture" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">West Elm</a> are a good bet and come come in cheaper than the cult name antiques.</p>



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