Five Favourite Things with Sophie Elliott, Co-Founder of The Sette

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. It’s so 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 Sophie Elliott, PR guru and co-founder of The Sette. The Sette is an online shop for artisan and unique kitchen and tableware, with focus on fun and original, yet classic designs. The route to starting her own business began when Sophie escaped to Paris straight after finishing school, which gave her a taste for living abroad. She decided to move to New York, where she did her undergraduate degree in Design and Management at Parsons. After returning to London she got a job beauty marketing, for what was then a brand new start up: the beauty bookings app Ruuby. At Ruuby she worked alongside founder Venetia Archer, who taught her all the inns and outs of how to run a startup and the two struck up a friendship that is still going strong.

After leaving Ruuby, Sophie decided to follow in her mothers footsteps and start her own PR agency. Her first client was a small business started by a friend from Parsons, and from there it quickly grew to encompass a variety of brands. At first the focus was mainly on fashion but as the agency evolved, they started working more and more with lifestyle and interior clients. As Sophie observed how different brands in different sectors operate, it gave her a new idea and the confidence to start on a slightly different path. A friend introduced her to Cloe, and they instantly connected and found that some of their favourite memories took place in the kitchen. Together they wanted to find a way to bring that intimate and relaxed feeling to a wider audience. Cloe, great with numbers and operations, was looking to start her own business and as her skills perfectly complemented Sophie’s creative and marketing brain, they decided to launch something together and - voilà! - The Sette was born.

After initially starting as a rental company, Covid made them rethink the business and to instead launch as an online shop. The Sette offers a curation of both table and cookware, seamlessly bridging the previous gap between the two. Sophie and Cloe’s main mission is to bring people around the kitchen table and create lasting memories with an aesthetic that is laid back and timeless - yet a little fun. They want customers to feel an element of surprise in the products the offer. As well as brands from the UK and Europe, they have recently launched their own line of linens. There are also some really exciting collaborations coming out this year and more of their own branded items to follow.

What first caught my eye from The Sette was the incredible croissant butter dishes, and I am now obsessed with so many things from the shop! Sophie and Cloe clearly have such a good eye for fun and unique pieces that bring joy to your life, and I can’t wait for all the exciting things in store for them. As Sophie is someone who doesn’t really get attached to things, but more to people, I am thrilled to share her five favourite things at the moment…

Follow Sophie at @the.sette

www.thesette.com

Sophie with her pet Pomeranian Lady Penelope

The Vegetable Cutlery Rests from The Sette

Bag Vases

I'm completely obsessed with these vases. I love that they are a little quirky and surprising but also quite timeless and chic. They have just launched on The Sette and are quickly becoming a bestseller for us. Have a look here.

Gelpop hand sanitiser

I always carried hand sanitiser even before Covid but it was never this cool. I'm obsessed with this brand and love the Doggy and Cat designs as well as their Super Emoji. They are really fun and great gifts too. The Doggy one clips perfectly onto Lady Penelope's lead (my pomeranian) and the Cat is fun as they are the cleanest animals on earth.

My two round coffee tables from Atelier278

Momina the founder of Atelier278 is so patient with me - I am constantly DM'ing her with ideas and questions and she is always so helpful. I originally purchased the larger coffee table but then realised it was too small for the space and so I messaged Momina who had the idea of getting a second smaller table and layering them together. They are both custom made and have definitely completed the room.

Round coffee tables from Atelier278 with the hand embroidered photo album

Embroidered photo album from MH Studios

I had this made for my boyfriend with an embroidery of the areas that we live and like to frequent in London - he calls this our "ecosystem"! The album is hand embroidered in Brazil by the most amazing brand - you just send them your brief and they magic it up in the most unique way. Ours lives on the coffee table and I love flicking through it now and then.

Tweed Blazé Milano Blazer

I am a blazer girl through and through and I am so happy that we are now out of lockdown and I can start wearing them again. I bought this blazer a few years ago and it is such a classic that I will wear forever. I don't think I will ever tire of it.