INTERIORS CHAMPIONS

We meet the region’s leading lights in the world of homes and interiors, encouraging us all to create homes that not only look beautiful but make us feel good too

- Rosalind Sack

KATE CULLUM: THE TEXTILE DESIGNER LEADING A MODERN REVIVAL

The slow interiors movement is gathering at a pace, with a growing awareness of the importance of sustainability and an appreciation of traditional techniques.

Championing this and giving an ancient craft a modern revival is textiles designer Kate Cullum, whose bold collection of cushions are lovingly created at her home studio in Caversham, where she was born and bred.

After graduating with a degree in Textile Design, Kate worked for a leading woven textile design studio in London, designing and selling to big fashion brands, before moving to work primarily for a large high-street store, designing their menswear ranges.

Over the years, working with such huge scales of fabrics, she became keenly aware of the environmental impact of fabric production.

“I’m sick of this throwaway culture we have, in both fashion and interiors. I hate the fact that you can buy a t-shirt for less than you can get a coffee; it seems wrong to me. I want people to value their homes and their spaces again, rather than settle for something they don’t really love and only bought because it was cheap because it will probably end up in a landfill. We need to slow down and not be in a rush to have things so quickly,” says mother-of-two Kate.

As far as possible, Kate uses only ethically produced English sheep’s wool from small farms, which have eco credentials at the heart of their processes, so, for example, they use recycled water to wash the wools. Eventually, she plans to dye all the yarns herself, using natural dyes. Using such high-quality yarns and natural, biodegradable products means that her pieces will last a lifetime and even become future heirlooms.