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Inspiring Interiors: Sisters of Grace

Curating a dreamy space for your bridal collections through the power of interior design is key to creating atmosphere for your brides-to-be. We speak with Danni Hesketh of Sisters of Grace to discover their inspirations behind the latest renovation of their boutique.

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Store name: Sisters of Grace

Store owner: Danni Hesketh

Number of years trading: 0.5

Brands stocked: Evie Young Bridal, Love Story Bride, Madison James, Kelsey Rose, Arianna Tiaras and Sisters of Grace celestial range of hair accessories.

Location: Sisters of Grace is set in the heart of Newcastle Upon Tyne, by the Theatre Royal.

Why did you decide to renovate/redecorate/open your shop?

We began our journey to launching Sisters of Grace in September 2020. We’ve always wanted to grow our offerings for our North East Brides, bringing more choice and unique labels to our area teamed with the same amazing service. When the new regulations came into play last Summer due to the pandemic –this meant big changes to our daily routine for our sister studio, Y.A.P Bridal– we decided this was the perfect time to pivot and expand.

How did you find the process of renovating/decorating?

Challenging yet exhilarating. We completely fell head over heels for the exterior of our new studio, and with nine ornately arched windows, this was the dream setting for our gowns – however the interior needed a LOT of imagination.

Working alongside the landlord to fully renovate the space before our shop fit proved difficult due to lockdown delays to the works. Team this with fully flood-proofing the basement level, asbestos issues, hidden tunnels, full rewires and replacing old damaged joists, we finally had the green light and the keys in hand to our new studio on 12th April.

A week of early starts and late finishes tying in all the contractors, we launched 5 days later on 17th April. We’re over the moon with the overall studio finish.

 

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Where did you find your inspiration for the interior design of your shop?

With over 10 years of experience in the bridal industry, we know what works well for both our team and our brides-to-be. We had strong ideas of layout a for the fitting room spaces along with materials we felt would work perfectly.

Our studio comprises of three large appointment spaces decked out in a palette of monochrome and earthy tones with wood, metal and industrial brick backdrops, as we took inspiration in the form of Scandi chic vibes to create a free spirited and relaxed environment.

We paired up with local interior design company Fire & Co to pull together key feature pieces to work in our space, matching textured natural rugs, and neutral soft furnishings to tie everything together.

What are the key features of the new interior? Are there any interior staples, and how do they capture a bride’s attention?

Keeping our space feeling fresh and modern, we opted for bespoke oversized Arched Mirrors framed in black metal – matching those dream windows. Our main focal point is our full height, industrial white brick wall featuring our antique gold spider light, paired with vintage filament bulbs. We designed our dress rails from scratch, sourcing the most amazing reclaimed timber for these so each rail is totally unique. The reaction from every single one of our brides as they enter our studio has been mind-blowing.

Our dried floral installations and Pampas sunburst Insta backdrop catch every bride’s eye and certainly inspire during appointments. We opted for no reception desk to keep our studio much more relaxed, instead deciding to be creative with bold seating areas – our bubble sofa and oversized long rounded table (which is a total game changer for bigger bride tribes!) work perfectly for the different spaces.

What kind of space have you created? Is it cool, relaxing, aspirational, inspirational, welcoming? Please explain how your interior conveys this feeling.

If you’re searching for your perfect dress match, there are few scenes more relaxing, sophisticated and Instagram-friendly than our Sisters of Grace’s airy, Scandi-chic, bohemian studio. A truly personalised, modern (and photogenic) dress-shopping experience – the revolution of cool starts here for our brides.

 

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Is there anything in your interior that makes your boutique stand out?

Our 9 arched windows are such a striking statement for passers-by, drawing all the right attention from the offset followed by how airy and spacious our studio feels when you step through our doors.

Downstairs in our basement level, our niche ‘Designer Den’ takes over, offering our brides a cool, sample-sale space that doesn’t hold back on the aesthetics. We felt this space is as important as our ground floor fitting rooms and have created a total hidden gem filled with last chance, one off, OTP dresses and hair pieces.

Now you have renovated/opened, how do you approach your window displays?

With a background in visual merchandising, our large windows are the dream to work with – offering the perfect setting to be creative with our bridal wear. We love supporting fellow industry suppliers, so it was important to us to collaborate on our window displays and work with sustainable products. Sprig and Thistle, along with Muscari Events, have created the dreamiest dried bloom installations along with giant potted palms to create depth between dresses. We will be bringing seasonal window changes throughout the year to tie in with the surroundings.

Finally, can you give us your top three tips for creating a stunning interior?

1. Spend time sourcing the perfect key feature pieces of furniture which offer a timeless vibe, then plan your space around these to accommodate your bridal parties perfectly.

2. Design with a small colour palette in mind using no more than three tonal colours throughout, use soft furnishings and accessories to add interest.

3. Make use of quality original features within your boutique space. Try to incorporate raw materials in feature areas – exposed brickwork, original floorboards, wooden and metal beams to create interest and texture.

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