Friends of Far Afield: & halt

Could you tell us a little about & halt, and how it all began?

We often describe & halt as a curated edit of design-led goods with provenance. A collection of home and lifestyle accessories with a distinct modernist undertone.

We consciously avoid interiors trends and focus on design-led goods for life. &halt was a long-held dream that we were, frankly, too scared to realise. We both worked in the world of corporate retail and were somewhat stuck on the treadmill. Then the pandemic hit and I, Nick, was furloughed.

This was the first time in 20 years where I’d been off for more than 10 days, and the time afforded me the ability to reflect on life and really question whether I was on the right path.

I pulled a brand pack together capturing our ethos and aesthetic, then started approaching brands that resonated with our vision. Essentially, we had to convince people to take a punt on us. We opened the store within six months, and it took off from there.

The name suggests a pause, or a slight change of pace. Was that feeling part of the idea from the start?

It’s the central focus of our brand ethos. & halt has three meanings for us.

Firstly, it was the pandemic-based launch. A moment of pause and reflection when the world stopped. Secondly, our product selections are geared towards taking a moment. A pause in your day, stepping outside the madness for the sake of retaining some sanity. We wanted to provide the tools to elevate everyday rituals: the coffee-making experience, the background scent, the enveloping textiles.

Thirdly, and on a more commercial level, &halt is a subconscious command. It resonates on a website or a storefront. We literally see people spot the name, stop, change direction, and come in.

How would you describe the shop to someone who hasn’t visited before?

The store itself is a super calm space. An escape from the outside world.

We’re in the heart of The Lanes, which can get crazy busy. The store is a little escapist oasis from that. Japanese scents, edgy yet soothing music, and a world of tactility.

We hope it’s way more than just products on shelves. More a space to explore, hang out, and even be inspired by some goods you won’t have seen before.

When you’re choosing pieces for &halt, what tends to make something feel right?

We’re design obsessed, but it has to be balanced with functionality. When we see something that seamlessly combines the two, we jump at it.

This probably explains why we’re always drawn to all things Danish and Japanese. We really dislike design for design’s sake and actively avoid trend-driven goods, focusing instead on items you’ll appreciate and use for decades.

For a store that sells lots of “stuff”, we’re actually about having less stuff. Buying better, whilst buying less.

We also seek out pieces you hopefully won’t have seen elsewhere. We favour smaller makers and suppliers with little or no coverage in the UK. We consciously avoid the bigger players. There’s nothing wrong with them, but the market is saturated. We’re not drawn to brands churning out relentless new collections, encouraging replacement and renewal.

What draws you to the makers and studios you work with?

Authenticity, sustainability and, of course, a shared obsession with design.

We like to sample the products and meet the makers and designers where possible. There’s a misconception that you can just approach a brand and stock their item. We prefer it if we have to work at it.

The brands that want to know about us, our ethos and the environment in which their products will sit are the ones that really appeal. They’re curating their distributors just like we curate our offer.

We would never stock a single item that we don’t love ourselves. We’ll often see a product and just know it would sell, but if we don’t love it ourselves, we walk away.

How important is the story behind an object?

It’s an intrinsic part of the buying process. We like to understand the manufacturing, the practices used, and the provenance behind the item.

We currently stock products from 157 different makers and suppliers from all over the world and could happily bore you to death about the story behind each and every item. We want to align with makers and studios with a similar ethos to ours.

Our customers are design-led people who genuinely want to know the story.

Are there any pieces in the shop at the moment that feel especially &halt to you?

If we had to highlight one, it would be our series of concrete water towers.

We have a slightly unhealthy obsession with water towers, finding beauty in the absolute brutalism of them, but also admiring that blend of form and function. The towers we stock are exact replicas of five structures in Bangalore. They’re made by local artisans in small batches, and they double as a planter.

The studio that makes them has a deep appreciation of the structures. As the full-size ones are no longer in use and falling into disrepair, they see these replicas as a way of preserving their legacy forever. The story massively resonated with us, and struck a chord with our love of all things brutalist.

The shop feels quite immersive, rather than simply transactional. How do you think about the physical space?

We consciously don’t overfill the space, leaving room for the products to breathe and room for customers to browse and appreciate.

The bones of the store are simple: concrete, walnut and steel. We wanted a backdrop that would resonate with a design-led customer without overpowering the products.

We then overlay lots of storytelling, giving the customer the ability to browse at their own pace and under zero pressure. That adds an experiential element that’s difficult to replicate online. We’re both always in the store, and can tell you how every single piece was sourced.

I guess it’s a little gallery-like, although a lot less intimidating.

We split the space in two, with kitchen and table at the front, then home and living towards the rear, but we purposely don’t merchandise by product type. It’s sometimes hard to visualise products in your own space, so we aim to alleviate that.

We add seating areas and magazines to soften the space. Come in and hang out, with no pressure to purchase. We don’t go out of our way to sell. We just hang back, armed with the product knowledge if it’s needed.

How does being in Brighton shape what you do?

Massively. Brighton is creative, full of ideas and experimentation. We can push the boundaries and try things we probably wouldn’t elsewhere.

Sometimes we’ll buy something that we consider to be incredibly niche and accept the fact it’ll probably act as a bit of a halo product as opposed to being a commercial driver. It’ll then sell out within the first week.

Brighton is a haven for independents, and this creates an incredible support network with an unspoken respect for what each other does.

On a more commercial level, we have to balance two distinct customer types: loyal local customers, and day trippers or tourists. Everything we buy has to resonate with both. We need big-ticket items as considered purchases, and smaller pick-up items that can be packed or carried. We just have to ensure our design ethos remains at the heart of both.

Homeware and clothing seem to share a few concerns: texture, utility, taste, daily use. Do you find yourselves drawn to similar qualities in what you wear and what you stock?

Absolutely. Our product doesn’t shout. It’s understated, but knowing design. Almost like a little secret, if that makes sense. A bit “if you know, you know”.

The design and the hue might be subtle, but the attention to detail, functionality and tactility shout. Our products and the clothes we buy are designed to fit harmoniously into our lives, but also make us feel better. Elevating the ordinary with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment with every interaction.

What are you excited about at the moment, culturally, in the shop, in Brighton, or more generally?

We’re definitely aware of a shift back towards experience and authenticity, and a renewed need for provenance. There’s an horrific overexposure of inauthentic, influencer-produced content that appears to be resonating less and less, at least in our part of the market. Independent retail is beautifully poised to tap into this with more emphasis on the experiential elements.

We feel the constant sowing of division right now will go full circle, with a conscious shift back towards community. We may be a little way off that yet, but these things tend to go in cycles, and we have to remain optimistic. For our own sanity if nothing else.

In terms of things closer to home, we’re at the point of considering opening a store outside of Brighton. It’s a huge step on many different levels, but we feel we have something pretty unique and we’re ready to share this further afield.

Watch this space.