Style Hero – Hazel from Moth

This year I have made a conscious effort that I want to appreciate and celebrate the people who inspire my work and my play. For many years I have loved a shop local to me, Moth.

This shop has a wonderful combination of homewares, accessories and larger pieces of furniture. Often I will pop in to browse, with no purchase in mind. But any  visit to Moth is food for the soul.

I think really skillful retailers know how the entice us, to curate, to inspire. The owner of Moth, Hazel is one such style maven. Trained originally in textiles and then latterly a fashion and interiors stylist, Hazel has her own style signature.

I know customers who specifically ask her to style their home to be very ‘Moth’. Many of the items on sale in the shop are really inexpensive, but together they create a co-cohesive look. The old adage about it’s not how much you paid for it but how you wear it is definitely true, the beauty is held within the combinations, the little details, the symmetry.

I have often joked with Hazel that if I ever get asked to present a photo of my house or workspace for a magazine – I would just fake it and ask Hazel to set up pretend desk in the shop…..oh rats, now the secret is out!

In fact my own natural colour palette for our house is much more colourful. There are many more faded chintzy florals in our little corner of the world. But part of me wouldn’t mind just have one ‘Moth’ room, filled with Scandinavian treasures, a parred down chic with little touches of texture.

A couple of weeks ago I took time to have a lovely leisurely coffee with owner Hazel to hear about her inspiration, how she came to own her shop and her plans for the future. Like many interiors specialist Hazel constantly keeps her style fresh and up to date. She travels extensively and frequent visits to Paris and Denmark ensure that the items in the shop a very different to those found on the high street. She has run this successful shop for over seven years, which is no mean feat in my opinion. But then the labels, the atmosphere, the wrapping of purchases is all as beautiful as the item you have bought – it is an aesthetic experience.

I realise that I now appear to be gushing – ah well who doesn’t like to be gushed about? Treasure those who bring you joy, some beauty and inspire kindness in your life. Thank you Hazel for being one such person. Encore!