#ComeBimbleWithMe
by Sasha Mills
Photographer Sasha Mills invites us to join her in Conversation with Mason & Painter
Located on Columbia Road, heart of London’s independent scene, is a charming furniture shop called Mason & Painter. Opened in 2013 by the duo Michelle Mason and Tim Painter, Michelle now runs the business alone. The store sells vintage furniture, mostly French, but the edit includes pieces from all over the world, as well as curios and prints. Michelle likes to stock things “to suit every pocket,” and their customer base ranges from “teenagers to people well into their 80s.” Mason & Painter also works with larger clients, supplying pieces for gardeners, flower shows, and pop-up shops.
Michelle’s career started with a degree in product design at Chelsea College of Arts. She went to work in the design industry for several years, before completing her masters in screen design at Central Saint Martin’s, going on to become the business manager at London Metropolitan University before launching her own design brand and eventually the store. When asked about the transition from her previous corporate jobs to the business she now runs, she said that she “felt that the time was right (…) I wanted to get back to being more creative.” Creativity certainly epitomises Mason & Painter’s brand; not only does Michelle style all of the pieces in the store, she also produces the photography on the shop’s widely successful Instagram.
Mason & Painter reflects Michelle’s interest in sustainability; “There are so many beautiful things that have been made, that were handcrafted rather than mass-produced.” Banks, cafes, and shops are constantly closing, and Michelle believes it is important that we reuse objects that can be salvaged from these places, rather than discarding them. Luckily, this interest is increasingly being reflected in her consumer base. Michelle described how “this year, for the first time, we had people coming with lists of pre-loved things that they wanted.” With trends such as the resurgence of vinyl and the success of vintage clothing resale, Mason & Painter fits right into the current retail landscape.
We spoke briefly about the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Michelle was a recent attendee at the demonstrations in London. Living in Hackney, she says, has felt like being in an unusually diverse bubble; the area is one of the most ethnically diverse in London, and 47.7% of its inhabitants are BAME according to data collected in 2011. She feels privileged that her daughter has been able to attend a school that is diverse in its students as well as its approach to teaching and laments the lack of diversity amongst teaching staff across the country.
While the pandemic has created a whole host of problems for independent businesses, ultimately it has helped Michelle diversify the income of the store. Michelle describes her choice to keep the store entirely bricks and mortar initially as intentional; “with vintage, we always felt that it was one or the other.” However, once lockdown started, Mason & Painter were forced to create an online presence. Michelle has described this as a successful move; she’s been able to connect with clients globally, and has used her Instagram presence to promote her online shop to those who were previously visiting the store. Mason & Painter has now reopened under lockdown regulations, but Michelle still feels that the online presence is valuable. “Before the pandemic, it was always that we were coming up against online businesses, as they don’t have the overheads and wages, but now we have the online shop.”
I’d never visited Columbia Road before, and was amazed to discover the huge range of businesses that have set up home there. Michelle also recommended some spots to me in London, including Mare Street Market, a food-hall style set up known for excellent drinks, and the Sir John Soane museum, a hidden gem that few tourists know about.
If you’d like to see a Bimble of the places I discovered during the day, as well as Michelle’s recommendations, head to Bimble.com.
