This month we celebrate the launch of our new series ‘Sacred Spaces’: dedicating our very first issue to the founders of Brixton-based ‘Pluck Kitchens’ - Leila & Lloyd. Their home possesses’ an eclectic mix of antique, vintage, and contemporary pieces that have been positioned with purpose in their stunning Victorian property, steadily revealing parts of their journey through life together thus far with fluency and flair. Today we are excited to share a little bit more about their ad hoc style, and their process when curating treasured pieces within their very own sacred space.




Leila & Lloyd's living room, filled with beautiful curiosities - all photographs shot by the talented Kane Hulse

Creating the mood

Inspired first and foremost by the colour - Leila and Lloyd have grouped together articles of virtu gathered over decades, alongside contemporary pieces to create interest and intrigue throughout their home. Here, in their living room pictured above, we can see varied objects and textiles that have been paired together tonally, with careful consideration made to different hues, patterns and textures that work together by way of subtle contrast. As a result, we can feel the warmth of the room exude from this image - radiating rich terracotta shades found within statement pieces, such as their one-of-a-kind Moroccan rug - picked by the pair from A New Tribe’s diverse selection. We continued to ask Leila about the importance of choosing the correct rug for a space, and here is what she had to say:

‘When you see a room before putting a rug down, and then after - it completely changes the look and the feel. A rug has the ability to anchor a room, and help layer a room’s decor in my eyes. Our living room would feel completely different if it wasn’t for the pattern, texture and colour that that rug possesses. I completely admire Ella’s ability to choose the perfect pieces when sourcing from Morocco, as there is so much choice- a complete overload of the senses in the best possible way!’

       

Left: The couple's beautiful victorian fireplace made complete with treasured A New Tribe pieces from t.i.n.j.a and Cote Bougie
Right: A New Tribe's ceramic striped vase, created by Spanish designer Asterisque 

Careful Contrasts

Another perfect example of Leila and Lloyd’s impeccable design process can be seen in the photograph above of their victorian fireplace, a beautiful period feature which has been adorned by ceramics belonging to several different eras. Let’s take a moment to zone in on this stylish spot, and look at each piece in slightly more detail. Here, we have an array of objects from many different time periods - ranging from relics found in Nigerian Kingdoms, sienna marble candlesticks of Georgian descent - to their more contemporary t.i.n.j.a piece: a Tunisian vessel sourced from us at A New Tribe. ‘We feel that the pieces we have chosen from A New Tribe look so at ease with the objects we have gathered from all different generations, due to their delicate, organic qualities.’

 
Leila & Lloyds own Pluck Kitchen

Pluck Kitchens

Leila and Lloyd’s kitchen company Pluck was founded in 2016 with their incredible team, whom are passionate about delivering high-quality, individualised kitchens - suited to each client’s unique needs. The ethos behind the company matches up with specific design principles that they share when considering their own practice with home design - as they believe that a successful kitchen must be a pleasure to use, and beautiful to behold.

‘Your home should be an expression of you, I don’t feel like it should be a place where you feel inhibited - feeling like you have to project something. I really believe that. Different people think differently when making their home ‘theirs’, but that’s my theory. It’s a place where you spend a lot of your time, and you need to be able to unwind there. Ultimately, it’s the place where you can shut yourself off from the rest of the world, and feel relaxed’ - Leila

As Pluck kitchens have been carefully formulated to suit both periods - and contemporary properties, with colour and wood choices that enable you to reflect your personal taste within them, we asked the pair how they choose to style the kitchens that are on display at Pluck HQ, and stands installed and showcased within Design Shows:

‘I know that often if I start with an A New Tribe piece then this creates a great foundation - The pink Sophie Alda vase has made an appearance in many shows - but A New Tribe’s varied selection of ceramics in beautiful glazes, each from different origins make the stands so interesting and unique. I also completely trust Ella’s skills, acting as her own buyer for A New Tribe, and sourcing beautiful objects. I find that I gain great inspiration from the way that Ella curates her objects. She does a lot of the work for you in a way because of the natural eye that she has for styling.’ - Leila 



Close up of A New Tribe's Sophie Alda vase in pink

Sustainability

Sustainability is also a vital factor for Leila and Lloyd both within their home, and as a huge part of their company’s ethos. Pluck is determined to help prevent the depletion of natural resources, and this is reflected through the materiality used when designing cabinetry and other finishes used within their designs. In their own home, most of their pieces have been collected over time, and are usually vintage or second hand which prevents unnecessary consumerism.

‘I would always gravitate towards a second-hand piece when styling our home, because of the interesting story and history behind it. I find it hard to be persuaded as to why you would need a newer piece - as there are so many beautiful antiques / second-hand pieces out there.’ - Leila

This also means that when Leila and Lloyd do invest in a newer, more contemporary piece to add to their assemblage, it is one that nestles amongst their existing treasured items, and very much becomes a part of their lifetime collection.

‘We always look for pieces that are confident, but unobtrusive. With our A New Tribe pieces, we know that they will be modest statements, that will be striking, but will settle in seamlessly with our existing artefacts, creating an interesting story.’ 

 

Create your own sacred space

       

Left: t.i.n.j.a vase
Right: Asterisque striped vase, alongside t.i.n.j.a vessel

We wanted to end our time with Leila and Lloyd by asking them which A New Tribe Piece is their favourite at the moment, and why! After much thought and deliberation, the pair brought the new t.i.n.j.a pot back to our attention, as this was their newest purchase:

‘We absolutely adore the new Tunisian brand t.i.n.j.a that A New Tribe has introduced to their store. It feels really unusual for contemporary ceramics from Tunisia to be available here, so our new vase feels like a really proud, exclusive piece within our collection. The vessel also has a very delicate, sort of peacocky iridescence on its firing marks, giving it an ethereal feeling. Their ceramics are a complete delight!’

Which pieces will you add to your Sacred Space?