Our Why:
We created Porter & Gold to separate the growing interiors side of the business from the vintage fashion business. Walking past new developments in our own areas of Bristol, and seeing the large and uninspiring banner images of the showhomes, convinced us there was a space in the market for doing interiors differently. The mass produced synthetic furniture world has had its day, and we want to show that working with vintage, antique and sustainably made pieces can create clean, modern and inviting interiors. Vintage does NOT always mean twee, or shabby chic! Since we spend a great portion of our lives inside buildings, whether that is at home or work environments, it makes perfect sense to be somewhere we love to be, with beautiful, comfortable and useful (thank you William Morris) objects and furniture.
We get excited by interiors! A freshly painted or clay finished wall, a huge copper bowl on an old wooden table, fresh artwork or an antique rug on a modern floor: this is the sort of thing that really gets us going. It is proven that beauty makes us humans happier, and is part of how we interact with the world. Adding antique and vintage furniture to your interiors, alongside sustainable or pre loved modern pieces, makes having stunning decor, that is environmentally friendly, actually achievable.
Positive Impacts
There are many positive impacts we can make on our beautiful planet, either as home owners or developers. Porter & Gold offers a superb way of reducing your carbon footprint and lowering your emissions.
Working with us will measurably lower the carbon footprint of your project, and we can talk with you in more detail about this in our free consultation. We are happy to be part of the growing global movement of learning and developing ongoing sustainable and greener practices in all of our homes, properties and future projects.
Sustainability
We believe that environmentally sustainable homes are a crucial element in our lives. The interior decor choices we make now will affect our futures, and we can help you with this in mind.
Let's make those choices a unique experience, with a beautiful outcome. We couple our beliefs with a passion for art, antiques and vintage - the result is a unique look that brings lasting joy and appeal to each individual property we work on.
Who we are:
We are family - Porter & Gold are growing! We are: Samaya Ling, Director, and my sister, Johanna Sharples, who has worked extensively on helping to set up Porter & Gold, from taking beautiful photos to writing copy. We grew up in a family full of craftspeople, artists and antique dealers. Our homes were always full of old, wonderful and odd things (and people), and creating interiors is in our blood.
We are still a family of creatives and each run our own separate businesses: Samaya Ling Vintage, as a company, has been collecting and selling vintage fashion, textiles and homewares for 18 years, and supplies fashion and interior designers from houses such as Ralph Lauren and Jill Stuart.
Johanna is a partner in Jim Sharples furniture and works alongside her husband Jim, a cabinet maker, designing and making bespoke furniture. She works with CAD, Sketch up and is a paint colour expert.
The many years of buying at antique fairs, auctions and textile exhibitions, alongside family members designing and making furniture, means Porter & Gold have a huge amount of experience. The experiences gained have really allowed us to deepen our knowledge, and hone our 'eye', for the combined interior design elements of beauty, detail and functionality. Johanna and Jim Sharples have been designing and handcrafting bespoke fitted and freestanding furniture for more than 18 years. Whatever you’re looking for, they can make it to exacting standards using the best materials for the job, and they can either work direct with you (contact them from their website) or as part of a show home design project.
What we do:
We source, style and stage using antique, vintage and sustainable pieces, for homes, showhomes and property developments. We work with home owners, developers (new builds and renovation), estate agents and photographers. Porter & Gold are available for large and small projects, from a simple room restyle to a new build showroom project. Please visit our services page for more information.
Working with Porter & Gold
We offer our new clients an initial 30 minute consultation, either on the phone or on zoom. Contact us or book a call to discuss your project. We can then talk about furniture and lighting selection, styling and layout, floor plans and art! We also have options for a moodboard and consultation only service.
We will talk over your initial ideas, offer insights and decide on a plan for moving your project forward. When a project scope, estimated time involved and quote has been agreed upon, we then begin to work through the practical steps to make your interior vision a reality.
We are looking forward to working with you, and if you have questions you would like to ask you are welcome to email us before booking a call.