Design Service with a Vintage Twist
Beatengreen, St Ives’ renown vintage boutique and purveyor of all things retro and reinvented, is about to begin a new phase of life itself. Creative couple Matt and Kerry Knight, who opened the eclectic emporium in the Old Masonic Lodge five years ago, are closing the store in order to focus on their website and flourishing interior design business.
Beatengreen Design has been transforming homes in Cornwall and beyond with a unique infusion of style and carefully sourced period pieces for several years. Kerry, who is fully trained in all aspects of interior design, explained why their services are now in such high demand. “People working to a whole range of budgets all want their home or investment property to be unique. They don’t want to buy off the shelf, generic products which they have no personal connection to; they want something that reflects their personality or creates memorable surroundings for their guests during their stay.”
With enquiries for the design service flooding in, the couple decided to close the store this month, but will continue selling their vintage finds online. During its five years in St Andrews St, Beatengreen made a national name for itself, stocking sought-after vintage and hand-painted furniture, accessories, textiles and artworks, as well as playing host to up-cycling workshops and art exhibitions. In 2013 Beatengreen was nominated in the category of Vintage Shop of the Year in the prestigious Homes and Antiques Magazine Awards.
“We have loved having the store,” said Matt, who hunts fairs and auction houses for special one-off pieces which can be restored and found a loving new home. “However the interior design side has really taken off and we want to dedicate more time to that, as well as our online shop. I will be free to source items more readily, both for Kerry to use in design projects and to sell via the website.”
Kerry can offer design solutions to all sorts of challenges, from structural alterations to reupholstering your favourite chair. “Some of our clients want to refresh one room with a new look, while others want to create a consistent style scheme for their whole property. We can project manage on any scale – which is particularly useful for clients who live elsewhere.” With Kerry’s skills and Matt’s keen eye, the pair can source all sorts of pre-loved items for unique interiors – from coat hooks to lamps, tiles to chairs – finding the fabrics that will finish it all off perfectly. The service is perfect for people with plenty of ideas and creativity themselves, but who don’t know where to source those special pieces, or have time to track them down.
For Matt and Kerry, this is a new opportunity to enhance their creativity, in the place which has inspired so many before them. “St Ives has always had a pioneering spirit and a passion for visual beauty. We are enjoying creating interiors which reflect that, and enhance people’s wellbeing by enhancing their surroundings.”