New Work: Summerill & Bishop

Established in 1994, Summerill & Bishop is a kitchen shop filled with hand-crafted earthenware, glassware and natural home products. It is one of London’s hidden gems.

Set up by friends June Summerill and Bernadette Bishop, the shop has a very personal aesthetic, selling only the things they like and would have in their own homes. It brings together the beautiful and practical with an eclectic mix of vintage pieces and is a haven for anyone who believes that the kitchen is the heart of every home. Over the years June and Bernadette have built a loyal following; both Tricia Guild of Designers Guild and Ruth Rogers of the River Café quote it as being their favourite kitchen shop.

To coincide with the launch of Summerill & Bishop’s online shop, Domenic Lippa was approached to design a new identity, which would more appropriately express the special nature of the business.

Domenic developed a visual identity around the shop’s strong aesthetic and personality, arriving at two key words — special and distinctive. The use of a serif font, Baskerville Italic, has a timeless quality, but the logotype is only ever seen in lowercase lettering, lending it a modern touch. The flourish of a silver ampersand in the centre is a nod to the individuality and quirkiness of the brand. A neutral colour palette of muted grey and beige picks up on the décor of the shop, and a secondary palette of earthy reds and greens accented by highlights of yellow and red is a nod to the store’s contents and all things food related.

A set of illustrative postcards and gift tags in simply crafted shapes appears in knowing contrast to the beautiful photography on the site.

The new Summerill and Bishop online shop has just launched at www.summerillandbishop.com.