Latest news with #Vinterior
Times
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Times
How London shapes the world of Vinterior's Sandrine Zhang Ferron
Sandrine Zhang Ferron was born in China, raised in France, educated in business and worked in finance. But a decade ago she had both a moment of realisation and an immediate problem. One, she didn't want to spend her life 'making rich people richer' in finance, and two, she really wanted a yellow Poul Volther chair, but couldn't find one. They became the catalyst for an idea that changed the market for vintage furniture: in 2015 she launched Vinterior, an online marketplace for vintage and pre-owned furniture, lighting, textiles, home decor and art. Ten years on, the platform has 690,000 monthly visits, over half of which are Londoners. 'The city's rhythm, constant energy, and unexpected encounters have made it feel not just like home but the place where everything began,' she says. Now rooted in London, the self-confessed aesthete finds endless inspiration in the city's eclectic mix of cultures, styles and hidden gems. We asked Zhang Ferron to share her favourite spots, from the markets where she unearths unique finds to the places that feed her creativity. Suzhou, the Venice of China, where I lived with my aunt until I was five while my parents were settling in France. Then Lille, in the north of France, where I spent my teenage years. And Paris, where I did my master's, met my husband and built some of my closest friendships. The mix of cultures still lives in me. Split between north London and Mallorca. In London, it's that familiar triangle between Arsenal, Stoke Newington and Highbury, where I had the idea for Vinterior and where the company began. And then there's Puigpunyent, a small village in Mallorca where we spend most summers and long weekends. It's where our daughter learnt to walk, where we celebrated ten years of marriage and where everything slows down. One is full of momentum and energy. The other is quiet, grounding —our reset. • Your guide to life in London: what's new in culture, food and property Curious, convenient, delicious. Queen Elizabeth I, specifically the day after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. I've always admired leaders who stay composed under pressure, and her Tilbury speech is such a powerful example of that. I'd want to see how she handled the political aftermath, balancing strength and vulnerability, leading in a world that wasn't designed to hear her voice. We'd walk the streets of Tudor London (ideally with good boots and a bit of distance: I'm not sure how often things were cleaned) and I'd ask her how she navigated power without compromise, earned loyalty without giving too much away and kept her independence when the world expected her to marry. Her line 'I have the heart and stomach of a king' captures the mix of courage and restraint that true leadership requires. We [her partner and I] planned to stay in London for two years before moving to Asia — it's now been 18. I doubt I would have started a company, let alone Vinterior, if we'd lived elsewhere. London has this way of opening doors you didn't even know existed. Coming from a French and Chinese background I was used to being very direct and sometimes too direct, as I quickly learnt in my early days here. Highbury Barn is pretty close to perfect. It has everything I could want — La Fromagerie for cheese, Godfreys for amazing cuts, Highbury Fishmongers where I pick up fresh clams every Saturday to make spaghetti alle vongole for lunch (my daughter's favourite), and Da Mario for incredible Italian deli goods. Their fennel sausage, rosemary ham and mortadella are the best I've found in London. Swimming at Hampstead Heath Ladies' Pond. Only in London would cold water before breakfast feel like something people queue up for. There's a little hidden gem just behind London Fields that's become our go-to, aptly named Behind. A young, passionate chef puts out a seafood-led menu that changes with the seasons. The dishes are inventive and full of soul, and the wine list is just as thoughtfully curated. It always feels intimate, like you're in on a secret. I also love Prawn on the Lawn in Highbury for something a bit more relaxed: strong flavours, fresh fish and small plates that are made for sharing. My ideal night out starts with an early dinner, followed by immersive theatre — ideally Punchdrunk. Every experience there is electric. I love the ritual of debriefing with friends afterwards: what they noticed, what I missed, how we each saw something different. It's a brilliant conversation-starter. My ultimate breakfast indulgence is the bacon naan (with an egg, always) at Dishoom; the King's Cross location is my usual. It's a comforting ritual. On the weekends, you'll often find me at the French market on Blackstock Road. Their baguettes and croissants are the real deal and, in January, I always make a pilgrimage for a proper galette des rois. French roots die hard. Vinterior, of course. I used to spend weekends scouring vintage fairs and antique shops, hunting for the perfect piece. Now I can do it all online, from velvet Bellini sofas to sculptural art deco sideboards or a rustic ladder-back chair with just the right patina. It's all about character and history — and convenience. I'm at Third Space Islington four to five times a week: it's my reset button. I mix strength training, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), yoga and Pilates, depending on the day. My favourite mornings start with a tough HIIT session, followed by fifteen minutes in the sauna and five minutes in the cold plunge. It wakes me up on every level. I love the full spectrum — musicals, theatre, immersive performances, opera, ballet — you name it, I'll go. Recently I saw Much Ado About Nothing with Tom Hiddleston and it was absolutely brilliant. London's cultural scene never stops surprising me. When I want to slow down and take it all in, I'll head to the Royal Academy of Arts or the National Portrait Gallery. Both have that perfect blend of iconic works and unexpected discoveries. Whether it's a blockbuster exhibition or something more niche, I always walk away seeing the world a little differently. For me, it's Michaela Coel. She grew up in east London, trained at Guildhall, and created work like I May Destroy You that's bold, uncomfortable, and completely original. She embodies what makes London special: that someone with a strong, honest voice can shape culture without needing permission. She's both deeply local and globally resonant. Her work reminds me this city is where unexpected, anti-conformist voices don't just emerge, they thrive.
Evening Standard
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
What to do in London in May: the best interiors events, collabs and design launches to check out this month
Give cinema date-night a design-led twist by catching E.1027: Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea at the ICA (from May 16-22). This cinematic journey charts the dramatic story of E.1027, the pioneering Irish architect's breathtaking home on the French Riviera. A modernist villa built in the 1920s, it became the obsession of fellow 20th-century icon of architecture, Le Corbusier. For an unforgettable overnight stay, book into one of the four new cabin suites at Sea Containers decked out in finds from vintage marketplace Vinterior. Ranging from Edwardian to Dynasty eras, each one has been brought to life with period-appropriate pieces curated by designer and creative director, Jacu Strauss.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The vintage Ikea pieces that are now worth thousands, as new London mega-store opens - so, do YOU have one in your home?
This week finally sees Ikea's £450million UK flagship store - delayed twice - go from flatpack to fabulous on London 's busiest shopping street. After a series of setbacks, including a leaky basement, the Swedish homeware goliath's Oxford Street opens on Thursday, inviting customers to browse 6,000 products over three floors that span 5,800 square metres. Alongside bestsellers such as the £55 Billy bookcase, there's three 'curated shops' created by Londoners. Those 85p hotdogs? Hungry shoppers can find them in a 130-seat Swedish deli, which will serve up Ikea's other signature dishes, including meatballs and Daim cake. The glamorous superstore is a far cry from the global brand's first venture in the UK - an outpost in Warrington that opened in 1987 and wooed students with its cut-price cookware and featured a Volvo in one of its showrooms, along with the slogan: 'The 70mph kitchen - you can take this kitchen home today!' While the brand, founded in the Swedish west coast town of Amhult in 1943, remains unapologetically decades have been more than kind to some of the products that have featured in the catalogues over the decades. Now deemed vintage classics with a cult following amongst interior fans, they can sell for thousands - often up to 50 times their orginal selling price. Furniture sold between the 1950s and the 1990s are considered the biggest collectors' items - with the bold designs of the 1970s the brand's golden era in the re-sale market. In 2023, a collection of 122 secondhand products - including mirrors, lights and tableware - made £32,00 at an auction in Stockholm. The colourful three-floor outlet will sell around 6,000 products - some of which could become future vintage classics. Vintage Ikea products can sell for up to 50 times more than what they sold for - with the 1970s the brand's apparent golden era A striking red 'Impala' sofa, which would have sold for £107 in the early Seventies made £1,700. Why was it so lusted after? It was designed by Gillis Lundgren, the man who created some of Ikea's most famous products - including the Billy bookcase. Designer collaborations have sparked the biggest price rises; this week on retro pre-loved interiors website Vinterior, a Karin Mobring Diana Cognac Sling Lounge Chair is selling in Munich for £3,881. Form suggests that the items rung through the till at Ikea in Oxford Street this week will see the same price spiral in future decades - so it's worth taking care of what you buy. Here's some of the brand's most-sought after pieces for current vintage buyers... THE VILBERT CHAIR Some of the most sought-after pieces are ones that flopped when they were first released, like the colourful Vilbert chair designed by futuristic Danish designer Verner Panton and released in 1994. The sharp-angled designs were largely considered a flop in the mid-90s with shoppers put off by the uncomfortable-looking seats. However, while it failed to garner interest at the time, the Vilbert is now considered to be highly desirable. Why? Because the lack of love for them meant only 3,000 were made - effectively making them a limited edition. Now they regularly sell on pre-loved and vintage furniture platforms for around 35 times their original value - a set of six sold for £9,000 in 2018. Not as popular, or as affordable as the humble Billy when it first arrived in 1978, the modular Enetri shelf, featuring real wood and a metal frame, now commands huge returns in the vintage market. Designed by Niels Gammelgaard, it was a frequent sight in stores in the 1990s and was initially described as a 'Moment' shelf before later becoming the Entreti - and then later still becoming the 'Guide' shelf. The good news is, shoppers can still get a version of it in store, under the name Byakorre - but it's the vintage versions that are most wanted, with an original costing around £1,100 on pre-loved sites. THE DUETT LIGHT A set of three Duett hanging lights would have set you back £18 if you were buying them in an Ikea in the early 1970s. Constructed of six stacked cones in red, green, blue or monochrome, the quirky Duett pendant lights were created by Bent Gantzel Boysen. Good condition examples now fetch between £400 and £600. A set of two in orange, yellow and red is currently on sale on Vinterior for £1,361. Think Ikea's art section is all about generic seascapes and tourist cities? You'd mostly be right - but there's one print that's outshined all others, and is currently selling online for £650 A print named The Girls Go in the Ring, which was made for IKEA in 1972, sold for mere pounds when it first went on sale - but its famous artist, Lars Norrman, has seen it age incredibly well. THE IMPALA CHAIR A super cool Seventies design with low-slung seats and a curvy chrome frame, the Impala armchair was the brainchild of Gillis Lundgren in 1972. The Ikea catalogue that year described the chairs and sofas as 'an amazing piece with its soft, rounded, cosy lines.' It also highlighted the 'very low' price and the sofa version's ability to transform into a bed. More than five decades on, the brand might love the design even more. Two years ago, a red 'Impala' sofa, which would have sold for £107 in the early Seventies, made £1,700 at auction in Sweden. At first glance, this rug looks like it belongs in a playroom - and it sold for under £10 when it was sold less than 10 years ago. However, Walter Van Beirendonck's design, released in 2016, is currently selling for £1,812 in Strasbourg, France. Described as 'postmodern', the design was part of a limited series by the Belgian fashion star that also included bed linen. Amongst the miles of MDF, pricier materials do occasionally make it into IKEA's range. This dining table crafted from Scandinavian solid pine was made in the brand's homeland and was designed by Swedish designer Erik Wørts. It launched in stores in the 1970s and sells for well over £2,000. A recent table in good condition was offered for £2,685.83 on 1st Dibs website. THE MAGNUS ELEBACK LAMP Proving that the 1970s was the golden era for Ikea is another designer collab. This table lamp by Magnus Eleback appeared in stores during the decade. Made from black ceramic, with an apple green acrylic original lampshade, it currently has a resale value of around £1,000. THE CAVELLI ARMCHAIR The brand described the striking armchair as 'an aristocrat of the 1960s' when it launched The Cavelli armchair, which was created by Ikea's first-ever in-house designer Bengt Ruda, is another guaranteed big hitter in today's vintage market. The chair was sold in Ikea stores at a modest price when it made its debut in the 1970s - but the unique design has become highly coveted. One went under the hammer at a recent auction in Stockholm for £14,000. When the design launched, the 1959 IKEA catalogue described it as 'a bold construction', saying: 'Cavelli will get noticed in your home – and indeed admired. 'No expense has been spared and no stone left unturned to make Cavelli an aristocrat of the 1960s.' THE SKOPA CHAIR Bold and with an extraordinary design, the Skopa lounge chair sold for just £6 when it first launched in the 1970s, after being designed by Danish designers Ole Gjerløv-Knudsen and Torben Lind in 1969. The 1974 IKEA catalogue describes the plastic its crafted from, writing: 'IKEA began using plastic in earnest several years ago. And today, we're well advanced. Here, plastic is not an expensive innovation. Admire the design and colour, buy and enjoy!' A single chair with a matching table is currently on sale on Vinterior for £833.
The Guardian
25-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Vinterior: meet the boss who quit finance to set up a thriving vintage furniture site
Vinterior may not have any showrooms or shops, but the home of the founder and chief executive, Sandrine Zhang Ferron, has plenty of finds from the classy secondhand furnishings site – from quirky vases to a vintage drinks cabinet. Zhang Ferron, who was born in China but grew up in France, readily admits that she created the site for herself, ditching her well-paid job in finance, after struggling to find interesting pieces to furnish her London home after a move to the UK. 'I realised I don't want to do that for the rest of my life, you know, helping rich people getting richer,' she says, speaking to the Guardian at her home with her cat Misifu – a male British Blue – mooching around. 'I spent literally three months finding my yellow Poul Volther chair, which I eventually bought in a small shop in Hackney. 'You know, it can be fun, but also, if you've got to buy a lot, it can be like, I just don't have time for this.' After talking over the idea of creating an online marketplace for vintage furniture with a few well-placed friends, Zhang Ferron says 'I went to my boss and said OK, I'm gonna quit because I'm gonna learn to code.' One former colleague told her at the time: 'It's never going to work', and potential investors, most of whom were men, felt the idea was 'so niche' that the market would be tiny. But she went all in anyway. 'I wanted to be fully committed to it. I never really thought about it as doing a side hustle.' Zhang Ferron signed up for a three-month course with Makers Academy, the training scheme that promises to help 'the best people in Britain pivot into tech' as she felt that this would give her the skills, contacts and the necessary understanding to build a digital business – even if she was going to bring in more experienced tech experts later. She then began approaching people she knew who might want to sell expensive pieces of furniture they no longer wanted. 'It was a big flop,' she admits. After a rethink, she began trying to persuade London furniture dealers to list on her site, tempting them with exceptionally good terms with the aim of finding 200 must-have products to launch with. Having realised that most of the dealers were small businesses who didn't have the time, knowledge or interest to list things online, she offered to create posts for them for little or even no cost. A dozen signed up initially. The site's first sale in January 2016 was a pair of Belgian mid-century armchairs. It quickly became apparent that Zhang Ferron was not the only one looking for an easier way to buy vintage furniture. By the following year the site had hit £1m in sales and annual sales via the site hit more than £16.5m in the last year – up 15% in a tough market. Vinterior now has just over half a million pieces listed on it, the vast majority of which come from 2,600 professional dealers and the rest from design conscious individuals or sellers. More than 100,000 customers are signed up after the company invested in its first TV ads and it has gradually extended its ranges beyond the trend for mid-century classics to Victoriana and art deco, among others. Vinterior had a bit of luck securing half a million of extra funding from its investors in February 2020 – just before the Covid pandemic hit the UK. That cash was good to have in the back pocket as shoppers locked away their wallets during the first weeks of lockdown as they battled the challenges of a pandemic. 'The first few weeks of Covid was so scary. Nothing happened.' It was particularly tough for Zhang Ferron as she was about to go on maternity leave. But the team conserved limited cash, working part-time or taking furlough, and then sales started to take off. As physical shops across the country were forced to close for several months, and the manufacturing and deliveries of many large items such as furniture were blocked, secondhand goods that could be sourced online – and delivered quickly rather than being stuck on a container ship – were in demand. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion The pandemic also shone a spotlight on how items were being transported and made in far away places, helping fuel interest in more sustainable choices that had already been kicked off by the rise of vintage clothing sites such as Depop and Vinted. 'Covid was definitely an accelerator,' Zhang Ferron says, helping to attract new shoppers and an additional £8m in funding in 2021. It sparked a shift in mindset so that buying secondhand became 'more of a norm,' she says. 'Obviously, gen Z like the idea of resale and most people are more open to it. It doesn't feel like it is cheap.' That rise in demand came with its own challenges. Like many other online specialists, Vinterior believed the coronavirus pandemic had kicked off a complete change in consumer behaviour and shoppers would not return to physical shops in quite the same way. When the inevitable pause in growth came as the pandemic subsided, Zhang Ferron realised the company had 'made some bad decisions' but it was lucky that it had been careful about spending. There was some painful adjustment in the wider market, with the online furniture seller and others collapsing, but Vinterior continued to expand after a brief lull, despite wider problems in furniture retail amid a lacklustre housing market and a squeeze on disposable income. Sales are set to rise by a fifth this year. The uncertain geopolitical environment could be a challenge as shoppers rein in spending. However, Zhang Ferron says the US president Donald Trump's tariff war is not necessarily all bad news. 'We could see this shift making our platform even more attractive to premium UK and EU dealers who currently sell a lot to US customers and may now seek to diversify due to increased barriers,' she says. To many of Zhang Ferron's customers, finding the right piece is an emotional more than a financial call and they still feel they are making savings despite some eye-watering prices. Paying more than £2,000 for a sought-after Togo Ligne Roset sofa on Vinterior can still be more than a third cheaper than a new one and it can be delivered right away. She argues that vintage pieces can also hold their value more than new items – something that buyers take into account. Zhang Ferron can also attest to years of enjoyment. 'The yellow Poul Volther chair that sparked the idea for Vinterior is still one of my most treasured pieces,' she says. And that sceptical former colleague? His wife apparently refurnished their home with pieces from Vinterior..
The Guardian
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
How the humble teapot morphed from kitchen staple to designer icon
The British think the cuppa is their national treasure, but a new interest in tea sets among young people is bringing with it an interest in the international cultural significance of the teatime ritual. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Online vintage homeware marketplace Vinterior reports a six-fold increase in teapot purchases over the past six months, while sales at John Lewis are up 22%. The Ulla Floral fine teapot in a gift box is its current bestseller. A survey of 2,000 millennials by the home improvement store B&Q earlier this year found that 26% of those surveyed think teapots are back in fashion. The trend is driven by the enduring traditional homeware aesthetic known as cottagecore. Online marketplace Etsy included the intriguing specific 'French cottage' as one of its key trends for 2025 as it says searches for 'French cottage decor' are up 26,000% from last year. The practice of 'tablescaping', the Instagram-friendly trend for setting up intricate and artistic table placements, has also driven sales as people search for eye-catching china. 'There is nothing more whimsical than a teapot,' said a spokesperson for Vinterior. 'Many people automatically think of classic chintz – à la Women's Institute – but [there is a] huge breadth of design-led teapots available, including designs by [postmodern Italian designer] Ettore Sottsass and classic art deco styles.' Teapots have captured artists' and designers' imagination of late. The Pet Shop Boys issued a tea set to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary – created by graphic designer Mark Farrow with Duchess China – while teapots were a highlight of the recent Milan design week. Spanish fashion house Loewe – whose creative director Jonathan Anderson announced his move to Dior last week – held an exhibition at Milan of artist-made teapots including designs by ceramicist Edmund de Waal and designer David Chipperfield alongside less practical creations, such as a wonky tea urn by German conceptual artist Rosemarie Trockel and a teapot by Patricia Urquiola which looks like a purple squirrel. At next month's London craft week (LCW), teapots are also taking centre stage. Ceramicist Ömer Öner's colourful work will appear at the Craft In Evolution exhibition at the Oxo Tower gallery while metalworkers Takeshi Fujii and Crystal Liew's joint collection of teapots and kettles will be on show at Craft on Peel and Hketo at the Royal Society of Sculptors. Luxury tea brand Newby London is hosting the exhibition, New Forms: Tea and Contemporary Design, at their Clerkenwell showroom during LCW. Nirmal Sethia, chair of Newby Teas, has the world's greatest collection of teaware, collected and named in honour of his wife, Chitra. Sethia designed the world's most expensive teapot, the Egoist, which is covered in 1,658 diamonds and 386 rubies, with a handle made of mammoth ivory, and is designed to hold a single cup of tea. 'Teaware is a reflection of culture, artistry and the evolution of human connection,' says Sethia. 'For over 5,000 years, the design and craftsmanship of teapots, cups and other teaware have mirrored the values, aesthetics and rituals of the societies that created them. 'To understand the history of teaware is to understand the role tea has played in shaping economies, social customs, and artistic movements. In today's world, where mass production often overshadows traditional skill, it becomes ever more important to protect and promote craftsmanship and artists.' This is a point made by both Liew and Fujii, artists with Malaysian and Japanese heritage respectively. 'Teapots hold significant cultural importance in my heritage, representing a rich tea culture that I deeply value,' says Liew. 'Over the years, I have noticed a shift in attention and appreciation for this tradition. As part of the younger generation, I hope that through our new interpretations we can breathe fresh life into this traditional figure and preserve its legacy.' Fujii believes that, as an enduring and practical piece of kitchenware, teapots are a record of the craft and influences of local makers. His are made using 'Tsubame-Tuiki-douki', a metal-beating technique from Tsubame, Niigata prefecture, where he grew up. 'These are tools that allow the user and those who spend time with them to enjoy daily richness and peace of mind. They are also important, familiar tools that are needed to enjoy those moments.' More high net worth individuals are collecting handcrafted objects and recognising their artistic value and at the same time more people are taking up crafting as a meaningful hobby or side-hustle. The intersection of craft, tradition and art is important to current creative industries – and teapots fit into this perfectly. As a craft project, though, they're probably best left to the professionals. Emily Johnson is director of 1882 Ltd, a Stoke-on-Trent pottery company which collaborates with artists such as Max Lamb and Giles Deacon. Johnson says: 'Teapots are one of the most complex things for a pottery factory to make. A very posh teapot requires holes punctured in the body, a spout cast off and stuck on in clay, a handle cast off and stuck on in clay, and the nob of the lid cast off and stuck on. And then don't get me started on whether the spout drips or not.'
