ABOUT
Our Story
Being a vintage dealer was never the plan... I always wanted to be a musician & was lucky enough to travel the world with a band until my early 30s. It was then that a lifelong interest in design really took over — starting with a lamp found at a jumble sale & growing into a collection until my tiny north London flat was full & it was time to sell a few bits in order to make space.
PUSH // PULL didn't begin with a business plan or a bank loan, just my enthusiasm & the money from the previous piece if I had turned a profit. Things kept selling via Instagram & a few larger projects came along: sourcing vintage furniture for pubs and offices, among other things. Later I worked with Soho House, setting up their vintage offering Soho Home, before properly starting out on my own with a Leyton studio space. Selling online at first, but the fairs seemed a natural next step, with regular slots at the Spotlight Market, the MCM Show at Dulwich & Kempton. Most recently we moved into a permanent shop space in East London.
There have been lots of early mornings & some long journeys too — a few mistakes as well, but that's where the eye gets trained. It feels like you can't go far wrong though when only buying what you love.
Vintage Furniture, Chosen Piece by Piece
Every piece of vintage furniture that comes through Push // Pull is individually selected — for the quality of its craft, the honesty of its wear, and the singular nature of its form. If it's here, it's because it earned its place: vintage chairs, cabinets, lighting, and the occasional piece that defies category.
We tend to focus on unusual one-offs rather than specific designer pieces — they're just more special. A unique handmade item produced in someone's garden workshop is infinitely more interesting to me than a generic designer piece. Often it's the proportions that inspire me most — things tend to be chunky and oversized, with something unusual about the scale.
We specialise mainly in Brutalist, Modernist, and Postmodern furniture, though there are also pieces from the early 20th century with Arts & Crafts or Art Deco leanings. I love the sweet spot where Antique meets Modern — that's the most interesting area of design, for me.
We try to get to France once a month for sourcing trips; the trade markets over there are the best for what we look for & the laid-back starts, long lunches & afternoon swims don't hurt either. It's basically my dream job! In between those runs, we hit all the UK vintage furniture markets & have built up an extensive roster of industry contacts too.
Visit the Shop in East London
Our base these days is our new shop on Hainault Road in Leytonstone — a compact gallery space with a specific point of view, showcasing fewer, better pieces, chosen with the utmost care. Push // Pull is open Friday to Sunday & by appointment during the week. If you're looking to browse an ever-changing selection of vintage furniture in East London, do pay us a visit.
As Featured In
The brand has had some lovely write-ups along the way too — then likes of Elle Decoration, The Guardian, The Sunday Times & Remodelista have been kind enough to feature us, which has been a welcome kind of validation for something that very much started out as a hobby.
Handmade Modular Sofas
Push // Pull also makes something new: the PP//01 Modular Sofa, a handmade sofa range built in our Derbyshire workshop by a small team of master craftsmen. A different discipline perhaps, but with the same underlying belief — that things made well are worth the wait.
We worked with Matthew Long (previously of Habitat) to design the range, using fabrics sourced from some of the best UK manufacturers. Each piece is built to last and comes in numerous modular configurations, with a high or low arm option — made to order and truly bespoke.
Shop online or visit us in our East London store
PUSH // PULL
1 The Pavement
Hainault Road
London
E11 1EG
The shop is open by appointment during the week & as follows:
12 / 4 Friday
10 / 5 Saturday
12 / 4 Sunday
