After we finished laying the floor, oil samples arrived and we were back to it testing the options on floorboard offcuts. We wanted to maintain the colour of the freshly laid wood so needed to prevent it darkening and yellowing. Although highly impractical for a work environment, we also wanted a matte finish...

When we signed the lease for our new studio, it was in a pretty poor state. The landlord said we could put down a new wooden floor. We’ve documented the floor laying process in this blog post because we hope that what we have learnt along the way may come in useful for anyone else brave (crazy) enough to take on a similar project.

 

If you find yourself at home more than usual over the coming weeks then perhaps take the opportunity to listen to some new music, watch a classic movie, read a book, or treat yourself to an episode from a good Netflix recommendation. We have contacted some of our friends from the creative industry to give their recommendations for escapism. Enjoy!

Mac Collins is a furniture designer and maker from Nottingham. For a while now, Felicity and I have had an idea for a product for the home that relates to Campbell Cole but have never had the expertise to bring it to life, so are really happy that Mac has agreed to collaborate and lead the design.

The last few weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster but we have finally signed the lease for a new studio space. It's in an old mill building in Beeston, Nottingham with plenty of natural light. The space is much bigger than we set out to find so we're thinking about how we can make good use of it all.

As we wrap up 2019 and jump into a new decade, we would like to say a little hello to our long-standing loyal customers and a big welcome to new people joining us from all parts of the world.

Discover which style is the best wallet for you. The Simple Coin Pouch with Lanyard is the easiest to access so is great for carrying your everyday bank card as well as staff passes or travel cards. Whereas, the Slim Wallet will carry folded notes, receipts and your cards are neatly organised... one to fall in love with, after all you'll be together for a long time.

We visited Ray at his workshop in Nottingham during the sampling process of O Sacoche. Ray makes all O Totes and O Sacoches from start to finish himself. After learning the art of pattern cutting and sewing at college, Ray went on to open a small factory making trousers. The factory is no longer there but Ray continues to make and enjoy the repetition involved in getting something just right.

Nottingham folk can shop festive-style at the Primary Christmas Pop Up on Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December. We'll be there alongside some of the best designers and makers from the Midlands, selling beautifully made gifts for your nearest and dearest, as well as a few samples that might tempt a little self-gifting.

We believe the KINTO 350ml Travel Tumbler is the best travel mug that you can buy. The slim shape means it fits easily into a side pocket of a backpack or in the drinks holder of a car. Pleasant to hold and drink from (some travel mugs just aren’t), we love the minimal design.

Brittany Bathgate and Jordan Bunker have become influential faces on Instagram, with their thousands of followers looking to them for daily style inspiration. So who better to ask for advice on how they would style the Simple Coin Pouch. They looked to the Autumn / Winter collections of their favourite British brands to select outfits for the shoot.

We're on holiday: Friday 30 August - Friday 6 September. Although we are still accepting orders during this time, we are unable to pack and ship your parcels. As a thank you for your patience we are offering free worldwide shipping on orders over £60. Enter code: HOLIDAY at the checkout.

Following the launch of the Campbell Cole x Albam collaboration we were keen to create some images to show how each piece has been designed to work with Albam's SU19 collection.  Ian has worn and loved clothes from Albam for years so it wasn’t difficult to tempt him down to Albam’s Upper Street store to spend a couple of hours selecting his favourite garments to style with the small leather goods.

Last weekend we visited Harewood House, located on the outskirts of Leeds. Built in the 18^th century, the house sits within 100 acres of gardens, which has a surprising collection of rare Birds, including penguins and flamingoes! The house plays host to many events and we had made the trip to see the current exhibition ‘Useful / Beautiful: Why Craft Matters’, which runs until 1 September 2019.

We are having a joint Sample Sale with local designers Lane By Post where you will find one off samples, Rebels and ex-display samples at excellent prices. The Sample Sale will take place in the Lane studio at Primary Studios, which is next to Small Food Bakery so once you have done your shopping you can treat yourself to well-deserved pastry and coffee.

We have found our favourite water bottle... Jerry bottles are made from stainless steel and is double wall vacuum insulated meaning your water not only tastes fresh but also stays cool for up to 24 hours, or hot for up to 12 hours. We love the minimal design and its clean lines also make it easy to clean.

The Campbell Cole x Albam collection has been designed to compliment Albam’s seasonal creative story ‘Japanese Gardener’. Delving into this story, our research focused on how Japanese gardeners carry their tools. Tools that are used regularly are carried around the waist so they are close to hand. Often hung from belts made from webbing, with sharp edges safely in leather pouches.

Campbell Cole x Albam. It is a real pleasure to have worked with Albam to create a small capsule collection of four products. We recently popped into the factory to check in on the product being made – see below for a sneak peek of what’s to come.