By cate st hill

I love discovering new homeware brands so I was thrilled when an email popped into my inbox introducing me to someday designs. Founded last year by Emily Mayne, someday designs is an online interiors store with a carefully considered edit of Scandi-inspired homeware. Having worked as a lighting and furniture buyer for department stores in the UK and independent design brands in Australia, Emily had always wanted to build a business of her own, hence the name ‘someday’.

At someday designs, you’ll find a mix of popular Scandinavian and established British brands, all with a clean, minimal design aesthetic, as well as Emily’s own made-to-order sofa designs, which were first launched at designjunction at London Design Festival in 2017. Whether you’re looking for simple furniture, minimal pendant lighting, contemporary art prints, monochrome cushions, unique shelving ideas or stylish pieces for kids’ rooms, this is certainly a name to have on your radar.

It’s the ethos of the company, though, that really caught my attention, with a focus on quality craftsmanship and thoughtful design that will last for years to come. As they say on their website, ‘Our vision is a total-living approach, our aim is to bring you beautiful, timeless and well-made pieces to suit your home and life’. So let’s get to know the someday designs a little better…

Could you tell me a little about yourself and how you founded someday designs? 

I am Emily, I’m 35 years old and live in Greenwich with my husband Paul and our two year old son Teddy. I’ve worked in the interior industry for the last 15 years specialising in homeware buying and product design for well-known retail brands.  I’ve always wanted to set up on my own so last year, using my industry experience and existing contacts, I launched my online interior store, someday designs.

The shop features a thoughtful edit of furniture, lighting and home accessories, all with a distinctive and minimal design aesthetic. Each item is selected for its timelessness, quality and usability. Beautiful pieces which are equally valued for their functionality and are built around a design that will last.

Working as a design collective, someday designs is a collaborator and a maker too. The site features pieces from new and established brands, alongside the recent launch of our first in-house sofa collection.

How did you develop your sofa collection, what is your design process? 

The design process starts with the shape and frame. This is one of the most important factors to consider – of the 4 designs we have launched, each has its own style and personality and I believe this comes from the overall shape and silhouette they each create. Some people prefer a low arm, others a deeper seat, so it’s crucial to get this right and offer choice throughout the collection.

Next is comfort level and fabric. Both are chosen depending on what suits the sofa best, for example our jessen has a linen fabric to reflect the more relaxed Scandinavian look and our toft has luxury feather filled cushions to suit the deep and generous proportions of this design.

The leg is designed around what offers the best support but also which material and shape is most in keeping with the sofa’s character. For example our muna and forme collections have metal legs to compliment the more linear, clean lines of the sofas themselves.

The final stage revolves around deciding which colours, finishes and sizes are available within each series. This can be driven by trends, suitability and customer feedback.

Our aim is to make shopping sofas easier and more straightforward. By ensuring every design element is considered and tweaked we’ve managed to create a simple shoppable edit of shapes and finishes leaving our customers to select with confidence knowing we have taken the time to get all the details right.

What is your inspiration for the designs? 

I love all things Scandinavian and Japanese and this definitely resonates through the collection.

Ultimately, my inspiration comes from modern living and how the furniture we buy needs to reflect the lifestyle we lead. So for me the designs needed to be relaxed, understated and truly comfortable.

A sofa is such a central piece to our living, socialising and entertaining needs. I like to think of a sofa as a member of the family – an addition that you enjoy spending time with and allows you to de-stress and unwind.

How are the sofas manufactured?

They are produced in Poland within a family run workshop. It’s actually run by a Scandinavian husband and wife team who I have worked with previously so I was delighted to get the chance to partner with them again.

Which is your favourite of your sofa designs? 

Well I have the jessen and muna at home! The jessen I love as the higher cushion arms act like pillows so great for lying on and stretching out. The muna I have in the window and is often my chosen spot to work from as the foam and fibrewool seat filling offers a very supportive ‘sit’.

What is your own home like? How would you describe your style?

I love old properties and mixing my more contemporary style with the elegance of period features. Our home is a Victorian terrace and luckily has retained most of the original features. We have exposed wooden floors throughout, fireplaces in each room and quirky little steps dotted around the place and an unexpected curved wall in the hallway which all adds to its charm!

I fell in love with the space as we get so much light and we back onto a park and animal farm which for London is a bit of a treat.

What do you hope the future holds for someday designs? 

I plan to build on our in-house designs and develop ourselves as a design collective and destination for furniture and lighting. I’d love to have my own shop or showroom to welcome people into the world of someday more personally. In the meantime I’m going to continue with pop up and temporary spaces – we have a small pop-up in Soho at the moment where a selection of our homewares are on show in collaboration with menswear fashion label L’Estrange. Come and say hello!

Thank you Emily, it has been wonderful getting to know you and someday designs – definitely a company to bookmark if you’re looking for simple, Scandi-inspired homeware for the whole family.

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