Our Story

FLINT began in 2002, born from a shared love of beautiful things and a dream to create somewhere a little different.

Mother and daughter Julia and Heidi opened their first shop in Lewes, East Sussex, filling a small 15th-century building on the High Street with an eclectic mix of beautiful and unusual clothes, homewares, books and fresh flowers. It was the beginning of an adventure that would span nearly two decades.

As FLINT grew, so did the shop. They eventually moved into a much larger space - a wonderfully atmospheric 14th-century converted church further along the High Street. Alongside the shop, Julia and Heidi developed successful interior design and floristry practices, always bringing the same sense of curiosity, colour and individuality to their work.

After sixteen happy years, they felt it was time for a new chapter. Wanting to leave while FLINT was still flourishing, they closed the shop in 2020 and took their creativity in a different direction.

Heidi and her husband moved to an old farmhouse in the countryside, just outside Lewes. Surrounded by fields, hedgerows and a generous garden, the landscape soon became a new source of inspiration. They planted a cutting garden, began experimenting with botanical dyes and started growing and gathering flowers for their floral work.

A small barn in the garden was transformed into a studio - a quiet, creative space where Julia and Heidi now continue to work side by side.

Julia creates flowers for weddings, events and editorial projects, as well as working on interior commissions. She also makes wonderfully intricate paper flowers, which have found an audience far beyond Sussex. Heidi works as a freelance stylist, and together they continue to explore new ideas, materials and ways of working.

The studio has also become a place to gather. Throughout the year, they host intimate pop-ups, shopping days and hands-on workshops, sharing their love of flowers and making through everything from pressed flowers to wreath making.

At the heart of FLINT is a deep respect for nature. Sustainability isn't a trend for them, but something woven into the way they work. They grow and harvest what they can, work with natural materials and make thoughtful choices about the impact of what they create - from their hand-made bags to the lavender grown in their own garden.

Today, FLINT is less a shop and more a way of life: a continuing collaboration between two generations, shaped by flowers, interiors, the countryside and a lifelong love of beautiful, unexpected things.

For retail enquiries, press enquiries or information about upcoming workshops and studio events, please contact Heidi at sales@flintcollection.com.

@heidifrancisstylist
@Flowers_in_paper