Introducing Jemima Herbert, Co-Founder of Lay London Ltd, the tablescape rental service
Jemima Herbert, and her sister and co-founder, Alice
Meet Jemima, co-founder of Lay London Ltd.
Here she shares her productivity tips, essential routines and rituals and why nothing is more important than being healthy and happy with family and friends
Website: lay london
Follow: Instagram
“My sister Alice and I launched LAY London, in February of this year. We have essentially embarked on a mission to re-imagine the way we host, offering beautiful and easy to rent tableware, having noticed a significant gap in the market for this type of thing. We have spent the past year curating each of our LAY ‘Looks’ with great care and have had such fun pulling together beautiful tableware items from all over the world, for people to use and enjoy time and time again.”
Lay London
What was your motivation to start Lay London?
Alice and I both had experience planning events in the luxury industry and couldn't believe the slim pickings and when it came to hiring beautiful china, linens and tableware. More emphasis and creativity is now placed on the table when hosting - the term ‘tablescape’ was practically coined via Instagram - and so we wanted to help bring a bit of magic to at-home hosting. With the rental market gathering momentum and the consumer consciousness awakening to perils of single-use, it seemed the right moment to create a user-friendly tableware rental service with style and variety. We've loved sourcing the items for each LAY Look, with the aim of providing quick and easy rental options for every mood and occasion.
What do you wish you had known before you started?
Don’t get too hooked on a set of rules you set yourself from the beginning, as often you need to go with the flow and listen to feedback as and when you’re given some!
Who did you go to for advice and guidance on setting up a business?
We have various friends who have started up their own businesses so immediately I was drawn to meeting up with them and picking their brains.We also had guidance from business advisor called James Roupell who I would recommend for those who want help turning their ideas into numbers and spreadsheets!
Chelsea Blues Tablescape
Describe your relationship with money and personal finance
I value the freedom that money can allow, therefore it is important to make sure personal finances are kept up together. I didn’t get a credit card on my mum’s advice until I was 27 and knew I could keep on top of it.
What does financial independence mean to you?
For me it means you are able to plan ahead and spread out your costs in order to achieve whatever you are working towards (i.e. house renovations / a holiday / putting more into my business)
How do you define wealth?
It’s a well-known cliché (but I think it’s for a reason) that ‘health is wealth’ – to me nothing is more important than being healthy and happy and making memories with family and friends.
What did you learn about finance and money when you were growing up?
We were often given tasks as children to incentivise us to earn our pocket money. They weren’t always chores; sometimes learning a new grade on the piano for example. But earning money even in these menial ways was definitely a reward I felt from a v young age.
What’s been your best investment to date?
Holidays. Traveling to me is the best thing, so being frugal while at home is so worth it when you can then find yourself exploring new countries and cultures which you can then add to a bank of memories and experience.
Garden of Eden Tablescape
Which area of finance do you wish you knew more about?
Tax! I feel it’s a minefield, along with VAT. Dreading filing our first big return next year, so trying to ease the pain by keeping on top of receipts each month!
What are your top productivity tips?
Go for a walk in the morning before opening your laptop – even if just for 10 min. Clears the head and daylight gives the all important blue light we are so lacking if glued to a screen / indoors all day.
Who is your role model and why?
Anyone that starts a business on their own inspires me. We have so much to learn from each other. My mum is also definitely up there, she can multi-task like no-one and is never stressed, always kind and calm. So I am very grateful to have her to look up to.
What inspires or motivates you?
Listening to podcasts (I love ‘How I Built This’ from Guy Raz) hearing about other people’s successes and journeys is fascinating and you can’t help but learn from podcasts and true stories, business related or not!
Secret Garden Tablescape
Do you have a routine or rituals that help keep you grounded?
It might sound trivial but I put my phone on airplane mode without fail every night and make sure in the day it’s not always with me. Harder in the week when I do business calls from my phone and Instagram is a large part of our marketing, but feeling free of technology for an hour or so a day helps me feel less “buzzed” by it all.
What’s your desert island object?
A camera
Your top Instagram accounts to follow?
@Telltalefood –the best ideas for serving up the most delicious-looking food
@decorhardcore – a fountain of whacky design inspiration
@bygloriagonzalez – interiors blog perfect for day-dreaming
Recommended reading and listening:
Any book by Lucinda Riley, for escapism (light fiction)
Jemima and Alice