We at Heal's believe that the sweet smell of success starts at home, so it's no surprise that we have fallen for the beautiful scents of Soapsmith.
A must-have for an elegant bathroom, we are delighted to feature the London based business as part of our Heal's Modern Craft Market: Made in London and even more so to sit down with founder Samantha Jameson to discuss the art of crafting luxury soaps and scents.
Did you have aspirations to become a craftsperson from a young age?
Nope, I just wanted to do anything that made me happy and smile. Before Soapsmith, I did a completely unrelated degree in Liverpool studying Business Studies and went on to work in the corporate world organising events.
I made soaps, bath and body products as a hobby and gave them out as gifts for family and friends. Thankfully they realised the love I put into them so they went down well and I ended up gaining a mini cult-like following.
I later did a three month course in soap making, where I studied every soap related chemistry book I could get my eager hands on, learning my craft the old school way. It was then I realised I didn’t want to do something just for a pay cheque. I wanted to gain true enjoyment, which I have found through Soapsmith.
What is it about the medium of soap making that you love work in that you love?
Soap making is really an art. Getting the soap blend at the perfect pouring temperature and consistency is a real skill that's akin to baking cakes! With soap making you are always learning new techniques.
I started making soap 14 years ago but only made it a full time job four years ago, so it's taken me quite a few years to master the technique. I am proud to say that I can now feel any bar of soap and know exactly the process it was made in.
At what point did you feel that the whole concept for Soapsmith was coming together?
The first piece I made that really made me happy was the Marble Arch Soap. It was created to resemble a piece of black marble, little specks and all, and it is pretty close in resemblance in my opinion. The second I must mention is the Body Butter Melt, it is made with such care to create a fluffy air like texture and always gets rave reviews!
What inspires you to create your handcrafted scents?
London is an inspiration as are holiday destinations such as Bergen in Norway, Poland and Italy. I admire people like Sharmadean Reid who is a massive supporter of women in business and is one of the very rare people that actually helps and cares.
She is not a maker as such, more a designer and has an amazing company called WAH NAILS - she put nail art on the map. Anyway, her work ethic and kindness continues to inspire myself and the whole team at Soapsmith HQ.
“Soap making is really an art. Getting the soap blend at the perfect pouring temperature and consistency is a real skill that’s akin to baking cakes!”
Tell us about your studio where the magic happens.
Our studio is set in a former clock factory in North London. We have a large mezzanine level which allows us to get a birds eye view of part of the unit and there is a massive stainless steel table which allows up to ten people to work around it, each doing a specific task.
As our products are made by hand we have various pieces of equipment around the unit including huge oils tanks, wrenches to lift the moulds, cutters for cutting the soaps and our moulds into which we pour the soap. We even have cement mixers for some of our products! We have another area just for curing the soaps, with racks and racks of hand cut pieces waiting to be packed into their little boxes.
Lastly we have a packing section for all the stockists and online orders we get. Every day there are boxes of Soapsmith products ‘scent from London’ waiting to be collected by our couriers.
What is it about living and working in London that inspires you?
London is quite literally the world's melting pot and it is filled with many sights and sounds from Cranes to Cathedrals. Every single day something happens that inspires us here, be it the scent of the moss on the pavement, which I nearly slip over on, or the daffodils as I walk across Lloyds Park.
I recommend for sure Wildcard Brewery at Ravenswood Industrial Estate in Walthamstow, Mother’s Ruin Gin Palace and Gods Own Junkyard, a neon wonder, again at Ravenswood Industrial Estate! Can you tell I love Walthamstow and Ravenswood Estate? The William Morris Bar on Forest road also does cracking jerk chicken meal.
“As our products are made by hand we have various pieces of equipment around the unit…we even have cement mixers for some of our products!”
Tell us a bit about the workshop you will be running as part of the Heal’s Modern Craft Market.
We will be holding a bath soak making workshop. Our bath soaks win awards due to the ingredients, methods of manufacture and scents we use and in this workshop we will discuss the benefits of Epsom salts, oatmeal powder and a few of the other ingredients we use.
Each person at the workshop will get a chance to make their own bath soak, take home samples of our soaps and other new products not yet launched, so you will make a Soapsmith bath soak and leave with a whole lot more!
Finally, what does the future hold for Soapsmith?
We are working at the moment with a cool Coffee Roasting company called Perky Blenders, for whom we have produced the most amazing coffee scrub using their beans. We love working with likeminded companies so feel free to get in touch with our soaps and us!
[ INSPIRATION ]
Behind the design
Founded in 2011 by father and daughter duo Christopher and Emily Johnson, 1882 Ltd. are saviours of the British ceramics industry.
Their entire collection is made using centuries-old traditions in Stoke on Trent, better known as one of the “Five Towns” that make up the Staffordshire Potteries - the traditional heartland of Britain’s fine China industry.
All this talk of heritage and traditional craftsmanship may evoke an “olde worlde” view of home accessories, however, 1882 Ltd. is anything but, collaborating with a handpicked crop of artists and designers whose work seeks to push the boundaries of what ceramics can do.
We caught up with Emily, a fifth generation ceramicist, at her London studio to learn more about the unique processes and techniques that go into the 1882 Ltd. collection.
London-based Max Lamb is renowned for placing materials and traditional processes at the core of his designs. The visual simplicity of his work stimulates a dialogue between maker, product and user, reaffirming the role of craftsmanship in contemporary design. His Crockery range is an expressive collection of fine bone china tableware.
Blurring the line between designer and craftsman, Lamb uses the tools of a stonemason to carve each piece from solid blocks of plaster. To capture the raw textures and sculptural structures of Lamb’s designs, each piece is slip-cast by 1882 Ltd. from the designer’s hand carved plaster models. The interior is then glazed for functionality while the exterior is left unfinished for a textural contrast.
“Max was propelled by the process and removing the work of the modeller. This was great but required a different knowledge base from us in terms of ensuring that the models could be moulded for batch production. Then we had to look at finessing the pieces further ensuring that they were fettled back to where Max wanted them to be...
This meant talking things through with the potters directly to make sure everyone was on the same page. With the limited edition collection we discussed ways in which we could maximise the master mould to create two pieces instead of one. This was a conversation that could only have taken place after years of working together where trust and understanding had been established.”
Through her furniture and ceramics, British designer Faye Toogood demonstrates a passion for materiality and experimentation. Her highly sculptural work, while showing an astute respect for the past, is derived from pure self-expression and instinct.
The Indigo Rain range is Faye’s fresh spin on traditional English creamware and Delftware. Reinterpreting the homely familiarity of blue and white striped crockery, broad bands of indigo glaze wash over each piece like painterly watercolour brushstrokes.
Made from fine earthenware, swathes of deep blue glaze are applied to rough canvas and then transferred to the ceramic imbuing each piece with the characteristic grain of the fabric. This process renders each plate, bowl and cup a unique one-off design.
“Faye and I had talked about doing a very different collection for nearly 12 months but then we had an epiphany about what we wanted to do and the rest came naturally. The collection has evolved easily from that point as the concept for it was so strong. Sometimes to start is the hardest thing and it can take three years to even get to that point.”
Fort Standard is a young contemporary Brooklyn-based design studio founded in 2011 by Industrial Designers Gregory Buntain and Ian Collings. The multi-faceted design of the Standard Ware range epitomises their combination of traditional materials and innovative processes.
Crafted from fired earthenware, each piece is minimally glazed on both the interior and exterior to maintain focus on the striking angular profiles. “One the great joys about ranges is that there is no one typical process!
The only thing that is typical is that each designer comes to Stoke on Trent so that they can meet the team, see the process and get inspired. This was the case with Fort Standard whose process meant that they would pass the design back and forth from Ian to Greg and then back from Greg to Ian with sketches and models until they were happy with the outcome. This resulted in a design that is literally created out of its own making.
We started with cups and then discussed the breadth of the collection we wanted and what items we needed - the finish alone was debated and discussed for months!”
A true testament to the craftsmanship of 1882 Ltd. the Slick range of tableware has been designed and developed by the studio's in-house potters. Individually worked and hand glazed with a unique marble-like design, each mug and bowl are one-off designs.
“Slick is the best one of all as it was an accident! We did an exhibition a few years ago for LDF with Benchmark called Factory. We were launching four new collections and were also serving tea and food so needed bowls and teacups.
We didn't want to offend any of the designers so someone suggested we do our own collection, which we did and that is how Slick came about! It's now one of our best selling collections.”
“Slick is decorated by one man while Indigo Storm is made by a team of 70. Crockery, on the other hand, is made by a team of 12. We always use the best people for the collection at hand. It can make life a little complicated but we believe it is important to get it down right.”
As regards Emily’s plan for the future, it’s a case of more of the same, please. Well, that is to say for 1882 Ltd. to continue preserving the traditional skills of the Potteries and by working with innovative design talent.
“We must do everything in our power to keep the techniques and practises going. That means - great design, great industrial craft, great retailers and most important of all - customers who love and value our products. If we can achieve that I will be a happy woman!”
Discover our curated selection of pieces from the 1882 Ltd. collection online or in store.
To the curators and craftsmen of King & McGaw, a bare wall is nothing but an empty canvas. Purveyors of the finest art prints and frames, they bring a selection of limited editions, rare exhibition posters and designer stationery to Heal’s with the launch of their latest concession at our flagship store.
Since founding the business from a Brighton basement in the early eighties, King & McGaw has grown to become the go-to for art prints. Working with the world’s top museums, galleries and cultural institutions, the Sussex based business sources the best in original pieces and faithful reproductions from the likes of Warhol, Hockney, Picasso and many more.
Launching online as part of our Spring/Summer 17 collection, shop the full King & McGaw collection by visiting Heal’s Tottenham Court Road store.
No stranger to Heal's, we've been big fans of London Terrariums’ ever since they first hosted their workshops at our Tottenham Court Road store.
Since then this small botanical business has gone from strength to strength with a string of magazine features, window displays and even a talk at Nicer Tuesdays hosted by uber trendy design journal It's Nice That.
So what does the future hold for London Terrariums? To find out, we took a trip to sunny South London to talk demijohns, Fittonias and moss (oh so much moss) with the lovely Emma and Thom.
How did London Terrariums all begin?
We started London Terrariums about 3 years ago one Saturday afternoon just using what we could find in the local area; stones and moss from my front garden and cuttings from our own house plants.
We used a pickle jar that we had lying around and soon realised that making terrariums was highly addictive, before we knew it both our houses were over flowing with these little eco-systems.
We then started making for friends and then friends of friends and after a while we were making them for people we didn't even know. It all happened without us really realising!
So where does LT call home?
We’ve had our studio in Bermondsey for about a year now. For us it is a really exciting area, we are surrounded by lots of other studios and work-spaces that have really creative things happening.
Just the other day we turned up and there was a box of sand and soil outside our door with a little note saying ‘we thought this might come in handy for you!’ There’s a really nice open door feeling and everyone is really interested in what is going on and keen to help each other out.
What’s an average day in the studio like?
At the moment Saturday’s are our big studio days and they will quite often start with a workshop. This means an early rise and trip to New Covent Garden Flower Market and then back to the studio to get everything sorted and ready to take to the workshop venue.
These will usually take a few hours and we are normally back in the studio by mid-afternoon, packing away and organising again. Tom’s dad helped us build the interior of the studio, which was great as we were able to curate it how we liked with rows of small shelves for our plants, hooks for tools and a lovely large work desk. When it is tidy the studio is the best place to be!
“Making terrariums is highly addictive... before we knew it our houses were overflowing with little eco-systems.”
Then it is time to work out what’s happening the week ahead, this may mean we have to make some orders for people or organise an install, and usually we have to do a big order of vessels or corks or just make sure the moss is all healthy and watered.
What’s the design process behind your terrariums? Does it depend on the vessel, the plant, etc?
From what we have learnt so far about building a terrarium, it never goes to plan. You may have an idea of what you want a specific vessel to look like, but it always turns out differently!
The smaller vessels we use such as the demijohn and the tinyjohn have a select few plants that can be used, the small leaved Fittonias work really well with some moss and a few pebbles, it is really just a space issue with these as you need to leave room for the plants to grow.
Tom and myself we don’t really see a terrarium as finished after we have built it, the process is an on going development and growth of the plants inside the vessel. That it the most exciting part for us - not knowing how a terrarium will look after a few years as each vessel will turn out completely different.
Workshops are big part of LT. Is teaching people about terrariums an important part of what you do?
We are both still learning ourselves, so each workshop kind of develops from the previous one as we ourselves pick up new knowledge along the way. We didn’t start out with the intention of holding workshops, but now I would say they are our biggest avenue and our favourite part! Showing people our hand made tools and teaching them the best way to get a large plant into a small vessel is so much fun.
We want to show that making a terrarium is so accessible that you can create one using anything you have lying about the house, a jam jar, some compost and moss from the garden plus a cutting from one of your houseplants provide the perfect components to get you started.
Everything we teach at the workshop can be put into practice at home, our first tool was a stick with a cotton reel on one end and a corn on the cob skewer taped to the other, one for patting down the soil in the hard to reach places and the other for ‘jabbing’ things and getting them out again! It’s all pretty resourceful.
Mainly we love just passing on what we know and watching people get so protective over their own terrariums, after workshops. We have had panicked 1am emails from people with questions as to whether their terrarium is looking ok!
You have also made custom designs for some really interesting shops and venues. Which project are you most proud of?
This is a great part of the job as we get to use all the big terrariums and curate completely different displays with them, and each project throws new challenges at us as the lighting and temperate will always differ from place to place.
“That is the most exciting part for us, not knowing how a terrarium will look after a few years as each vessel turns out completely different.”
One of our first installs was at an East London restaurant Merchants Tavern about 2 years ago and this was so exciting. The space, however, was quite dark so we used carboys and a lot of plants which would be ok in low lighting.
After this we also installed in Heal’s on Tottenham Court Road, which seemed to be the perfect conditions for the terrariums to thrive in, the first floor showroom hosted a few of the vessels and it was great watching the plants grow in them over time.
I think we are most proud of our most recent install though. Just before Christmas we took over the windows of concept store The Dandy Lab, using our exclusive Science Vessel Terrariums and introducing some hanging mossariums made especially for the space. It was great dressing the windows with around 20 of our terrariums and arranging them.
As any follower of interior trends knows, houseplants have made a big comeback the last couple of seasons. What do you think sets London Terrariums apart?
I think it is our enthusiasm for what we do and our interest in how these ecosystems actually work. There are a lot of other terrariums makers out there, however some of them seem to be very ornamental, and static, apposed to actually a living self-sustaining cycle.
For us, a cactus in an open glass bowl is not a terrarium. There is no science behind that you have just potted a plant. But if you get some moss on a bed of compost in a closed jam jar you have yourself a terrarium to watch develop. We have sealed terrariums which have been alive for three or more years and they are thriving.
“Sometimes we even have panicked 1am emails from people with questions as to whether their terrarium is looking ok!”
These may not seem that beautiful to some people as they will be very mossy and overgrown, but we love them because for us this is the proof that what we are doing is working.
What are your plans for the future? Any exciting new projects in the pipeline?
We plan to push the workshops much further. We have just had a discussion about doing a terrarium supper club collaboration which would work so well as most of the tools we use originated from our kitchens.
There are also a lot more big installs coming up and we will be hosting workshops and talks in the summer at GROW London and BBC Gardeners World Live, which has gone down very well with my grandparents!
Further Reading:
www.londonterrariums.com
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HEAL'S DISCOVERS
HEAL'S DISCOVERS
Ed Heritage
As part of this season’s Heal’s Discovers initiative, we’re delighted to introduce Ed Heritage, an award-winning UK-based designer whose signature style of clean geometry and playful details is reflected in the beautiful lamp he created.
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