Exotic and Eclectic

Walking along Portobello Road, several stores seek to grab the attention of the passer by, each offering their own selection of home décor or fashion. But with a designer that has travelled extensively to bring her exotic collections and global influences to her customers, Gong offers a little something different.

Upon entering Gong, a tiny treasure in the heart of Notting Hill, one is instantly transplanted to a serene, far east destination where quiet music plays and twisted paper lamps hang from the ceilings in a multi-coloured display.

The furniture store, founded by interior designer Josette Plismy, is an eclectic cornucopia of Asian inspired pieces, blending together the traditional and the contemporary.

The shop is bustling with movers attempting to squeeze in a large teak dining table into the front of the store and couples searching for that particular piece to accent their home. Any addition from the store, whether it be a Buddha head figurine or a giant sea shell, would bring an instant, intriguing touch to a bland room.

Plismy's travels to places like Mali, Indonesia, and China have produced the wide assortment of antique and one-of-a-kind pieces that include ceramic tea sets painted with flowers, recycled teak wood and bamboo lamps, and dangling light fixtures that look more like overturned parasols or Chinese lanterns. The silk and taffeta lamp shades are hand painted, some including velvet accents and vibrant colours.

“She has amazing eyes," Meen, one of the shopkeepers present at Gong, said of Plismy. “She has found what her style is and gets it from all over the world.”

The elegant design of blue elm wood chests and crystal candle holders mix with feathered pillows, mango wood dishes, and uniquely designed picture frames that offset without overpowering.

The store offers a combination of modern and far east elements that create an atmosphere that allows the individual pieces to speak to you. From black and white chequered picture frames to woven place mats and dining sets, each oriental-inspired piece adds a calming element.