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Inspiring Interiors: Ellie Sanderson Luxury Bridal

Business18-Apr-2023

A powerhouse in the bridal sphere, Ellie Sanderson knows how to curate the perfect bridal experience through interior design. We sit down with Ellie to discover her pearls of wisdom and top tips to luxury bridal success.

Name of store: Ellie Sanderson Luxury Bridal
Store owner: Ellie Sanderson
Number of years trading: 15 years
Brands stocked in Beaconsfield boutique: Jesus Peiro, Suzanne Neville, Bride by Sarah Seven, Nouvelle Amsale, Pure - Riki Dalal and Kelly Faetanini.
Brands stocked in Kiddington boutique: Suzanne Neville, Caroline Castigliano, Anna Kara, Eva Lendel, Chosen by Khya, Sarah Seven, 29 Atelier.

Tell us a little bit about the history behind Ellie Sanderson Luxury Bridal.

I have two shops and the business is now 15 years old. I cant believe that as it feels like I opened 5 years ago! The business I have now though, is nothing like the business I opened then. Our market has changed and so have my choice of labels. Our processes are still underpinned by great digital products, but it feels totally different - which I love!

My original vision was to have a number of shops on the M40 that offered fashion-forward designer wedding dresses. I opened Beaconsfield first, and within 2 years, we needed to expand as we simply outgrew the space. We then opened in the city of Oxford hoping it would release some of the pressure from Beaconsfield but it didn’t. In fact, it was just as busy as Beaconsfield which was just brilliant - but challenging - for a two year old business. A few years after that, we then opened our third location, which is a dedicated fitting atelier and we use to serve and fit all of our brides. It removes the pressure from the studios and makes dress fittings a fabulous experience for our brides. We are able to operate fittings across days so offer an optimum level of service. Just before Covid I relocated the Oxford store to Woodstock (temporarily), then on to our forever home - the gorgeous new barn just outside Woodstock.

Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire:

Beaconsfield is an extremely affluent home counties market town. We are situated in the old town in a building that used to be the town Bakery: full of charm and has wonderful windows to two elevations. We are situated next to the Crazy Bear (cool cocktail bar and restaurant) and luxury companies like Farrow and Ball, Brasserie Blanc and lots of brilliant buzzy indies. We are right on the A40, and so we have heaps of passing traffic.

We stock great brands like Jesus Peiro, Suzanne Neville, Bride by Sarah Seven, Nouvelle Amsale, Pure - Riki Dalal and Kelly Faetanini.

Kiddington, Oxfordshire:

Kiddington is just outside Woodstock, which is also an affluent area but the whole vibe of this space is way different than Beaconsfield. It’s a two story stunning barn conversion with event space, amazing light and so much parking! We stock different brands here than Beaconsfield due to regional demographic variations. We have Suzanne Neville, Caroline Castigliano, Anna Kara, Eva Lendel, Chosen by Khya, Sarah Seven, 29 Atelier.

What was your process in designing the boutique’s interior?

I studied design and interiors at college, and my various roles over the years in corporate life included store design - so it’s fair to say it’s in my veins! We recently opened Kiddington, and so the design there is our most recent vibe/look. The feel for Kiddington was inspired by the natural outdoor feeling of the barn. I took inspiration from the raw brickwork and large arched windows. All our rails and mirrors are arched and very much in-keeping with the building design. I wanted to use natural and organic products and have things handmade by local craftsmen and women. I didn’t want any colours or bold patterns to dominate or detract from the dresses or the stunning surroundings. I wanted it to feel light, soft and feminine mixed with cool modern furniture. The Beaconsfield boutique will be renovated this year when we find a quiet few weeks to reflect upon our new aesthetic!

What was your process in designing the interior? Which bits did you enjoy, and what proved more challenging?

I worked with a great friend who is an interior designer, and we spent probably two months at the drawing stage puzzling out the layout. All the hanging rails and fitting room furniture were handmade, so a lot of architect spec was created in terms of drawings. It’s all totally bespoke. It really was like a jigsaw puzzle and I was adamant I didn’t want anything to cover one whole wall of windows - 5 amazing arches. That really was a sticking point as it left two other walls for product. I literally woke up one day and the whole thing had fallen into place. I quickly scribbled the layout and the rest is history!

I actually loved planning every element to be honest, but found choosing so many pieces of furniture, fabrics, woods, handles, rails a real juggle. We had products arriving from so many talented artisan companies it was a little overwhelming. I have some incredible terrazzo trays for the jewellery that were hand dyed for me, and I just marvelled at the detail and love our designer poured into her work. Also, my mural took 3 weeks to paint and watching Mari painstakingly pouring over it to make it perfect was wonderful. Layers of colour and then having to re-blend it when the light changed and I felt it was too dark. It was tricky, but I am so glad I persevered with the tiny details as it really shows. It has also taken all the hard work out of the re-design for Beaconsfield - that was nailed in a day and we now know where to go for our products now.

Where do you find inspiration for boutique design?

Inspiration always starts with one piece - and that one piece was an incredible Italian sofa. The layout had to be built around those two large bouclé sofas. Mad, right? But they truly are showstoppers. I also use Pinterest for inspiration - I spend days, if not weeks, looking for inspiration.

Chelsea Design Centre is also an incredible source of inspiration and I love wandering around seeing so many wonderful designs and absorbing what is trending. I also fell in love with a 6K wall mural, needless to say that didn’t happen. I set the colours whilst there but I didn’t buy anything until I had literally mapped it all out on a planner and had samples of all the key items like curtains, sofas, wall colours, wood samples, hangers, rugs and more. Honestly, I was stupid organised, but mainly down to working with another designer and having to manage the costs.

What are the key features of the new interior?

Kiddington is a large space and so we wanted our brides to arrive in a space that then opens out into the studio. Our welcome area has a cool sofa and a celebration swing, stunning marble desk and soft lights, and an archway that pulls you into the main studio area. There are so many wonderful sightlines to look at with dresses featuring on the ends. Then of course, my sofas!

Once our brides have said yes, we have a coffee lounge for them to relax in - and this summer, we are opening our outside patio area for them to sit, have a cool drink and extend their stay and memory.
Beaconsfield will have the same essence but will feel different due to space, but I cannot wait to get started on it.

I think having a space that is welcoming, inspirational and exciting is vital. Today’s brides want to be immersed in your brand and feel like they have joined something special when they buy from you. Buying the dress in a beautiful place is just the start of their journey with us.

What kind of space have you created?

I feel the space we have created is just perfect. Selling dresses that are priced at £2,500 - £5,000 brings a certain level of expectation in terms of environment. However, the key for me was to make it feel luxurious yet relaxed, aspirational yet comfortable and not formal. I feel the soft blend of colours, from mocha mixed with pale pink and calico, make it feel gentle and organic.

How do you approach your window displays?

We don’t actually have windows in Kiddington, but have created an internal space that we treat the same as our Beaconsfield studio windows. We tie it into our website feature page which has got the latest looks and we are always updating it. Of course, we ring the changes with colour and seasons. Beaconsfield changes daily to be honest, and being on the A40 means we have a new audience every day!

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

Sightlines and statement walls are so important - rails upon rails of dresses displayed side-on is not exciting. Sightlines of flat on product helps minimise this.
Invest your money in one or two key statement pieces of good furniture or brilliant wallpaper - you can cut corners in other areas. Give your brides something to look at!
Plan it all out before you buy anything, as it really will save you money.

Oh and my personal motto of “Less is more” in anything you do!