Thorn & Burrow, a one-stop shop in Hong Kong for unique handmade products
Anji Connell
"I discovered through my interior design work that it was hard to find unique and affordable home products that appealed to people like myself - young, probably renting and looking for something eclectic."
"When I'm looking for products, I consider what you can already get in Hong Kong and what's trending. I love browsing Instagram, Pinterest and Houzz. I look for colour, prints and hard-to-find handmade pieces.
"It made sense with my love of travelling to source globally, dealing directly with small suppliers to keep prices low by cutting out the middleman. I started my search in Morocco, in 2014, working with weavers and block printers using natural fibres and eco-friendly dyes. Our products also come from other parts of Africa as well as Indonesia, Vietnam, Turkey and Thailand.
"Products include Moroccan vintage rugs [also known as wedding blankets] made into pillows; Berber rugs by the Beni Ourain people; and Azilal rugs [combining abstract patterns with Berber symbols]. They are all one-offs, made from the finest wools and are great as rugs, throws, wall hangings and bedding.
"We also have [Singapore-based] Louise Hill's colourful artworks, created using a mixture of photography, illustration, patterns, vintage imagery and photos of textiles she has collected over the years."
"We invite independent designers and boutique retailers to sell their products on our website and in the store. It allows smaller brands to get their products out there. We charge a percentage of each sale but don't charge any starting fees. We do all the marketing and they ship when we make sales."
"We offer three options. Our highest level of service is planning a complete room, including furniture, art, lighting and rugs. 'Just Four Things' is for those who have the basics in place but would like to update their room. We select four items that make the biggest impact. 'Spruce Our Space' is for clients who wish someone could pop in for an hour or two and give them great ideas for their space, bringing everything together."
"We will be hosting workshops from rubber stamping and paper flower making to weaving."
