With eight hotels in London and two in New York you can imagine how many bed cushions we have designed in our time. The trick is to be creative; there are so many stunning fabrics out there to choose from.
In The Meadow Suite at Crosby Street Hotel in New York, we have used my Rain Shadow cushions from my latest collection for Fine Cell Work – a charity that teaches skills including embroidery, quilting and tapestry to prisoners, which encourages them to lead more independent lives.
The bed cushions in The Meadow Suite at Crosby Street hotel have been designed by Kit Kemp for Fine Cell Work – this is a charity that teaches prisoners how to embroider including many other techniques such as quilting and tapestry. Teaching prisoners high-quality needlework boosts their self-worth, instils self-discipline, fosters hope and encourages them to lead independent, crime-free lives. Fine Cell work has collaborated with many designers such as Stella McCartney, Pentrathe and Hall, Melissa Wyndham and made more to come.
A wonderful way to make a cushion your own is to combine different fabrics and textures, the possibilities are endless and it creates a unique focal point.
At Covent Garden Hotel in Room 211 (below) we have created a fun, bright and elegant design using two fabrics. The key fabric is a dusky blue called ‘Batik’ by Walter G, which is offset against a zingy, yellow Christopher Farr Cloth, called ‘Alto’ in Lemon. The two fabrics are split by a bottle-green leather pipe. Be creative and mix textures with leathers and braids.
In Room 100 at Charlotte Street Hotel, a No.9 Thompson by Fox Linton Diamond Braid is combined with some plain linen fabrics. By blending fabrics you can create this contemporary and eye catching design, which you certainly won’t see in many homes.
In Room 214, a lovely fresh room at Covent Garden Hotel (below), we have used our favourite boiled wools from Holland & Sherry. These comforting fabrics don’t fray when transformed into these charming little snails – try adding embroidery or French Knots for a more artisanal look.
At The Soho Hotel and The Whitby Hotel we have used some wonderful bed cushions from ‘A Rum Fellow’, the fabric is hand woven by Guatemalan women which brings an artisanal feel to scheme.
We always love using ‘A Rum Fellow’ fabrics. The studio supports local communities in Guatemala, empowering women to preserve the tradition of weaving and creating opportunities for skilled artisans.
Creating your own bed cushions is a great way to experiment with combining fabrics and textures. Be adventurous; try adding exciting details from braids to leather piping to make your cushions feel that little bit more personal.