My Little London: Lisa Mehydene at edit58
Lisa Mehydene, the mother of two and founder of interiors label Edit 58, shares her style tips, weekend haunts in the capital and the joys of ‘date day’
Where do you live in London?
We live in Wandsworth. For us, it’s the perfect mix of open space and urban life. We know all our neighbours and love that it feels like a mini village in a big city.
Where do you like to go with the children at weekends?
Our favourite family activity is to visit one of the markets; Broadway, Maltby Sreet, Columbia Road… there’s nothing nicer than a mooch around while filling up a basket with treats. It’s nice to get under the skin of a different part of London each time while also supporting independent producers.
We also spend a lot of time in the parks. Our favourites are Richmond Park, Battersea Park and Regent’s Park. I try to meet up with friends so we get to chat while the children play together. And we love going to Kenwood House at Hampstead Heath, too, and will often meet my parents there. On the first and last Sunday of each month it holds family activities which are great fun, plus it has the most amazing views of London.
Where do you shop for your twins?
I buy the children’s clothes from a whole host of places. I do love the more traditional look on children, so brands like La Coqueta, Olivier Baby & Kids and Little Circle are my go-tos as their pieces are all beautifully made. I also source quite a lot of vintage dresses for my daughter – either from charity shops or flea markets on holiday. On the high street I’m always picking up pieces from Zara, Mango, H&M, Next and La Redoute. And I just got my daughter the most brilliant leopard-print coat from Tu at Sainsbury’s.
As a self-confessed interiors addict, how would you describe your own home style?
I always say it is much like my fashion style. I like to mix high street finds with vintage and designer, so the resulting look is hard to pin down. But it has warmth and texture, and feels homely!
Where do you head for home buys?
Anywhere and everywhere! My favourite vintage market is Sunbury Antiques. It’s close to home and packed full of great treasures. It’s definitely the best way to spend a morning. I also love Retrouvius – some of the larger items in my home are from this brilliant salvage firm. Zara Home is great for tableware, glassware, linens and children’s room décor, and The Conran Shop consistently has the best visual merchandising around. I’m thrilled it has recently started to stock Edit 58. Plus, London’s museum shops are always great for postcards, coffee table books and little treasures. My husband berates me for always wanting to go in the shop before even looking at the exhibits!
How do you manage the balance between your work and family?
Starting Edit 58 was very much about wanting to be more present for the children and to have the flexibility to determine my schedule a little more than I would in a traditional workplace. At the start it was hard, the children weren’t yet at school, so I would snatch time when I could and worked late into the night. However, since they started school last year it has become much easier for me to balance the role of parenting and work. I drop them off and then have a solid six or seven hours most days to focus on work, before I go to collect them. Once I’m with them I don’t do any more work until they’re in bed. Having a brilliantly hands-on husband also helps, especially as we have no other childcare help.
Do you ever manage to carve out time for date night?
We love nothing more than a dinner out. Getting dressed up and heading into town always feels special and exciting. We like to try out new places, but also have some firm favourites that we return to time and again.Since having children, going to the cinema also feels quite decadent! We make the most of it by heading to the Olympic or Electric cinemas, where we can enjoy the film on a sofa with a bottle of wine. We’re also quite partial to ‘date day’, as my husband can get out for a few hours at lunch sometimes. I’ll go and meet him in East London and we’ll have lunch – we love Lyle’s. That way we can be asleep on the sofa come evening and we don’t have to stump up for childcare either!
What’s in store for Edit 58 in 2018?
Lots of exciting things are afoot for the coming year; collaborations, new products, extensions to existing lines and lots more photos of my feet on pretty rugs!
edit58.com
Follow Lisa on Instagram at instagram.com/edit.58
