Strollers ambling down the High Street in Lewes, East Sussex might stumble upon the chocolate-brown storefront of Margot, a new family-run homewares shop in an 18th-century Grade II-listed building. Anyone who enters will realize it’s not just another decor store—it’s a lovingly refreshed historic space filled with hand-glazed ceramics, breezy linens, and light fixtures, the sales of which benefit Cook School, a non-profit initiative dedicated to teaching children about healthy food and how to prepare it and whose supporters include Sir Paul McCartney and baker-to-the-royals Claire Ptak.
The entire operation is the brainchild of creative husband-wife team Kristan and Amanda Dean. He was raised by a builder father who introduced him to some of London’s best architects and designers from a young age, while she grew up with an aesthete mother who would make her own floor-to-ceiling curtains and cushions. These artistic upbringings led Kristian to restoring old French homes and Amanda to food writing before they launched Cook School together in 2019.
Margot is an extension of all the couple’s individual and joint ventures. “Amanda and I have always shared a passion for creating beautiful spaces—whether in the kitchen or through the antiques and linens we use every day,” says Kristian. “Designing our own line of homewares felt like a natural next step.” Let’s check it out.
Photography by Lola Mansell, unless otherwise noted.
Rather than cover them up, we let them lead the design.”
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