Shop of the Week / Shop of the Week
Shop of the Week: Nola Interiors, Gloucester Road
Nola Interiors‘ striking teal frontage and nature-inspired mural make an inviting first impression among Gloucester Road’s parade of independents. Step through the door and you’re immediately greeted by the airy scent of organic candles. Inside, every choice feels deliberate and browsing is calm and unhurried.
Owner Finola Kelly opened the independent interiors shop in November 2017 after spending 18 years managing Fired Earth in Bristol. Having always dreamed of owning her own business, she wanted to create somewhere that combined beautiful interiors with eco-conscious products.
Nola Interiors stocks eco-conscious paint, tiles, wallpaper, homeware and gifts – photo: Francesca Scott
“I always thought I’d love to have my own shop one day,” she said. “You go to the Cotswolds or Cornwall and you see lovely little gift shops and think, ‘I’d love a shop like that.”
is needed now More than ever
That vision became Nola Interiors, which has sustainability at its heart. Finola noticed growing interest in eco-friendly decorating while working in interiors, with customers increasingly asking what paints contained and how products were made.
“When I opened in 2017, I felt there was definitely a nudge towards eco-friendly products,” she explained. “I sort of built the shop around that.”
Today, Nola Interiors specialises in environmentally friendly interiors, offering everything from breathable Little Greene and Earthborn Eco paints to Ca’ Pietra artisan tiles and Weaver Green rugs and textiles made from recycled plastic. Each piece reflects Finola’s commitment to thoughtful, sustainable living.
Alongside the carefully selected products, Finola offers technical advice and colour consultations, drawing on decades of experience in interiors. Customers can visit the shop or arrange home consultations, where she helps choose paint colours, wallpapers and develop cohesive interior schemes.
“I think people just need a bit of help or encouragement,” she said. “They might know what they want, but they haven’t quite got the confidence.”
That expertise is reflected throughout the shop, where displays are styled as they might appear in a home. The result is a space filled with natural textures, earthy colours and carefully curated pieces, from Irish wool blankets and cushions to ceramics, vases and wallpapers.
Sustainable pieces include Weaver Green rugs and textiles made from recycled plastic, alongside candles crafted with natural and soya wax- photo: Francesca Scott
Outside, the shop’s colourful mural reinforces the store’s environmental ethos. Created by a local artist, it features birds, trees and marine life to reflect both the breathable paints and the importance of protecting oceans from plastic pollution. As the shopfront reminds us, “Sustainable living doesn’t cost the earth” – but it might just help protect it.
Nola Interiors’ colourful mural showcases its environmental ethos – photo: Francesca Scott
Now approaching its ninth anniversary this November, Nola Interiors has weathered the challenges of the pandemic, rising energy costs and changing shopping habits. Even so, Gloucester Road’s strong sense of community continues to make it a special place to run an independent business.
“We’ve got a lovely local community that likes to support us, which we don’t take for granted,” Finola said.
That support comes from Gloucester Road’s loyal community of shoppers and independent businesses alike, with traders working together on events such as Mayfest and the annual Christmas street party.
“I really love coming into work,” she said. “People come in and say, ‘Oh my God, it’s beautiful.’ It’s lovely to hear those comments.”
Main photo: Francesca Scott
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
