London Life Shops

Tusch & Egon

July 25, 2013

A really inspiring story.

You’ve got a married couple. He is german, she is half german, half english. They have kids. They live in cologne. 15 years ago they uprooted to rural france, in their own words : “we lived in the middle of nowhere”.

The kids are now grown up and have left the nest. What would most married couples do? They might enjoy their new found freedom and stay in their rural sanctuary. They might just be happy with where they are at. Or, they might decide to move by the sea. Not this married couple. What did they do?

They wanted the excitement of a big city again and moved to london. Yep, i kid you not! Not only that, they decided as big lovers of art and design to open a shop. Not one shop, but two. Well, marriage counselling, move over! This surely must be the best recipe for long lasting relationships!

Meet Liza and hubert. Well, meet liza as hubert was a little camera shy:-)

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Playful, dynamic and vibrant is how i would describe this entrepreneurial duo.

So, how do you come up with a name for your shop? That’s how: “tusch und egon is an anagram of the german words “schoen und gut” which literally means “beautiful and good”. Of course, what they didn’t realise was what ‘tusch’ means in the english language. Rather charming, don’t you think? For me, that encapsulates their spirit. “Just do it”.

Tusch & egon sells quirky and affordable artwork including original paintings and sculptures. You’ll also find design objects as well some well chosen magazines and books. Their first shop, in clerkenwell, opened in may 2012 and in march 2013 they expanded to boxpark in shoreditch.

Liza is a painter and you can buy her art in the shops or online. The owners, curious and with a keen eye stock some wonderful pieces you won’t find elsewhere. I love independent shops where the owners’ character and personalities shine through. This is one of those shops.

I love their outside sign in the clerkenwell shop.

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Liza and hubert favour the work of the german artist ottmar hörl. See karl marx here. The fellow comes in signal red, blood orange, ruby red, purple red and black. Now there’s a talking point!

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More lighthearted by the same artist, are these flying splice – sponti gnomes (non-conformist gnomes) – i’m definitely having one of them! What colour do you think i should go for? He comes in red, orange, yellow, blue, green, pink, gold, silver, black and white.

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Or, do you think i should settle for ben, the praying gnome?

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But then, i could also choose the duerer hare… decisions, decisions!

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Anyway, there are many more quirky art pieces for sale by the same artist so do have a look at their website

These south african ceramic figurines caught my eye. The golfer and the rugby player. How fun are they?

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What i liked best is that there’s something for every pocket. You can buy a postcard or some chocolates or a pen for £2.50. You might fancy some lego storage?

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Tusch & egon is a great addition to london’s independent shops and i dare you to walk away without a purchase. The clerkenwell shop is only open from wednesdays to sundays. Boxpark is open everyday. Please check details on their website.

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22 Comments

  • Reply tusch und egon July 25, 2013 at 5:28 pm

    Thanks so much for featuring our shop with your beautiful photos! We are pleased you liked it. Your blog is great – so many interesting places to discover! We will definitely visit regularly. All the best!Liza and Hubert

    • Reply tina July 29, 2013 at 5:14 pm

      You are so very welcome. It’s always nice to hear from the people I’ve featured.
      Glad you liked the photos!

      See you soon…as I want one of the naughty Gnomes:-)

  • Reply leah of sang the bird July 26, 2013 at 7:47 am

    What an exciting time they are entering! and to still be happily married, such an inspiring couple. Miss S thinks the bunnies are ‘cool!’.
    Happy almost weekend sweetie xx

    • Reply tina July 29, 2013 at 5:16 pm

      Are3n’t they just?
      Haha, Miss S would think the bunnies are cool! Hope she didn’t see the naughty Gnomes:-))
      Thanks love xx

  • Reply alison sye July 26, 2013 at 8:33 am

    Hello Tina, beautiful post as usual.
    It’s a wonderful shop, just looked at the website and am now drooling over the weekly organiser.

    • Reply tina July 29, 2013 at 5:17 pm

      Thank you ALison. That weekly organiser also took my attention…:-)

  • Reply Chedva July 26, 2013 at 10:23 am

    Oh my God, how fun is this post! I like the way this couple thinks and operates, and I LOVE how you portrayed them. Definitely a must visit next time I’m in London.

    • Reply tina July 29, 2013 at 5:18 pm

      Thank you Chedva. I took a bit of liberty and risk here, but judging from their comment on my post they were not offended:-)
      Great humour in the shop, right?

  • Reply Igor July 26, 2013 at 12:49 pm

    What a lovely story and quirky shop! Love this, made me smile!! Happy weekend, Tina!

    • Reply tina July 29, 2013 at 5:19 pm

      Mr Happy, they are a happy couple with very happy products in their shops:-))

  • Reply caroline @trend-daily July 26, 2013 at 8:24 pm

    How fantastic! I totally see why they moved back into town and set up shot-I can absolutely see us doing something so similar-not in London, but definitely a city or bustling town. Good for them-they just look like they’re having fun! xx

    • Reply tina July 29, 2013 at 5:25 pm

      Hahaha. Really? I wonder where you’re next adventure will be!
      I just loved their story and it shows us that it’s never to late….. really inspiring.
      Thanks Caroline xx

  • Reply Judith July 27, 2013 at 3:50 pm

    What a quirky shop, Tina! Love the husband & wife story! Means R & I should move to a vibrant city soon for some new adventures hahahhaa. Have a lovely weekend!

    • Reply tina July 29, 2013 at 5:26 pm

      Ah, yes, thought it would appeal to you!
      Hahahaha! Who knows? Maybe you’ll decide to go and rent a small apartment in a world city for a while… or maybe not!

  • Reply Holly July 28, 2013 at 11:33 am

    Yes, very inspiring! ‘Marriage counselling, move over’ – you’re hilarious!! But also right probably 😉

    What a great shop! I’d say go for Sponti Gnome. Love it! What colour… don’t know, depends what’s happening colour-wise on your terrace. But lately I’m into yellow 😉

    Thanks for sharing TIna!
    Xx.

    • Reply tina July 29, 2013 at 5:29 pm

      Oh, I don’t know but I hear it so often that once the kids have left home couples are struggling….

      Yes, a fun shop and Sponti Gnome (I like to call him naughty gnome) is very cute. I know where he’s going to live but can’t decide on the colour.
      It might have to be a case of bringing a few home and trying:-))
      I also love yellow but he’s standing on a yellow shelf so won’t probably be the best colour!

      xx

  • Reply Catherine July 29, 2013 at 11:57 am

    This store is ‘them’..it’s wonderful, the gnomes are priceless. We need people like Liza and Hubert in retail. Beautiful photos as always, what an exciting time for them as a couple. 🙂 x

    • Reply tina July 29, 2013 at 5:32 pm

      Ha. Glad you like the gnomes and yes, you are so right…. we need more independent shops, with owners full of personality….. like Liza and Hubert!
      Exciting times indeed and they’re having a ball xx

  • Reply noreen July 31, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    hello there, tina! this shop and its owners look charming. now that their children are grown, they are working hard and doing new things. the explanation for the name is cute, too. thanks for sharing!

    • Reply tina July 31, 2013 at 9:21 pm

      Pleasure Noreen. The shop and their owners are charming indeed!
      Hope you are having a good summer break.

  • Reply Becky - pretty dandy July 31, 2013 at 9:56 pm

    Hi Tina,

    What a fab story! I love the shots in the shop, what a great place to spend time, so full of colour and intrigue.

    Definitely put me down for one of those hares!

    Becky

    • Reply tina August 6, 2013 at 9:30 pm

      Ha. Thanks Becky. They’re fun right? I want the Hare as well as the naughty Gnome!!!

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