Rouge Year in Review: 2024

2024 has been an incredible year for Rouge, but it hasn’t been without its challenges. Together, we navigated a tough year of reduced foot traffic and shoppers on Stoke Newington High Street. But thanks to you—our cherished customers, friends, and families—we’re heading into our 20th year in business stronger than ever!

This year, we continued to bring you stunning reconditioned Asian furniture from China, Tibet, and Mongolia. However, sourcing high-quality pieces has become increasingly difficult. At Rouge, we’re committed to offering only the finest antiques, lovingly repaired and repainted in Beijing before making their way to London.

To bridge this gap, we’ve gradually introduced more handmade ceramics from China and Japan. If you’ve visited the shop recently, you might have noticed our ever-growing ceramics collection, alongside a selection of cookbooks by talented local authors.

Of course, our signature pieces remain: gorgeous Chinese wedding cabinets, devotional cabinets, and smaller wooden items like stools and tables. You can explore our current collection online or pop into the shop to see them in person.

But now, let’s dive into the numbers!

Rouge Hub: A Growing Community

If you keep up with our blog, you’ll likely remember that we launched Rouge Hub back in 2022, following the pandemic. The idea was to create a space for connection and learning amidst the bustle of Stoke Newington. What began with just a few workshops has blossomed into something truly special. In 2024, Rouge Hub became a thriving part of our community, hosting a wide variety of events and workshops that welcomed so many wonderful people.

Here’s what we achieved together in 2024:

• 27 workshops in total with skilled and generous facilitators, including:
• 8 dumpling workshops with Lei and her team
• 4 visible mending workshops with Nadien K.
• 4 tea ceremonies
• 6 calligraphy workshops by various facilitators
• 1 Chinese paper-cutting workshop
• 1 painting workshop
• 3 kintsugi (ceramic mending) workshops

Altogether, 246 participants joined us for these workshops!

Events That Brought People Together

We also hosted two supper clubs, bringing 44 guests together to share delicious meals and great company in our shop.

In addition, Rouge played host to:

• 1 cookbook author event
• 1 book launch event
• 1 book club gathering
• 1 brand identity and marketing workshop for local businesses

These events welcomed another 106 guests into our space, making it a lively and inspiring year for everyone involved.

Looking Ahead

As we reflect on 2024, we’re incredibly grateful for the community that has grown around Rouge. Whether you’ve joined us for a workshop, visited our shop, or simply cheered us on from afar, thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to an even brighter 2025 as we celebrate 20 years of Rouge!