Lara Roberts has seen her side hustle turn ‘from a passion project into a real brand’
Lara Roberts runs Plant & Paint in Humber Street, Hull(Image: supplied image)
A Hull-based entrepreneur who started her business by flipping charity shop furniture from her university halls has seen it blossom into a thriving high street business. Lara Roberts, the 32-year-old founder of Plant & Paint, launched her business in 2010 while studying at the University of Hull.
What began as a way to earn extra pocket money by upcycling secondhand finds has grown into a limited company with a flagship store in Humber Street, within Hull’s vibrant Fruit Market area. “My business journey began when I was at university in Hull,” Lara said.
“When a chalk paint shop opened up round the corner, I started buying bits and bobs from charity shops, sprucing up old furniture, and flipping items on eBay and Facebook Marketplace for extra pocket money.” On graduating, financial stability provided by her partner gave Lara the confidence to pursue the business full-time.
She set up her first official workshop inside a converted caravan, operating out of it for five years while building a loyal local customer base. As the brand expanded, Lara took the leap to a bricks-and-mortar store in Hull’s cultural quarter, introducing houseplants into the mix – a move that secured the business a unique local title.
“Over that time, the business grew organically from a passion project into a real brand, and we now have a proper shop on Humber Street in Hull’s Fruit Market,” Lara said. “It was around this time that I introduced houseplants to the shop, and we’re now proudly the only dedicated houseplant shop in Hull.”
Lara attributes her long-term success to early financial and emotional backing from her close support network, which gave her the platform needed to test concepts without taking on debt. “Reaching this point required a lot of support, both emotionally and financially,” Lara said.
“In those vital early stages, my partner provided crucial financial help, and I’m incredibly grateful for the ‘bank of mum and dad’ for supporting me financially when I needed that initial runway to grow.” Plant & Paint continues to flourish in Humber Street, offering curated greenery, artisan paints, and expert botanical advice to the local community.
Lara is working with Starling Bank to champion small businesses being good with money, including starting from anywhere – even the most unusual of places. New research from the bank found the most unique places UK small businesses start, based on an extensive study of 1,500 UK small business owners:
- A home office in a property the founder owned or rented solo (22%)
- The founder’s living room sofa (13%)
- The founder’s garage (12%)
- Co-working spaces (11%)
- The kitchen table of a shared property (8%)
- A garden outbuilding (7%)
- Cafe or other public spaces (4%)
- Childhood bedroom (4%)
- The founder’s car (4%)
- Garden shed (3%)
Sami Kade, banking product director at Starling Bank, said: “People often think that starting a business needs expensive offices and large upfront investment, but our research shows that some of the UK’s most successful businesses begin much closer to home. Entrepreneurs can be good with money by keeping overheads low while also making the most of the support from friends and family.
“Pairing this with good financial habits and the right digital tools to manage cash flow and automate admin, it can provide business owners with the right route for success.”
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