Not far from the bustle of Putney High Street, signs for the George and Beth vintage pop-up beckon you to a peaceful residential street. The hosts, Helen and Hannah greet you warmly into their home, which is reimagined as a shoppable wonderland for a couple of times each year. This season is particularly special as their Christmas pop-up is coming up next over two weekends: Friday 29th November – Sunday 1st December, and Friday 6th – Sunday 8th December 2024.
Open 11-5pm daily during pop-up weekends, 14 Stratford Grove, Putney SW15 1NU
“It started out because we were bursting at the seams. We loved all our things but had to find a way of moving our props on when we no longer needed them for our work…so one day we told a few people, and they came along, and it grew from there,” says Helen, who is a photographer, while her daughter Hannah trades in vintage fashion.
Find home & fashion accessories nestled together, while the kitchen always holds great tablescapes
The George and Beth pop-ups have been running for almost 16 years, yet they still feel like a secret you are lucky to be in the know about. The house is open but intimate, so it is like visiting a friend’s place, except you don’t have to stop yourself after asking the story behind every piece your eye catches, and you get the chance to leave with them too. “We’ve met so many interesting creatives and like-minded people who enjoy coming to our pop-ups. Many have become good friends,” says Helen.
Hannah and Helen’s finds are presented in a thoughtfully decorative, homely way to inspire how you might style things on yourself or in your home.
“Setting up is a huge part of what we do, and at each pop-up, we like to do something different. Last year people felt the pinch; everything was quite expensive, so our decor was based on foraging and using greenery available from the garden as well as the hedgerows.”
Curating the Winter and Summer events can take them a year, and set-up will take at least two weeks. “But there’s at least a good month of ‘things to do’ before that,” from moving furniture out to planting, printing, photography and making.
“At Christmas time we get involved with making decorations from say all the damaged chandelier crystals and we add other one-off bits’ n bobs to them, so every piece is unique. We also like old traditional ideas, so last year we reintroduced hand-sewn crepe paper streamer decorations.” Inspired by post-war 50’s do-it-yourself-decor, they gathered, dyed, and cut the crepe paper, which struck a rare balance between old-fashioned and fresh at the same time.
“This year we have a few more ideas up our sleeves, but you’ll have to come along to discover what that is,” says Helen, leaving me wanting more. Like unwrapping my box of mismatched Christmas decorations and rediscovering what is inside (including the antique strawberries below bought from George and Beth last year), each visit never fails to surprise.
Follow George and Beth on Instagram or visit georgeandbeth.co.uk to subscribe for upcoming event dates
©Photographs courtesy of George and Beth, Helen Fickling & Reclaimed Woman