My Desert Island Decor - Lisa Mehydene of edit58

It's May 1st and I am sitting at my desk writing this post in my coat. Come on Spring! So while we sit here and continue to wait for Spring to show up and actually stick around for a few months, I think it's about time we got a much needed dose of Vitamin C via another instalment of my Desert Island Decor series. In case you've forgotten, this is the series in which I find out the home decor items that some of my favourite Instagram people can't live without.

This week I am delighted to welcome Lisa Mehydene to these pages. Lisa, aka the queen of rugs, baskets, cushions and vintage eiderdowns (I could go on!) is the owner of beautiful online lifestyle boutique edit58, which you need to go and explore if you haven't already. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given my long standing and deep seated affection for a good rug, I have followed Lisa since the early days of her business and it's been fascinating to see it grow and branch out beyond rugs. Her gorgeous cushions are now stocked in Liberty and I shall be investing in some for my upcoming bedroom update. That is, if I can get my hands on them...you've got to act quick when they go online because they sell like hotcakes! Basically Lisa is a women with all round incredibly good taste, and her beautifully curated home which she shares glimpses of on her Instagram is total #interiorgoals.

So with all that said, here are the six home decor items Lisa couldn't live without...

1) Our Sofa

Lisa: I love our sofa like another member of the family, so of course it’s coming with me to my décor desert island! It was the first ‘proper’ piece of furniture my husband (then boyfriend) and I purchased together when we brought our first home together in 2007 (yes, it’s lasted that long!)

We were in Soho one weekend having drinks (as you did pre-kids) and decided to wander into Liberty for a bit of a sofa inspiration session. We ended up buying one! It’s ‘The Claude’ by Russell Pinch (Pinch London) and it’s just so beautifully made with deep, inviting seats. We chose to upholster it in lime green velvet fabric from the Liberty fabric dept – and whilst on paper it seems like a brave choice, it really does act like a neutral – it has worked in whichever interior setting we have put it in. We’ve lived overseas, so it has travelled with us from London to Dubai, then Singapore and back to London. It’s where I’ve spent fun evenings with friends chatting and drinking, cosy evenings with my husband, where I sat (FOR HOURS) feeding our twins and quite honestly, it is just one of my favourite places to be.

Pile 'em high...edit58 cushions of dreams

2) Cushions

YOU Magazine gave me the title of ‘Cushion Curator’ – and as crazy a title as it sounds – it’s pretty spot on. Cushions are one of my favourite interior items because they add an injection of colour, pattern and texture into a space in a really easy and relatively inexpensive way. Whether it be a sofa, daybed, chair, bed, or even outdoors for lounging – cushions are one of my essentials.

3) My Bed

Much like my sofa, my bed is my happy place (lazy, moi?!) But in fact, the majority of my enjoyment stems from dressing my bed. Give me all the bedding…..quilts, eiderdowns, cushions, blankets, linens – I’ll take it all. I love to layer up the bed so the end result is a cosy, inviting and sumptuous space. My preference is for mismatched linen pillowcases and duvet covers, with the additional pieces stacked on top of the duvet. The key being the mix of patterns and fabrics. Our bed is never without an edit58 pom pom blanket and extra long cushion, vintage eiderdowns and some kind of quilt. So much so that I decided I needed to create my own line of quilts/eiderdowns – which we will be launching this A/W in collaboration with the most fabulous textile designer.

One of edit58's runners in Lisa's bathrooom. Love, love, love the vintage sign too.

4) Rugs

I think it’s a given that vintage rugs would be on my Décor desert island. I love them so very much. Rugs have the ability to pull a space together, add cosiness, texture, warmth and visual interest. I love that you can switch them up/move them from room to room and that as they’re vintage each one is a one-off. Every room can benefit from having one (or more!) – whether it be a living space, kitchen or bathroom. They are art for floors and provide me with just as much joy. Sourcing rugs for clients is the part of my job that gives me the most satisfaction. I love connecting clients to their dream rug/s and seeing them in their homes!

Vintage sailboat rug in Lisa's son George's room

We have rugs in every room in our house, so it’s hard to pick a favourite to take onto the island – but I suppose the vintage sailboat rug that lives in my son’s room would be fitting for island life!

5) Art

I love how much personality art brings to a home, and that it doesn’t need to be expensive to mean something or add impact. I particularly love vintage portraits – I can’t help but wonder who the person is, what they’re thinking, and who they sat for/who painted them. All the art we have in our home means something to me on one level or another – but I suppose the most precious would be the Japanese Block print my husband gave to me on our wedding day. He gave it to my bridesmaid for me to open as we got ready…..and it had me all teary before I’d even reached the church. I’ll treasure it forever.

The Japanese block print (far right) given to Lisa by her husband on her wedding day. Image credit - Chris O'Donnell

6) Pottery/ceramics

Pottery is a (another!) weakness. I collect Astir de Villatte, have lots of Portugese cabbage pottery (to my husband’s dismay) and of course lots of Moroccan Tamegroute pottery. I love the flexibility and versatility of pottery and ceramics – how you can have them on show on the wall or on a side table, use them to contain flowers, fruit and bits & bobs, use them to dress a table, or create impact with a cabinet/sideboard bursting to the brim.

A small section of Lisa's ceramics collection

Again, my love of pottery/ceramics has lead me to source Tamegroute pottery for edit58, and also to collaborate with an artist to create a range of beautiful ceramics launching this Summer on edit58.com. I cannot wait.

Me: Oooh lots to look forward to then! So that's the good stuff, now for the bad. What is the one item you would resign to Room 101, and why?

Lisa: TV’s! From a visual/aesthetic perspective they just really offend me! We have the smallest TV I could get away with in our living room, and it always makes me chuckle how many people comment on it and ask when we’re getting a ‘proper’ one. We’re not! (I also can’t abide every piece of furniture in a room facing towards the TV – but that’s another matter!

Me: Ha! I hear you, I hate the fact our rather large TV is wall mounted...but then at least I don't have to squint to see Tom Hardy when he does the CBeebies Bedtime Story so every cloud and all that.

Thanks Lisa!

J x