All things BRIGHT and Beautiful

Illustrator Camilla Perkins lives in Ringmer with her husband and two daughters. Her home features in a new book, Bold British Design, showcasing the living spaces of British creatives

- Nione Meakin

Camilla Perkins only moved into her 19th century Ringmer cottage two years ago yet she’s already thinking about her next move.

The house is great, she explains, it’s just that she’s starting to run out of space. Perkins is a collector, you see, whose passion for print, textiles and art fuels her work as an illustrator but poses a problem when it comes to storage. “I’m obsessed with mid-century landscape oil paintings,” she says. “I’m always on Etsy searching for them. I also love French gingham plates, antique tapestry sketches and Chinese painted eggs. The other day I was genuinely trying to buy a wholesale lot of 15. It was lucky my husband made me see sense.”

Still, it’s this rich range of influences that have helped to make Camilla one of the rising stars of British illustration, with a client list that ranges from Google to The Guardian. Her aesthetic is bold, joyful, lively – a visual representation of her ebullient personality. “I just draw the stuff I like – there’s a lot of food, flowers, holidays. I want people to look at my work and feel good.”