We’ve just shared a new post in the ‘In Conversation With’ series on our Paton Lifestyle blog with designer Amanda Wells. Based in East Lothian, where she lives with husband Ed and their two children, Amanda is known for her beautiful handmade lampshades along with lamp bases and accessories.
As she says: “I had often dreamed of creating my own collections and products, and love a beautifully crafted lampshade. Adding interest to a room with a crafted shade, particularly one that tells a story in the thoughtfully sourced materials and trimmings it’s made from, adds great value, I believe. I have always had a keen interest in textiles and am drawn to beautiful colours and contrast in my designs.”
We caught up with Amanda to talk lighting, design inspiration, and life on the coast. Here are a few snippets from the blog about living in East Lothian and local businesses that Amanda highlighted in her area.
Can you tell us a little bit about where you live and how this location inspires your design work now?
I live with my husband and our two kids 10 minutes from the sea, right in the heart of East Lothian, so we can access all the local beaches just 10-20 minutes’ drive away. We all love the beach; whether it’s paddle boarding, surfing, walking or swimming, we try and get our beach fix whenever we can. I’m excited that it’s spring time and the season for this has begun again!
I love to be inspired by colours in nature with such varied landscapes from the Lammermuir Hills down to the sea, and everything in between. We are so lucky to have seasons in the UK, where the colours are ever changing throughout the year. I recently had a trip to visit family in Kenya, and it was unforgettable. It really made me appreciate how lucky we are to have seasons in the UK. In Kenya, being close to the equator you do have the much needed rainy season at this time of year, but the sunrise and sunset are roughly at the same time all year round – 6.30am sunrise and 6.30pm sunset – so the landscapes are less varied in colour changes through the year.
What are your favourite places to explore and walk in East Lothian?
Our favourite thing to do together when exploring is to cover the ground as much as possible and ride the John Muir way on our bikes. A favourite ride goes from Dunbar to Gullane. Just remember when you’re at the sandy hilly bit through the woods, and when you’re showing your 9-year-old son how to tackle the hill, that you’re over 40 and bikes don’t work that well at high speed on sand! Oops!
It’s always a nice treat to go to The Old Clubhouse in Gullane afterwards for a well-earned pint, Fanta for the kids, and a few bags of dry roasted peanuts and salt and vinegar crisps.
Are there any local businesses that you’d like to highlight in your area?
My husband Ed has a desk in a fantastic co-working space in North Berwick called The Lighthouse. Aside from The Lighthouse, I love to shop for gifts at Village Green, which is newly located at The Mart in East Linton. Natalie is the owner there and she selects gorgeous and varied products made by makers from all around the local area.
Night Owl Books in East Linton is a gorgeous book shop too; Rebecca is brilliant at recommending a good read whatever your interests. She is really helpful finding reads for my kids as they are not the keenest of readers, but they’ve loved everything she’s suggested so far. It’s a great feeling when your kids have their nose in a book!
While you’re there, East Linton Butcher is well worth popping into for their prize-winning sausages! And while we’re on food, curry lovers need to know about Spice Pots founded by Mel Auld. Mel’s recipes are easy to make, designed for time-poor people, and they are super-delicious. Her website has tons of great recipes; her Spice Pots make great gifts too.
I’d also like to recommend Hannah from Hanem Interiors – she is completely wonderful! I love her style and ethos. Hannah works sensitively with customers’ budgets and she reuses customers’ existing furniture/textiles wherever possible in a highly stylish way. Her clever use of space and use of colour is inspiring. I will certainly be using her when I buy my dream home!
See the full blog post here.