Introducing our friends from Fire & Felt

Fire & Felt is a small company with a big passion for helping you create and enjoy a real sense of comfort and wellbeing in your home. Their little online shop sells fabulous footwear – über-comfy slippers and indoor house clogs sourced exclusively from Austria and rugs that are traditionally woven in Lancashire mills using Shetland wool. And exclusively for White Hot customers, Fire & Felt is giving 15% off your first order. Simply visit fireandfelt.com and use the code cosywhite16 at the checkout before 31 December 2016. Here we spend a few minutes chatting with Fire & Felt founder, Louise Pearce, about her inspiration and her belief in the feel good power of comfort. What was your inspiration behind Fire&Felt? I’m a journalist by trade, so have always been incredibly interested in the trends around us, where we get our inspiration and joy from, and how these things influence the way we live. A few years ago, this little word ‘hygge’ kept appearing in trend reports, with people describing it as a sense of home, a feeling of comfort and belonging. It really resonated with me and tapped into my belief of how the role of ‘home’ has changed recently. As well as being a place where we live, it’s now also the place where so many of us (me included) work, shop, entertain and stay connected with friends and family. So I decided to create Fire & Felt, a lifestyle brand that could help others tap into the warm, cosy feelings of hygge and home. What makes Fire & Felt different? We’re a young business with a mission to source timeless and well-made products that bring together the very best in ‘home comfort’ – textures that feel good against your skin, slippers that are so a part of you, you forget you’re wearing them, aromas that enhance your sense of wellbeing. Basically, we’re on the look out for the things that make you feel good when you’re at home, because home is our place to escape the outside world. Do you have a favourite product from your range? Definitely. I just couldn’t imagine being at home without my Stegmann wool-felt house clogs. The truth is, I stumbled across these slippers well over a decade ago and I’d always found it difficult to get hold of them in the UK. So Fire & Felt was the perfect way to get these incredibly comfy slippers noticed by more people, and make sure I always had a pair handy too! What does comfort mean to you? For me, comfort and wellbeing are totally intertwined. When I was setting up Fire & Felt, I soon realised that I relied on one or two things to really help me feel comfy and create that sense of wellbeing – a soft blanket thrown over the sofa, my favourite scented candle, my slippers. Stepping out of my boots and into my 'Stegs' after a hard day was a signal that I could let go and just be me. Little things like that can have a big impact on how we feel. What’s the best bit about running your own company? Being in charge of my own destiny, I guess. It’s hard work running a small business but I wouldn’t swap it for the world. The feedback I get from my customers when I chat to them over the phone or meet them is brilliant. And working with the amazing craftsman and artisans who make our goods – they’re all very special people and I’m in awe of their skills. What’s next for Fire & Felt? Onward's and upwards! We’re constantly looking for ideas and products that inspire people to make the most of their home, and turn it into their own little haven away from the hustle and bustle. It’s a challenge I love!