Interiors stylist and former Creative Director of House & Garden, Gabby Deeming, gives us her design tips and tricks for making a space work for you.
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- Your Daydress fabrics are known for their signature floral motifs and juxtaposed patterns. What advice can you offer for how to incorporate pattern when designing/styling a room?
I think all rooms need a little pattern, and there are plenty of ways to bring it into your interiors. Cushions and lampshades are a great place to start - not too much commitment. Pulling colours from a patterned fabric you love is a great way to choose complimenting paint and plain upholstery fabrics.
A stripe is a pattern; we all love a good stripe on a big vase. Fill it with flowers, and they have the effect of a pattern bursting in a room which is very pleasing!
"Not all patterns have to be big clashing florals - gentle geometrics and checks bring visual interest without being overwhelming."
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- We've read that you find inspiration in painting and the decorative arts when designing new patterns. What do you look for when sourcing art for your home?
I’m always drawn to strong pretty colours and pattern - I can’t help it! I just bought a very sweet pastel drawing by Camilla Perkins, her colours I love. Also, the collages of Lauri Hopkins really appeal to me, with strong shapes which look brilliant en masse. I’ll often pull a colour combination for one of my prints from a painting - Matisse was a master colourist, and Vuillard too for something more sober.
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- You collect antique and heirloom pieces. How do you make them work in a contemporary setting?
I have so many antique textiles now! I also just bought a giant book of antique silk ribbons, which are really extraordinary. To be honest, only a few are ever really out. Mostly I use them as references for my own prints, and they’re quite precious, so not really for decorating with.
"Framing older textiles can work really brilliantly in modern interiors - it allows them to be properly seen, and the right framing can look very clean and chic."
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- What is your favourite piece from the Haines x Daydress collection?
I do love a bolster, and the Blue Pheasant print has become a real signature for us. I redrew it from a late 18th-century design, but I wanted to give it a less earnest feeling, so I added a few Jean Cocteau-esque flourishes. But really, it’s just great seeing all the block prints as homeware. So much thought and work goes into each design they deserve to be seen!
