John Lewis & Partners + Matthew Williamson
Working with John Lewis on this collection has been an exercise in demonstrating the way pattern and colour can infiltrate absolutely every room in the home. For me, the collection encapsulates the idea that vibrancy and beauty should be present in the homeware you use every day, not just for spaces you use for entertaining or taking video calls. There’s something about the iridescent delicacy of the colours in this collection, those irresistible jewel tones, that elevate any room. The Kantha Indigo bedspread will lend your bedroom a feeling of effortless luxury, while the Leopard Print Cushions will give your sofa the stylish edge of a members’ club.
Nothing I do is ever too shiny and new. It’s about two words: Rustic and decadence, the two extremes I try to bring to every piece. This collection captures that sentiment; it’s a lovely mix of the John Lewis and Matthew Williamson brands. Each piece will find its natural home amongst any pre-established interior, adding something that makes a bold statement in a discourse with the rest of the room.
It’s about finding pieces that are special to you, that speak to you, and not being too concerned with whether things match or sit perfectly together. When you forget about what you ‘should’ be doing, that’s when you get magic. I love the rub of old against new, of dark against light, and of refined against rough. Stepping out of your comfort zone to play with pattern, shape, texture and colour will bring a fresh feel to your home. Why not bring the red Ikat Pouffe into an imposing Georgian living room, setting it fireside to add an unexpected hit of colour against traditional architectural salvage? Or, would the Gold Peacock Mirror bring a sense of establishment and grandeur to your contemporary new build apartment?
For such a diverse offering of homeware, I drew on inspirations from all areas of my life. My travels to India played a huge part in the creation of the Kantha Bedspreads and the DNA Monkey Cushion. The country is so full of vitality, colour and heritage that has seeped into my sketches for a lifetime. British flora and fauna have also inspired many of the fabric designs and the bedspreads in particular. The Woodland Red Twig Mirror immortalises my daughter’s collection of twigs that she keeps in a treasure box, and the red finish effect is taken from pieces of lacquered Morrocan furniture that I’ve always coveted.
I wanted to create a collection of impactful pieces that would work beautifully in different environments to change up the look and feel of a space instantly. Ultimately, it all comes back to my Mother, who has inspired so much of my work. Watching her get ready for work when I was a child, I could see that she used colour as a tool. It lifted her spirits and the spirits of those around her, and to this day, I find it has the same effect on me.
