Shop spotlight on Cachette. This delightful online lifestyle store sells an eclectic mix of everyday objects which are beautiful and useful. Because they are located in the idyllic South of France, you’ll find an assortment of handmade, vintage and unique pieces from European artisan makers and food producers. Discover a treasure trove of furniture, home accessories, decorative objects, kitchenware, tableware, bedding, bathroom accessories, lighting, gourmet food and plenty more. It’s the perfect place to find a unique gift for a loved one or buy something fabulous as a self-treat. I caught up with the owners to find out more about Cachette.
Jute Storage Sack Bag
Meet the Cachette Owners
This business is owned by Stephen Rogan and Delphine de Chabalier, the co-founders. They met at an office do while both were working at different Virgin companies. It wasn’t long before they were life partners and had two daughters. Relocating from London to Le Cannet in the South of France was a lifestyle change for the family because they also started their business.
Stephen Rogan and Delphine de Chabalier
The online shop idea suits them down to the ground because it fits around family life and is a way for them to express their mutual love for design and food. Steve elaborates, “we care about how and where beautiful things are produced. In France, the UK and across Europe, there are many artisans, designers and heritage manufacturers, and we want our shop to be filled with their products rather than anything mass-produced and shipped from far away. It was also about creating something that was ours, filled with things we love and are passionate about.” Steve tells me about the unusual business name, “Cachette is a French word, which means ‘hiding place’ or a place where you might hide as a child or a place where you might hide your precious things. It took a long time to decide that was the right name, but now it feels perfect.”
European 100% Linen Pillow Cases with Lace Detail
They both have a background in Marketing. Steve explains, “my marketing experience is mainly within Virgin companies, including the start of Virgin Mobile and Virgin Media. Working at Virgin helped me develop an entrepreneurial spirit and the desire to have my own business. It also taught me that you have to put your customers at the heart of your business and treat them brilliantly and if you make a mistake, say sorry.” Delphine has a broad marketing background in large organisations like Unilever, Virgin, Coca Cola and Tetley, working on brand management, strategy and innovation. She also ran her own tea business called Leaf before selling that in 2013 and has been a consultant too!
European Concrete Bathroom Bowls
Steve tends to focus on marketing and PR with their own company, while Delphine is more on the buying side and supplier management. Everything else from finance, fulfilment and long-term strategy is a team effort. They enjoy the flexibility of being in control of their destiny, mainly because they have a great life/work balance. It satisfies Delphine’s love of discovering new designers and building relationships with them. Steve is a food lover, so he gets to meet new suppliers and try the samples. You’d think running this business and having two young kids would be enough. But it doesn’t stop there, and they tell me, “we’re also consultants helping businesses with their marketing, strategy and development, which includes start-ups and small businesses on small budgets.”
Cachette Collection
There is so much available on the website. I mentioned a few categories in the introduction, but you can also buy stationery, children’s toys and gifts, fashion accessories, candles, and so on. The main priority for selecting their wares is – simple beauty and usefulness. Many items are handmade, and 90% are from Europe. Rather than designer brands, they specialise in goods from artisans and producers – think along the lines of candles from maker des Prémontrés and soaps from Marius Fabre. To give you an idea of the delights you’ll find online, Steve has picked out five items for you to admire.
Recycled Pickle Jar Lamp: This super cute light has been made in Holland from an old reclaimed pickle jar. It comes with the UK or European plug with black and white or red and white flex, so it is ready to enjoy. The measurements are 25cm high with a flex length of 2m – £35.90.
Recycled Pickle Jar Lamp
Linen Tea Towel: This tea towel is made from 100% French linen. It features a screen-printed black and white vintage photograph of French butchers. It comes with a hook for hanging, so it will also add some decoration to your kitchen. This is a great gift idea for a foodie fan. The measurements are 70cm high and 50cm wide – £17.53.
Linen Tea Towel
White Enamel Cutlery: Artisan cutlery made from metal and then covered in white enamel. These are surprisingly tactile to the touch, and you can even clean them in the dishwasher. They are better for adult use as they could chip if dropped on a hard surface. You can buy these lovely knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons and coffee spoons individually or a set containing one of each – £56. There are also salad servers available in white enamel.
White Enamel Cutlery
Linen Double Duvet Cover: Made from European 100% linen and comes with Master of Linen label certification, it is top quality. It is lovely and light, super soft and really comfortable, so it will be warm in the winter and refreshingly cool in the summer. The duvet is a simple envelope-style cover with a button closure. It has a washed and slightly creased look which is good news because it doesn’t need ironing! There are eighteen colours to choose from, and it comes in four sizes – £178.60-199.50.
100% Linen Double Duvet Cover
Handmade Leather Rucksack: This is such a fabulous minimal rucksack in a timeless style which has been designed by Chris van Veghel. I love the contrasting natural rope against the jet black. It’s also available in nude leather if you’d prefer. You can adjust the rope to transform the rucksack into a handbag – how neat is that! It has a chain inside to keep your keys safe. The measurements are 40cm high, 27cm wide and 10cm deep – £198.03.
Handmade Black Leather Rucksack
Being located in the South of France, Steve and Delphine also come across some lovely vintage home accessories and furniture. Steve tells me, “there are lots of brocantes (second-hand markets) around us, but if you go to the vide greniers (car boot sales) you will have to work harder, but the rewards can be greater. Going with an open mind about what you might find and having the vision to see how something can be repurposed is essential.”
Buy Cachette Products
Steve and Delphine have put a lot of care and attention into finding the best products, so the Cachette website is worth looking at. The items are all very affordable, and you’ll find over two hundred items costing under £25. Other price points, for example, are – lighting £30-235, pillowcases £27, king size duvet £199.50, stoneware £5-30 and children’s toys £5-35. Prices are in euros with a currency converter, so you can see the amount in sterling. They can ship all over the world. If you buy a gift, you’ll be glad to know that they offer a charming gift wrap service and nicely packaged gift vouchers.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Cachette. Thanks: Stephen Rogan and Delphine de Chabalier.
