Shop of the month: Future and Found in Tufnell Park

Opened four and half years ago, interiors shop Future and Found has become something of a pioneer in the Tufnell Park independent design, homewares and interiors gifts scene.

The new, larger factory premises stocks everything from pencils to furniture and also boasts an interior design studio. Owner Andrea Bates’ background in retail buying for big brands like Heals, Paperchase and Jamie Oliver is put to good use in a smaller, more personal setting.

USP

One of the first destination shops to open in the now thoroughly revived Tufnell Park, Future and Found is the place to go for a well-curated edit of the season’s , chosen especially to appeal to a north London clientele. Bates lives locally so knows exactly how people in the area use their homes. “We know our customers have real homes and they use every nook and cranny of them so nothing’s too precious. It’s a very relaxed lifestyle,” she says.

What’s the look?

“Simple, stylish and thoughtfully designed are our buzzwords,” says Bates. Think understated, pared back monochrome pieces with a zing of the shop’s trademark neon accents. As you might expect, Scandinavian brands take centre stage, with able support from the rest of Europe and some more local makers, including a Hackney ceramicist. The central ethos of the brand is that all stock should work together so you might come in for a housewarming gift and leave with a sideboard.

Best for

Having moved to a bigger store a couple of years ago, there’s space to showcase a wider range of furniture but smaller items and gifts are the shop’s bread and butter. Staples include throws, cushions and Kaleido trays, which Bates jokes she stocks every season at risk of being lynched if people can’t find them in store. Another perennial favourite are colour candles from Eindhoven in Holland. A modern twist on a classic design produced in an exclusive fluorescent colour for Future and Found.

Who shops there?

The shop’s becoming a bit of a design destination but there’s still a loyal core of Tufnell Park dwellers, including the Downton Abbey girls and Helen McCrory and Damian Lewis.

“I think our customers have got really great taste, obviously,” says Bates. “It’s a north London taste it’s not flash it’s quite unpretentious. They appreciate really good design by they don’t throw money around, it’s considered. They buy something when they really love it, not just because they can.”

futureandfound.com