The Mint List is furrowing a path to interestingness on the internet. If you are looking for something a bit different you will certainly find it here. Since September 2012, Camilla Kelly has been selling items on behalf of eccentric antique dealers, and carpenters working out of barns in Wales, who might otherwise not be seen online. "It has quite a tailored feel to it," she says, with some understatement, of the items which range from tables to taxidermy. Yep, those are squirrel lights (see below).
Describe your store in five words: handpicked, offbeat, unusual, original homewares.
What makes you different? Quality control. Every single one of our pieces is unusual, hard-to-find and in most cases unique, but even though each of our items has stand-out appeal, they all sit together well as a one strikingly eclectic collection. When you buy something from us it's a certainty you're friends are going to ask where you got it from. We've put in the hard work finding independent sellers offering hard-to-find vintage, antique and designer finds so that style enthusiasts can now shop online from one well-curated, easy to use website. We also do wedding gift lists and couples can spend their gift money by shopping directly with our artists, antique shops and design studios so because of this our partners [sellers] are not solely vetted on their creative credentials - we make sure they're lovely people too.
How do you decide what makes the cut? It's hard to say exactly what draws me to products we sell. Having grown up in the antiques industry, I have a genuine love of all things antique and vintage and I think that reflects in the pieces. I want to emulate the joy that you get from stumbling across a wonderfully stylish item in a french flea market, a salvage yard or an unknown artist's gallery; that excitement of knowing you've found a real gem that you can't wait to take home. Every item that goes on the site should evoke that feeling, whether it be an artwork a china plate or a piece of furniture.
What were you doing before you did this? I worked in advertising, specifically commercial TV production.
If you were starting again what advice would you give yourself? Slow down, not everything needs to happen all at once. Make sure you get one thing working properly before you move on the next.
What are you most proud of? All of our partners [sellers] have something completely original to bring the the site and I'm proud to have found such an incredible collection of creative individuals.
Do you have a favourite thing in the store right now? I think it would have to be Daniel Heath's antique mirrors etched with hand-drawn imagery of birds and foliage. These can be inscribed with personal messages or dates. So romantic.
What's hot for 2013? Bold, colourful design pieces like Melanie Porter's upcycled, vintage cinema seats reupholstered with brightly coloured knitted wools - seriously cool and incredibly cheerful too. If you had these in your home you couldn't help smiling all day long.
Every Wednesday 'Indie of the week' celebrates the best independent stores around. These places sell interesting and varied collections of design-related things you don't see everywhere else. They may support young or local designers or be great at finding unique things from around the world. By thinking a little more creatively about what they stock they are fighting the bland homogenisation of so much of the high street. And since I'm down with the realities of modern life, online only stores count too, because a beautiful and easy to use website is just as delightful an encounter in cyberspace.
Do you you have a favourite store? I'd love to hear from you.
