By Suzanne Martin
Since 2016, Karen Harvey has been an active and vibrant member of the West End Community on Great Western Road. With venture two now open and venture three to follow shortly – Westender catches up with the Hoos brand founder.
I was brought up in Glasgow and my parents bought our furniture from the Danish Design Centre. They had a modest flat but it was a really comfortable, and now I know, stylish home! I love the quality design and function of Danish design. Simplicity is usually the key and of course they have produced some of the iconic design classics still top of everyone’s list today.
I have five main Danish design companies at inHOOS – HAY, Muuto, normann Copenhagen, Ferm Living and Skagerak Denmark. Our new store is much bigger than Hoos and enables me to display a selection of furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories from these core brands.
The brands work in collaboration with some of the best designers around today to offer a contemporary collection which still holds to the same quality of design and function that I love about Danish design.
I set up Hoos when I returned to Glasgow after living in Suffolk for thirty years. I wanted a new career and have always loved Interiors and making a home, and perhaps being a shop keeper!
Hoos has naturally evolved over the last six years and the West End has been so supportive of everything we have offered which has included plants and flowers and small furniture – when we can fit it in.
When we had to close and depend on online sales over the last two years, I had time to reflect and couldn’t resist taking up the offer from my friends to be part of the new Crabshakk Botanics and open Green Hoos on the garage ramp. We should be open in May.
At exactly the same time the unit that inHOOS is now in came up for rent.Again, I couldn’t resist taking the plunge as I’ve always wanted to show my customers furniture from my Danish brands. It’s a beautiful big unit with huge display windows and parking outside – a big bonus in the West End.
I’ve always had lots of energy and growing up my mum was always one for us being productive, no sitting reading a book in our house. I love meeting new people and being a shop keeper and part of the West End Community. I feel at the heart of our village, especially now I have two shops with a third on the way. I have a great team of six working with me who are all creative young people and I feel lucky to be able to offer them secure employment and involve them in the development of the Hoos brand.
In the next couple of years I plan to establish inHoos and Green Hoos as go to destinations to buy items for your home, a gift for a friend, or a new baby as we are growing our children’s section at inHoos.
Collaboration is also really important to me and the development of young designers. We have two pop-ups planned this year with talented young Glasgow designers and also with Jeanie MCcarthur Koga who is a Glasgow girl currently living in Japan. Jeanie is bringing over the most beautiful selection of textiles and objects which will be in Hoos during the week of the 23rd of May. Follow our Instagram for full details of this and further events.
A day off in the West End would probably take in the Botanics, coffee at Naked Soup, Thompsons or Perch & Rest, followed by a browse in Amaryllis and the vintage shops and supper at the new Crabshakk Botanics – what a day off that would be!
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