There's nothing nicer than getting a beautifully wrapped gift - and if you're the giver, there's nothing nicer than someone else doing the beautiful wrapping for you - for free. This sort of service comes as standard from Lily & Lime, as does an amazing selection of homeware and gifts for pretty much all occasions. You need never hunt for the scissors and sellotape again.
We spoke to Lily & Lime's founder, Kirsten Bridge to find out more:
Recycled glass carafe, £26.50 at Lily & Lime. Pic: Courtesy of Lily & Lime
How would you describe Lily & Lime?
Perfect presents... gorgeously gift wrapped. We created Lily and Lime to offer an unusual blend of predominantly British designed homeware and gift products which arrive to our customers "ready to gift".
Where did the name come from?
We custom gift wrap every customer purchase as part of our service, and we predominantly use white and green colours for this. We wanted our brand to become synonymous with the service we were offering, so we spent a lot of time thinking out options and finally decided on Lily and Lime.
I have a budget of £50 for each and want to buy great gifts for: i) my husband's birthday; ii) Mother's Day; and iii) a friend's wedding. What would you recommend from the site?
Ah, the husband present question - an eternally tricky one! I would recommend either, a set of personalised cufflinks, a slate cheeseboard and matching cheese knives or why not give him a kindred spirit, and surprise him with a quirky Man's Best Friend Dog Doorstop?
The selection of a perfect Mothers Day gift is all about really knowing the person, but this year my mum will be getting either an antique style belt or a handmade Soaring Swallows feltwork cushion, as she loves both unusual accessories and home textiles.
Wedding presents are not so tricky to choose, as we view wedding gifts as things to create memories with or from. Manyara photograph frames are very special to receive and can be thoughtfully combined with carefully selected photographs from the big day for a unique and lasting gift. A set of LOVE or DREAM wall words is a romantic gift for a newly married couple or a pair of handmade wooden Arushi candlesticks would be well received.
What would you say sets Lily & Lime apart from other online homeware shops?
We go the extra mile in service terms. In many small independent stores across Europe, all gift and homeware purchases are gift wrapped without any surcharges, and we wanted to bring this level of service to the online shopping arena in this country.
We are committed to developing our ranges of British-designed and produced goods, and in early summer we will be opening our first high street shop, where we will be proudly selling only British-designed and wherever possible British manufactured products.
Which items from the shop do you have in your own home?
We love what we call "Vintro" styling so we have lots of artwork including our best-selling Bespoke Destination Canvases, Vintage French wall art and bus blind inspired art, all of which combine well with handmade Union Jack cushions and natural wooden accessories, including a set of our Mangowood HOME Letters. I love the quirky Streetspeak Mugs which combine bold pantone colours and street names in a unique way, and Emma Bridgewater Enamelware is an eternal favourite, the new Starry Skies Biscuit Barrel will soon be filled with Jaffa Cakes if I get my way!
Man's Best Friend door stop, £35 and £21.50 at Lily & Lime. Pic: Courtesy of Lily & Lime
Which are your current favourite products?
My favourites change almost weekly, but with summer not far around the corner, I love the beachcomber rope doorstops, bamboo hanging lanterns and driftwood hearts. We are keenly awaiting the arrival of two new British ranges, including the iconic Cornishware brand which we hope will be well received by customers new and old, and for little ones I love Rosie Flo colouring books and Create-it Kits.
What are your all-time best sellers?
Baby comfort blankets by multi-award winning supplier NooNoo have proved popular from our earliest days, and continue to be much sought after. In recent months demand for our hammered silver goblets and champagne flutes has been particularly strong, and with the wedding season approaching this seems set to continue.
We sell what we love, and each supplier we select has their tale to tell, through the fantastic products which they create. This is such an important part of the way that we retail to our customers.
Click here to check out everything that Lily & Lime has to offer.