Our Story
Born out of a love for stylish and eclectic interiors, Populuxe
was formed by me (Joel) in September 2015. Our journey began in 2009 when Mrs P and I
were looking for a sideboard for our little flat, and the only ones we liked we
simply couldn’t afford. We scoured high
and low and eventually found an E Gomme Tola sideboard that was in pretty dire
condition. A couple of weeks on and it and been sanded back (in our hallway…BIG
mistake!) and refinished in a more contemporary style, with new legs and
handles added. The sideboard was a hit,
and it set us off on an adventure to find more vintage furniture that was high
end, but most definitely NOT High Street.
By 2014 we had well and truly gotten the bug for hunting out
cool vintage pieces, and decided that we would quite fancy trying to make a
living at it. Like anyone, we had the
thoughts of “will it work” etc, and added into the mix we had another baby on
the way, which kind of influences your decision about big career changes…
But then, on 21st July, after 15 years in a high
pressure corporate world, I lost my job.
So that was it, decision made, go for it! We just had the small matter of Ted being
born, then finishing off the house that was half renovated, and Populuxe was
GO! Starting out of the garage at home,
we quickly realised we liked buying a LOT, and within 18 months we had moved
into a 3200 Sq Ft warehouse/showroom which we like to call home today.
So what do we do? We
just like cool things. Plain and simple
good furniture design, interesting and quirky decorative items, cool lighting,
and a bit of colour splashed about for good measure. We’re passionate about interiors, and mixing
eras and genres to create stylish spaces.
We deal mainly with Mid Century furniture because it just fits, anywhere. It’s stylish, timeless and well made. End of.
We’re also passionate about bringing our items to you in the
best condition possible. We started out
as enthusiasts, so we know what it’s like to receive something you’ve bought online
and it’s “not as described”. Everything
that passes through our doors is cleaned, polished, stripped, restored,
reupholstered, or whatever it takes to get it out to you in the best condition
possible, whilst still retaining a vintage feel.
The word “Populuxe” is a combination of the words popular
and luxury, and it perfectly sums up what we’re about. Great design at affordable prices. We like to keep a broad spectrum of items in
stock so we can cater to everyone, from cheap fun items, to the odd high end
Scandinavian piece. Ultimately, if we like it, we buy it, and we hope you like
it too!
Cheers!
Joel