One of the loveliest parts of my work is having the opportunity to meet inspiring people and other women who bring so much to the design world. My most recent meet-up was with the ever inspiring Louisa Greville Williams of LGW Designs. With over 30 years of experience as an interior designer and a House and Garden Top 100 firm that she established with her long time friend Sarah Vanrenen. Louisa has firmly placed herself as a leading interior designer helping clients around the world to express their lifestyle and personality in their homes. Read below about our meeting and all things interiors.
How do you go about incorporating them into your work?
Planning a design scheme with vintage textiles can be quite organic. Sometimes I form ideas around an old piece of fabric or I'll search for one or more to add a bit of weight or depth to a scheme.
How best to display them?
There are many ways to display the textiles. It is one of the most versatile pieces and can be framed or hung on walls or from poles. I’ve framed suzanis in the past, using lovely wooden frames to mount them for a wall piece, or hung them from poles if they are not being used for cushions or upholstery.
Where to start when using vintage textiles? Can they inspire a whole scheme?
It's helpful to build up a bit of a collection of textiles so that you can draw from it and get inspiration from them when planning your design scheme. I pick things up on my travels and hoard suzanis, vintage saris, kantha cloths and any other pieces that can be transformed into ottomans or cushions and lampshades etc.
Are there any unique and creative ways of working with vintage textiles?
So many different ways, every single part can be used. If you are cutting up a large piece of fabric to use on a piece of furniture, save the off cuts for cushions or borders on blinds. There are a million and one ways of incorporating them into a room.
Why do you love working with vintage textiles?
I love beautiful, old things that have a bit of history or come from far away places. They just add interest and depth.
Why would you recommend vintage textiles?
I love layering textiles in a room and it helps to create more original interiors that are far from bland.
How has the fabric and textile industry evolved since you became a part of it and what do you see and hope for the future of it?
There seem to be more and more fabric designers out there so there is an enormous amount to choose from, sometimes too much. Digital printing has changed things somewhat and there are some fantastic digitally printed fabrics on the market which are great if you are working to a budget but nothing beats beautifully hand printed fabrics.
