Lee Broom, one of the UK’s leading product designers with flagship showrooms and in London and New York, creates a highly original brand of luxury lighting that’s recognized across the globe. Created in 2007, he’s created over 100 furniture, lighting, and accessory pieces that are designed, manufactured, and retailed under the Lee Broom brand name. His reinterpreted styles – classics with a bit of a modern edge – can be found in hotels, restaurants, and homes across the world, as well as on magazine covers and in newspapers. Lee has also had the opportunity to collaborate with major global brands such as Christian Louboutin, Mulberry, Bergdorf Goodman, and Wedgwood. Following in the steps of his previous career in fashion, the Lee Broom brand strives to explore new themes while retaining a house style using the highest quality materials and the latest technology. Today Lee shares a few of his favorite parts about his Shoreditch neighborhood in London.
Lee Broom’s Shoreditch showroom
My studio and showroom are based on Rivington Street in the heart of Shoreditch. All sorts of people come into the showroom, as well as designers and customers, and we have events and exhibitions in the space. The showroom is an extension of my personality and we continuously update the layout and displays so it is always evolving. The Shoreditch area is full of other creative studios, stores, bars, bookshops, and galleries, and it is a vibrant and fun community to walk around. We have been working here for 10 years now and I’m continuously inspired by the neighborhood. It has changed over this period, but it still has many independent shops and great restaurants with a unique identity and energy.
Hoi Polloi at the Ace Hotel
Hoi Polloi is a very cool restaurant within Ace Hotel on Shoreditch High Street, which you enter through a flower shop where we get flowers for our showroom every week. They do great food, and I love the atmosphere and design, which is inspired by mid-twentieth century European bistros. On Saturdays and Sundays they host brunch events, accompanied by the Hoi Polloi String Quartet, which is novel and fun.
Shoreditch street art by Banksy
There is famous street art all along Rivington Street and around Shoreditch, which brings a colorful vibrancy to the area. New art appears every day and so the streetscape is always changing. We are next door to a club called Cargo, and there are two works by Banksy in the courtyard garden, sharing the space alongside the likes of Spanish artist Ozmo, French portrait artist C215 and Israel’s Broken Fingaz Crew collective. Many visitors come to Shoreditch specially to see the street art, and there are regular art tours to see the work by world-famous street artists alongside new pieces from many up-and-coming artists.
Photo courtesy Browns East
Browns East opened a couple of years ago in Shoreditch – the second Browns store since opening its original cult location on South Molton Street in Mayfair in the 1970s. This new concept store has an excellent edit of emerging and more established labels, and it is gender neutral so it blends womenswear and menswear and also includes technology, fashion, and art installations. The store design is playful and fun, and with a mix of materials, finishes, and color. I studied fashion and I love popping in to see the ever-changing edit and inspiring new design talent.
