Interiors is a love of mine and knowing how tiles can really transform a room by completely changing the dynamic and creating a whole new energy in that space, I was excited to see Tiled open on Marmion Road.
Setting Up On Marmion Road
Helen Pyper set up the shop a few months ago. Speaking of why she wanted to open a shop on this road, she said, “This street has lots of interior influence. With The Design House further along, and then Victoriana it kind of feels like the interior part of Southsea. I love this stretch and when deciding to move my business from Hayling Island, this place just fitted the bill.”
I asked the Independent owner why she decided to work on tiles and not something else. She said that her husband is a bespoke interior design supplier and fitter of bathrooms and kitchens and that the two go hand in hand. Helen trained in the hospitality industry in high-end customer sales and loved interiors. She felt a push towards this end of the interior line. Adding tiles is like the finishing touches to a home, the bit that gets people the most excited. When you add tiles to your home it can change the structure of the room and create a cool, visual focal point.
Being Inspired
Having an individual, independent tile shop here in Southsea is a real treat and means you don’t have to shop online or head to a big store to find what you want. I love the showroom as it is light and airy but also gives lots of inspiration of what you can achieve with tiles.
I spoke to Helen about how the new year always inspires people to refresh areas of their homes. Looking around at retail, there always seems to be a sale on when it comes to kitchens and bathrooms, especially early in the year which gives a perfect time for adding those extra details like tiles.
Chatting about trends for this year, Helen said that greens are still a big interior focus and over the last few months, botanicals have played a big part. You can see botanical tiles in Grounded Southsea, which is the plant shop at the bottom of Marmion Road. Fake concrete is the new trend where it is seamless and there is excitement around scallop shaped mosaics and using cool shape patterns for smaller spaces like downstairs utility rooms and toilets. There is also the thought of living close to the sea with a seaside focus. Stripes and beach hut colours etc can be added to homes to bring a fresh look.
Talking of customers getting ideas for rooms, Helen said that Pinterest and Houzz are always a good source of inspiration. Sitting at the at back of the shop, I could see a new wall of green tiles has recently been created which gives a real Victorian influence. The tile owner said that Southsea and Portsmouth have such a wide range of period properties from different eras so it is always interesting to work with clients and their homes here by the sea.
A Local Focus
Having lived in Southsea for the last 8 years, Helen said she loves the lifestyle of being able to walk to lots of cool eateries close by and eat good food. Growing up on Hayling Island, Helen loves the change she made by moving here and loves the city/seaside lifestyle that the local area brings.
You can find out about Tiled by hitting their socials and popping in for some inspiration.
