Uniqueness
I have always been a sentimentalist. I have a fascination with personal treasures and a passion for keeping our memories alive. My home is filled with items which have been passed down through the generations and which evoke a powerful narrative.
After my grandmother, Mama, moved to a nursing home, my family were tasked with sifting through her treasured things and packing up her home.
We were hesitant at first, intimidated by the process and unsure how to best respect Mama’s wishes. Eventually with Mama’s blessing, each family member chose sentimental pieces of artwork, Jewellery furniture and everyday items that brought cherished memories of shared times back to our own homes.
This experience inspired me to launch Small Things Home, a bespoke personal curatorial service that registers and documents personal collections.
Making plans for valued possessions for when you or loved one pass away can be extremely daunting.
Small Things Home catalogues and itemises artwork, collections and heirlooms in a Personal Register, documenting the intended wishes, capturing the sentiment, and making plans for distribution.
The process ensures an enduring connection to both the individual and their valued collection and leaves a lasting legacy for the next generations.
Innovation
Culturally, we are not very good at talking about death.
When I launched Small Things Home, one my goals was to demystify end of life matters – giving people permission to talk about their plans after they’re gone without fear and turning what can be a dreaded process into a positive and rewarding one.
Small Things Home empowers people to build their legacy, so the connections they have with loved ones last even after they pass away.
Small Things Home is the only bespoke service offering to undertake and produce a Personal Register for valued possessions in the market place. It is a niche product that can be aligned with a spectrum of financial, legal and creative entities, allowing them to extend beyond their current threshold without compromising their individual specialist area or reputation.
One thing I’ve discovered, is that often people have a Will though it may be out of date and rarely does it include comprehensive detail regarding the distribution of valued possessions and personal assets.
Small Things Home closes this gap in the end of life planning field.
Entrepreneurship
Futurist Joe Tankersley has predicted that one of the most in demand areas in the next decade will be end of life planning. With an ageing population, it’s little wonder.
Small Things Home fills a current gap in the end of life planning market, with demand continuing to grow stronger everyday.
My business strategy is focused on quality not quantity – with a focus on maintaining an individual service for a consistent number of clients who are the right fit for the offering.
One pillar of my outreach strategy is to align with reputable specialists, such as Private Trustees, Estate Planning Solicitors, Succession Planners, Fine Art Insurers, Valuers and Appraisers, Professional Organisers, Lifestyle Managers, Personal Concierges, art consultancy services, and a secondary group of premium auction houses. I provide an extension of their service which allows for both organic and pivotal growth.
My 20 year background in design, love for the stories behind our possessions and empathy for the client experience put me in good stead to drive the vision for Small Things Home.
I have endless passion, an enduring persistence to learn more, a drive to create as many connections as possible, and a deep professional curiosity in meeting an unmet client need.
Sustainability
Small Things Home actively provides a socially and environmentally sustainable approach by making responsible plans for the practical distribution of personal assets. Few consider their environmental footprint in their estate planning, and unfortunately, in many cases the collected belongings of another person are largely disposed of unless some form of documentation or final wishes have been provided.
A Personal Register provides an executor or family member with a road map that allows for more sustainable cradle to grave approach. Wishes can be outlined for items to be bequeathed, donated, gifted, resold or thoughtfully disposed, ensuring landfill is the final option.
The continuing trend favouring the bespoke, handmade, organic, artisan and upcycled products provides evidence that forging sentimental connections with our possessions and those of our loved ones provides further social, environmental and economic benefit.
Why should you win this competition?
‘Consumers say that all they want are cheap commodities. Given the choice, though, most of us, most of the time, seek out art. We seek out experiences and products that deliver more value, more connection, and more experience, and change us for the better.’ SETH GODIN
Every piece has a story. I believe in the power of Small Things Home to unlock and share the beauty in our possessions and memories, while shining a light on a shared situation that is familiar to us all.
Small Things Home is the culmination of all my passion, education and experience. It is about emotional labour. Using creativity to unlock the stories and create meaningful connections, and then gifting the experience to be shared and passed on.
I believe I should win this competition as it would create an energy and positivity around end of life planning which is currently missing. It would create the airspace to start end of life planning conversations with our own families, especially at this time of year. And most of all it would create an opportunity to change lives in a simple yet extraordinary way.