Floor to ceiling dark walls, vintage furniture and off-beat artwork all blend to give Omagh girl Wendy Aldridge's East London home a sophisticated yet laidback look. She's been spending lockdown here with husband James and their three children, Ida (10), Arlie (7) and baby Elodie (16 months). We caught up with her about how what she's been spending the last few months of quarantine and how she sees business and home life moving forward now...
Image Credit: Jack Barnes, taken as part of a community project to raise funds for Walthamstow food bank Eat or Heat Hi Wendy. Thanks for talking to us. We'd love to know how you've spent your lockdown?
And how has it been business wise?
Business has been really good, it was pretty slow at the start but picked up in the weeks following and May was a very strong month indeed. I think people being at home more has resulted in many doing work to their living spaces that may have been put off in the past. Prints purchased to fill wall spaces, perhaps not noticed so much pre lockdown and there seems to be a definite trend in people using the time at home to be a bit more green fingered, so planters have been proving popular as well. We’ve also taken a lot of gift orders. People are sending friends and relatives something to cheer them up in the absence of being able to see them properly.
Is there anything new you’ve learned about your home during the last few months?
I’ve learned how much I love our kitchen - despite the cupboard and back doors appearing to constantly be covered in small sticky hand prints, it’s a sign of how much we’ve used the space to cook, bake and hang out together as a family these last few months, which has been lovely.
The large red vintage lights in Wendy's kitchen were reclaimed from an old gym and found at Retrouvious. Pic Dave Cleveland
One of Wendy's favourite features in her kitchen are the stainless steel worktops that are made by her dad's company back in Omagh. Pic Dave Cleveland.Are there any spaces you are using more now than before?
The beautiful terrazzo tiles in Wendy and James' garden are from a company who specialise in architectural and design projects called Structural Skins
Any ideas on what you would change at home if you could?
What lessons do you think you will take away?
How do you see the pandemic affecting your business - and retail generally - moving forward?
This image of Wendy's house is one of the most shared living rooms on Pinterest. The chair is a green leather Mid Century piece by Swedish brand DeSede which was bought on Ebay. The artwork is by an artist called Aida and was purchased via print shop Nelly Duff . The desk is Mid Century French and came from a vintage shop. Pic Dave Cleveland
One of Wendy's favourite pieces is the Josef Hoffman bentwood and woven cane chair in their upstairs bathroom. Pic Dave Cleveland
The reclaimed panelling in the family downstairs bathroom is from disused barns in India so has lots of tones running through it which give the room a really cosy and lived in feel. "I love how much of a statement it is for what can often be an overlooked but regularly used room in the house," says Wendy. Pic Dave Cleveland.
The reclaimed seats in the family hallway are from an old cinema in Belgium. The mirror is from an antique shop while the floor tiles are Topps Tiles. Pic Dave Cleveland.
‘The orange shade was a piece I purchased for the website but in some sort of serendipitous turn of events, when I unpacked it, the lamp that usually sat there had been moved to make way for an incoming Christmas tree," says Wendy " I plugged it in to see what it looked like lit up and realised it was absolutely perfect for the space. It hasn't moved since, haha!’ Pic Dave Cleveland.
