Philanthropy behind Canterbury’s White and Faded
Amongst the colours of Canterbury, a new interiors shop, run by a husband and wife duo of philanthropists, is helping to support small businesses around the world. White & Faded in Palace Street, which has been online for the last ten years, is stocked with products from around the world and also closer to home too. Their ethos is all about restoring, reusing, handmaking and supporting small suppliers.
Janet Parrella-van den Berg, with her background in interiors is the creative influence and designer, whilst husband Dino Parrella is the business brains.
The name White & Faded comes from Janet’s design interest in everything white; faded refers to breathing new life into older or unused items.
Having opened the shop in November 2021, they are hoping for 2022 to be a good year, drawing on what the city can offer.
Dino said: “We chose Canterbury for its history, culture, diversity, arts and creativity. It really fitted so well and so this is where we found our home.”
The company ethos is to support unique artists and studios of quality products – you won’t find anything mass-produced for sale. Janet said: “It’s important to us to stock good quality products from good sources and knowing our small suppliers makes such a difference. We know their stories and where their creative passions come from – every one of our products can tell a story.
“We try our best to reduce freight mileage too, so suppliers close to home are ideal.”
Janet’s background in antiques, coupled with her seamstress skills, means that upcycling and restoring are her natural pull. Her design passion is also there too – the quilts they stock are designed by her and made in India. They have linens for the home from Lithuania, pottery and hand-poured candles from Kent, handmade soaps from London and chocolate from Scotland.
