Between a 'business of the year' award, a flood, and a shop move, it has been an eventful few months for Liz Nagle of Echo Designs.

Nonetheless, the homeware styling and retail business, now operating out of a cosy new home-based store, is proof of the old adage that every cloud has a silver lining. 

It was only last June when Liz won a made in Stockport award, in the 'small business of the year' category. 

"I've no idea how I got nominated, even to this day", she says. "We won, which was amazing - completely unexpected." 

A matter of days later, Liz returned to her shop in Romiley and found it flooded. In a 'short-term fix', she moved all the stock to her house and set up a shop from there. 

Yet far from destroying the business, Liz suggests that this particular ordeal has since transpired to be 'a blessing in disguise'. 

Echo Designs sells 'Scandi-inspired homeware'. Liz says she sells nothing that she wouldn't have in her own home (Image - Alasdair Perry)

"Life just does what it does", she says stoically. 

"The building has been great for three years, but it's not in the best spot. It's not in the centre of Romiley, and parking is a bit tricky. And it's really hard having a shop - overheads are horrible, and some days can be quiet.

"I think I've only survived and thrived because of the dedication of my customers. 

"But what that's shown me - having now had to move to my studio shop in the back garden - is that all customers are as happy to come here as they were coming to my shop. I've never been busier."

Echo now operates from Liz's home, offering both an online shop selling Scandi-inspired homeware, along with home styling advice and services with Liz herself. These involve either a 'Power Hour' session, done online, or an in-person visit. 

"The best thing about those is that people learn loads of stuff on how to do basic styling", Liz says. "A lot of people like being creative but don't have the confidence to do it."

A vertiable cornucopia of homeware, Echo Designs now operates from an outbuilding in the back garden (Image - Alasdair Perry)

And what goes into styling a home? Preference, of course, should come first and foremost. The answer seems obvious, but Liz describes how common it is for people to feel dictated by practicality, trends, and 'rules', often at the cost of their own tastes.

After all, styling a home can be intimidating. Navigating terms like height and rhythm, or plotting yourself on the minimalist / maximalist scale - all of these things can be overwhelming, which is where Liz comes in. 

Part of her troubleshooting involves helping clients identify which areas and pieces in their house they like and dislike; "My first motivation is to really get to know what they like, even if they don't know it", she explains. 

"Style is about what you love. It's not what you think you should have, it's what works for you."

She then identifies the client's preferences in height, in symmetry, and more. All the while she emphasises that these preferences should take priority over any notion of what constitutes a 'conventionally stylish' home. 

"I say, 'These are the principles. We break them to suit your style.' It's learning the ABC and then undoing that to see where you fall on the style spectrum.

"Doing things by the book is correct, but not magical."

Like so many other aspects of artistry, then, the ethos of home design is about identifying the rules and then breaking them in a way that suits you. 

Thus, with an ever-popular and thriving business, what does the future hold for Echo Designs? 

"I had every intention of rooting out a new space until I moved the business home as a short term fix", says Liz. "But now, this has worked so well."

A return to the high street is not completely off the cards, but for now Echo Designs stays home-based as it continues to offer stylish tips and pieces for homes across Stockport and beyond.

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READ MORE: The beauty of the everyday - Interview with 'The Stockport Collection' photographer Heidi Alexander

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