Why Handmade Still Matters in 2026: Slowing Down with Meaningful Design
In 2026, it's easier than ever to click Buy Now and fill our homes with mass-produced objects. But I believe — more than ever — that handmade design matters. That slow, meaningful making, grounded in nature and story, can transform how we feel in our homes.
I’ve been creating homewares for over a decade now. But this journey began long before I ever picked up a lampshade frame.
A Handmade Business Born from Purpose
Back in 2011, after graduating from university, I started making and selling illustrated tote bags as a way to encourage people to reduce their single-use plastic use. At the time, reusable bags weren’t yet that common — and I wanted to offer something useful, but also joyful.
Over the years, my product range shifted and evolved to include homewares and stationary as well as accessories, but the ethos stayed the same: make things that bring wonder and sustainability into the everyday.
Then at the end of 2019, with the birth of my first child, everything changed again. I wasn’t just thinking about objects — I was thinking about environments. Spaces that feel safe, soft, and nurturing. Spaces filled with nature and love and imagination. It was then that my focus drew away from accessories and small gifts, and shifted to fully embracing and developing my homewares collection - especially handmade lampshades and wall art.
Lighting, after all, determines the mood of a room. It can calm, lift, soothe, or energise. And artwork has this almost magical ability to turn a house into a home. I still remember the three years we lived in a new build without hanging a single picture — and how the first frame on those pristine walls suddenly made everything feel more ours.
What Slow Living Looks Like (In Real Life)
“Slow living” isn’t about perfect homes or colour-coded pantries. For me, it’s about gathering.
All our furniture is sourced slowly, thoughtfully — built up over years from local markets, family hand-me-downs, or a carefully chosen craftsman. It’s oak tables that can survive paint splatters from a toddler’s art session. Handmade pieces that hold both function and feeling.
I like to approach decorating like storytelling. I begin with a feeling or a mood board. And then I let it unfold slowly — sourcing objects with care, choosing pieces that mean something, and waiting for the right ones to come along. It's not about a grand "reveal", but about letting the room grow with us.
You might be interested in my blog: Creating Calm Corners: Cosy Winter Decorating Ideas Inspired by Nature
The Loss of Soul in Mass-Produced Decor
When we fill our homes with fast furniture or mass-produced prints, we lose something important: story.
Story in the making — where it came from, who made it, what inspired it.
And story in the discovering — the little shop, the market find, the artist.
Mass-made décor may look the part, but it’s rarely made to last. Not in quality, and not in heart. Handmade pieces, on the other hand, are designed to stay. To weather years of family life, to be lovingly dusted and admired, to spark conversations and memories.
Handmade Homewares With a Personal Story
Each one of my lampshade designs has a story to it, and I love to share these on my blog. One of my favourite lampshades is the Swallow Lampshade, inspired by springtime walks at Slimbridge Wetland Wildlife Centre with my eldest. He’s always been a bird-lover. One birthday, we gave him a soft RSPB swallow toy, and then we went to find the real ones.
We watched them dart and glide, impossibly fast, under the summer sun. I couldn’t draw them from life — they never stay still — but I went home and began sketching from memory and photos. That lampshade now lives in his room, beneath a warm yellow ceiling.
Read the full story behind the Swallow Lampshade here.
When someone chooses one of my handmade pieces — whether it’s a bird print, a fox-filled lampshade, or a quiet woodland scene — I hope they feel like they’ve found something that belongs in their home.
Handmade Still Matters — Because Your Home Does
In 2026, it might feel easier to buy fast and replace often. But homes built with love, care, and a little bit of slowness feel different.
They hold space for joy. For memory. For story.
If you're looking for pieces that invite nature in, celebrate soft light, and spark little moments of calm — I hope you'll explore my current handmade lampshade collection.
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