Five Favourite Things with Jemima Herbert, Co-Founder of LAY London

In this series on the Sigrid Maria Journal, creatives from various fields are asked to choose and describe five of their favourite things. These are items that could have inspired their work or given meaning to their life in some way; objects that represent a moment in time, or that forms part of journey leading to where they are now. I think it’s wonderful, especially in these times, to be able to dip into what certain things mean to people. The objects we cherish often carry energy such as love, joy and hope, and can evoke memories as well as those emotions when we think of them. The idea is to tell short stories through objects, and that with just five items you can get an insight in someone’s life, take part in their journey and get to know them a little.

This week we chat to Jemima Herbert, co-founder of LAY London, about some of her favourite things and how to make hosting at home even more special. LAY is London’s first tablescape rental company, which delivers colourful party settings straight to your door, set up by Jemima and her sister Alice. They both grew up in the countryside and were always encouraged to be creative at home, whether it be mad Easter tables or over-the-top birthday celebrations - more was always more in the Herbert household. Jemima and Alice’s mum had an amazing ability to make the little things feel special, which rubbed off on her two daughters. How to make decorative dining tables and add personal interior touches were instilled in them from an early age, and their interest grew even more later on when they started hosting friends in their own homes.

After university the sisters moved to London and when the idea for LAY was born, Jemima was still working in an art gallery and Alice in events at Tiffany & Co. They had noticed an increasing demand for smaller sized events with wow-factor table settings but no way to fulfil this without hiring a full-scale party planner. There was a lack of transparent, easy-to-order solutions and of the rentable tableware that was on offer, they often found the selection uninspiring. Said and done, they quit their jobs, and together started to design a hassle-free service to be enjoyed by friends, families and businesses across London. Jemima and Alice launched LAY in February 2020 and haven’t looked back - this Valentine’s Day they were busier than ever despite a national lockdown, and they have been featured in The Telegraph, Stylist and Tatler to name a few.

Jemima says of LAY: “More emphasis and creativity is now placed on the table when hosting - the term ‘tablescape’ was practically coined via Instagram - and so we wanted to help bring a bit of magic to at-home hosting. With the rental market gathering momentum and the consumer consciousness awakening to perils of single-use, it seemed the right moment to create a user-friendly tableware rental service with style and variety. We've had such fun curating and sourcing the items for each LAY Look, with the aim of providing quick and easy rental options for every mood and occasion”.

I love the pop of colour LAY brings to my instagram feed, and I always get inspired by the incredible tablescapes that Jemima and Alice put together. It has also made me (and many more no doubt) realise that no occasion is too small to celebrate! The past year has taught us to make the most of what have and that sharing a meal, whether it be with just your close friends, flatmates or parents, is worth making an effort for. Now that we spend more time than ever in our homes, making them as cosy as possible can bring a lot of joy.

Follow Jemima at @LAYLONDONLTD

WWW.laylondon.com

My granny’s raincoat

This raincoat was my granny’s and if I work it out, it is probably from the early seventies (definitely my favourite era for fashion). It is the most incredible glossy red, given its age and even though it is a bit oversized and rather squeaky when I wear it, I could be wearing the biggest and baggiest of jumpers underneath (see pic!) and it instantly lifts my mood and helps me march about with a bit more purpose...

Jemima wearing her granny’s raincoat from the 70’s

Papa desk

I love this antique writer’s desk that my dad gave me while he was still alive. I remember thinking I could have had a more age-appropriate present at the time (I was probably around 13 years old) but now it is one of my most treasured possessions. I love painted furniture and the fact that it is from him makes me love it even more.

Art

With shops closed Instagram has been the most amazing porthole into sourcing items from smaller shops I wouldn’t have normally come across. I spent the second half of lockdown renovating our first home together in West London and desperately needed some things to hang on the walls! This painting is one from a Melbourne based art gallery who have the most eclectic selection of paintings. I love colour (surprise surprise) and think the artist has been so clever with their brushstrokes in this wonderfully abstract piece.

Tableware

I am so lucky to love what I do and every time we are sourcing new stock for our tableware collections we are like kids in a candyshop. Here is a pile of some of our tablecloths which I treasure. If you are short on tableware at home, the fail-safe place to start is the tablecloth. I change mine the whole time because I am now not just eating at the table but often working at it too, so it’s fun to look at something vibrant and different from week to week. I’ve always loved fashion and have had an appreciation for interiors and feel that beautiful tableware can in essence, act as jewellery for the table. Dress up and dress your table too!

Wedding collage

I haven’t actually managed to get married yet (we’re now on our third wedding date!) but two of our best friends had this made by @thefullmontage as a wedding present and it was the first thing we had hung at our new house. All the little objects have meaning and the colours are joyous!