It’s in the genes
From the family album, me in the dining room with the hessian walls, late 80's/early 90's
This blog is not normally about me but I thought it might be helpful to share who I am, how I came to be working as an interior designer in and around West London and where my passion comes from.
It’s probably in the genes as we are a family of creatives – one grandmother was a concert pianist, the other a brilliant seamstress and knitter, who took up dinghy sailing in her 70s. (Maybe that’s where my love of sailing comes from.) My maternal grandfather was an architect. One aunt was an accomplished watercolour artist and responsible for family portraits and another continues to create, draw and paint from her home in Melbourne.
And yet, in the early years, I showed little aptitude or interest in these areas. I was much more interested in being outside, climbing trees and pushing my dear Mumma’s patience to her limits in any way I could as bedtime approached. A rebel had been born and to this day, I am not one to run with the pack…
I probably didn’t appreciate it at the time, but my childhood home was a treasure trove of experimental decoration, furniture and objects from all over the world, gathered during my parents' travels. It has seeped in by osmosis.
I grew up in a Georgian house in which my mother exercised her creativity throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. The dining room was papered in tobacco hessian as a backdrop for the family portraits, the dining chairs became her upholstery project and the entrance hall she painted a rich chocolate brown in contrast to the yellowy-gold wool carpet. My Pa’s study walls were oxblood red and he worked at a leather-topped antique desk.
Family portrait by my aunt, painted from a photo negative - colours are reversed. My sister and I are post-bath, in our nighties!
The sitting room (generally for grown-ups unless you were bathed and in your nighty) was home to the most wonderful scroll-backed sofa upholstered in gold and black ribbed fabric, which sat in front of the full length dusty pink velvet curtains. The bookcase alcoves were papered in a deep raspberry moiré wallpaper.
The family bathroom was a triumph of maximalism – Sanderson wallpaper with matching curtains and a cream carpet. Yes, carpet. Totally acceptable in a country house. The bath was huge and deep with a marble surround.
When the time came to leave home I went to university in London to study history and economics and then joined one of the top consumer magazine publishing companies. I started out in marketing and moved to publishing management in subjects ranging from classic cars (possibly why in my 30’s I bought ‘Angela’ – a 280SL soft top Merc - or should that be Merkel?) to gardening and yachting. With cash in my pocket, I started buying furniture and lights in Columbia Road market and The Old Cinema, some of which I still have.
London has been home ever since, except for two years in Cheltenham, a brief spell in Chamonix (have I mentioned my passion for skiing too?) and a year in the Middle East. Then I fell out of love with the magazine business (although never with the magazines themselves) and after a period of reflection, realised that my vast collection of home interest magazines was telling me something. I signed up to study interior design. On my return from the Middle East I landed my first job in interior design. And not long after that, Albert, my beautiful whippet found me. He is chief rug and furniture tester.
So hello, I’m Jess, founder and creative director of Daw&Co.