SMUG is the brainchild of local Islingtonian Lizzie Evans. Lizzie remembers spending her pocket money in Camden Passage as a little girl. Now as an interior and graphic designer, she has turned a regular shop front into a light and airy designed space filled with 1950s furniture, handmade toys, gorgeous stationery, quirky kitchenware, and chic ceramics.
The space retains its old waxed boards and rusty manhole covers, but introduces sheets of glass as balustrades and portions of the floor, allowing light to penetrate the downstairs of the retail haven.
As well as designing, sourcing for and running the shop, Lizzie continues to work as an interior and graphic designer. She created the SMUG brand including the design of the website and has also branded the Lodeveans Collection, a contemporary art collection which hangs its art on the walls of Smug.
Below is a portfolio of Lizzie's work and collaborations to date as well some magazine articles about her and her work . If you would like to contact Lizzie about a project please email lizzie@ifeelsmug.com
May 2011
The third issue of French magazine toc-toc-toc is a London special and includes an article about Lizzie at home and at work.
"It is on the final floor of a large three story house, in a peaceful quarter of Islington that I met up with Lizzie Evans. Interior Architect and founder of the boutique Smug, this young English girl has made this space warm and playful, in her own image.
The style of her apartment is a knowing mixture of old ceramic objects brought home from her holidays and contemporary objects that have come straight from her boutique."
November 2010
Frankie's new project Spaces is a collection of eclectic interiors from around world. This large format mag explores the homes, studios, shops and cafes of graphic designers, photographers, vintage collectors and shop owners. With a focus on carefully curated style, Spaces celebrates the unique vision and individuality of creative people living everywhere from Melbourne to Amsterdam. An interview with Lizzie as well as photos of her home and SMUG are on pages 64 - 73.
www.frankie.com
October 2010
Lizzie the Owl is a collaboration between Lizzie Evans and Chloe Owens. Handmade by Chloe from Liberty lawn, felt and buttons sellected by Lizzie, Lizzie the Owl is exclusive to SMUG and can be yours for £18.
September 2010
The SMUG scarf is a collaboration with Stabo who hand screen their own popular dalek, vw campervan and bicycle scarves all sold at SMUG. Lizzie reworked the SMUG bullfinch and guinea pig logo to be hand screened on this 100% woolen scarf with white ink on dark purple herringbone with flecks of green. The SMUG scarf is sold for £22 exclusively at SMUG.
June 2010
To celebrate SMUG's 1st birthday Lizzie designed the graphics screened on this hessian jute bag with thick cotton handles. One side has the Smug bullfinch and guinea pig logo and the other the Smug crest and store details. You can buy yours in store for £5 but if you're a really good customer you might even get one for free.
May 2010
Logo and buiness cards for JD and Stuart Evans's new Contemporary Art partnership BALON. BA - Buenos Aires, LON - London. Business cards are litho printed 4-colour process on 400gsm matt white artboard and machine sealed with a matt varnish.
June 2009
Litho printed 4-colour process on 400gsm matt white artboard. Machine sealed with a matt varnish. The image on the front of the card is a photograph of the painting 'Kingdom' by Richard Wathan.
November 2012
SMUG is the brainchild of Lizzie Evans, an interior architect and design aficionado. Besides sourcing for the store, dressing it and running the business she's still working as a graphic and interior designer. Her latest in-store print exhibition has opened last Saturday and will be available for visits until January 2013 and we think it's a must see for those of you in London. We were very curious about this affair so we asked her a few questions. Answers below accompanied by pictures from the Old School Print Exhibition.