Worthing slow-living, sustainable homeware store Chintz and Wood celebrates first birthday

Set a stone’s throw from Worthing’s picturesque seafront, Chintz & Wood is becoming a must-visit destination for interiors-lovers drawn to crafts(wo)manship, sustainability, and unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.

With plaster pink walls adorned with vintage paintings (some for sale, and others from the owners’ personal collection), antique furniture displaying the store’s wares, and large south-facing windows, it’s a cosy, light-filled space, where every item has been considered.

Founded by maker Wendy March, the independent store is filled with handmade lighting, soft furnishings, furniture and carefully selected home goods - with a focus on reclaimed materials, botanical dyes, and a clear love for timeless design and traditions.

The idea behind opening Chintz & Wood (which is celebrating its first birthday) came from wanting to carve a new career, celebrating these passions:

“We moved from Portland, Oregon to Worthing two years ago to be closer to my family,” Wendy says. “When I saw the shop for sale, it was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment decision. My mum had just passed away and I used the money she left me to start something new. After decades working in technology and innovation, I wanted to do something hands-on, something slower and more grounded.”

Wendy had spent over 30 years designing the future of tech with global names including Intel, IDEO, IBM and the BBC. But in Worthing, she started dyeing vintage fabrics with natural dyeing techniques- an idea sparked by a beginners’ class at the local museum.

Meanwhile, her partner Jubal Prevatte had been honing his craft as a woodturner, making pieces for markets back in the US.

Many of the pieces in Chintz & Wood are made by Wendy and Jubal. They craft lamps by hand - Jubal turning sustainably sourced British wood into sculptural bases, Wendy completing them with botanical-dyed shades. Each of Wendy’s lampshades, cushions and throws are made using vintage or deadstock fabric, coloured with natural dyes like madder root, weld flowers, willow bark or hazel leaves. Some fabrics are dyed with plants foraged from Wendy’s own garden - including Japanese indigo she grew and used to tint silk and wool delicate turquoises and light greens.

Jubal also creates turned wooden bowls, candlesticks, handmade benches and stools, all crafted in his nearby East Worthing studio, using reclaimed wood.

The store also features; ceramics by local potters including Ashdown Pottery, Coppers Potter, Sarah Ruthven and Kate Brigden; beeswax candles, hand-dipped in Cumbria; velvet purses by Scottish maker Rowena Dugdale, lined with naturally dyed linen; hand block printed and screen-printed home textiles, from India and UK makers including Hannah Issi; all-natural soaps, handmade in Worthing with botanicals like rose geranium and nettle and vintage blankets, mohair throws, and original paintings.

Small and perfectly formed, Chintz & Wood has quickly gained a reputation for its welcoming and calming atmosphere. “People often say it’s the most beautiful shop in Worthing,” Wendy shares. “Passersby stop to say how lovely it smells or how peaceful it feels, which is just so lovely to hear.”

To coincide with Chintz & Wood's anniversary celebrations, they're also flying the flag for the town by taking part in ROSA’s Sussex Craft Week (which celebrates Sussex’s place as the hub of contemporary craft revival, and the home of heritage craft), with the Held in Form exhibition running until Sunday 22nd June.

Held in Form explores the bowl as both function and expression. It brings together makers working in wood, ceramic, and basketry - each piece shaped by hand, held in use. From the turned to the woven, the sculpted to the coiled, these vessels embody the dialogue between tradition and contemporary craft. A celebration of form, material, and the artistry of making.

As Chintz & Wood marks its first year, it’s becoming a destination for those looking to decorate their homes with care, intention, and a deeper connection to how things are

made.

Find Chintz & Wood at 63 Brighton Road, Worthing.