Let the light in with Beauvamp

From Monday 4th November, we are thrilled to have Beauvamp Studio pop-up at our colour studio on Ebury Street. The first ever Beauvamp pop up shop, our showroom has been adorned with beautiful hand made shades in fabrics from Volga Linen, Chelsea Textiles and Carlos Garcia Interiors.

Alice is a brilliant designer and supporter of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint and finds that the shades work particularly well against the back drop of our our pigment rich library of colours. Lighting can really make a room, and adding these exciting pieces of interior decoration can transform a space, adding character and a bit of fun.

We sat down with Alice over a cup of tea and biscuits to chat more about how the brand began, colour, pattern, texture and how her lighting designs can add that special something to a room.

Tell us a little about Beauvamp and how it came about?

Beauvamp actually started out as a decorative furniture brand, I knew I wanted to explore my creative side and started sourcing good quality vintage furniture from onsite auctions and second hand shops, upcycling them with paints and decoupage or a bit of free hand decorative painting. I would work on a whole host of pieces from drawers and chairs to tables and cocktail cabinets. A lot of this work took place outside in my workshop, so when my first child came along, it wasn’t really a suitable place to be working with a youngster and so gravitated to projects that could be done indoors. I found that lampstands and lampshades were the perfect alternative and my new venture in lighting was born from there.

After spending a long time researching and perfecting traditional sewing techniques, I immersed myself into the world of lighting and interiors from bygone eras, taking huge inspiration from my findings. I fell in love with the Arts and Crafts, Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods in particular and wanted to build on frame shapes from these eras and bring them into the present with a contemporary twist of my own.

My first collection of shades took inspiration from the old Tiffany glass lampshades originally designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany in the late 1890’s. I loved their angular shapes and coupled with a fascination for silk ruching, I had to go with the name ’Tiffany’ for my first collection. Further lampshade designs snowballed from there really and we became known for our pleats and deep fringing. Since then we have mastered the art of the ruffle and have recently launched the Tiffany Ruffle Collection.

I now work with my brilliant small team based in the beautiful village of Cromford, known for its cotton mills and heritage and feel very lucky to be based in such a vibrant and creative community.

This is the first ever Beauvamp pop-up why did you want choose Edward Bulmer Natural Paint as a good fit?

I originally chose the Edward Bulmer paint colours for my home as I loved the eco credentials associated with the plant based paint which sounded so refreshing.  I remember ordering my first paint sample which was a beautiful pale pastel pink for the studio called Cuisse de Nymphe. Over the years I have used a range of the paint colours which look lovely in the home making the perfect backdrop for our lighting collections and its great to work with a brand that have the same outlook on providing the best quality products whilst keeping sustainability and care for the environment at the forefront.  After being invited down to an interiors event at your London showroom around a year ago, it was great to speak with the team and discuss the idea to in fact exhibit together and I’m so pleased to now be displaying our latest lighting designs in your wonderful Belgravia showroom!

Can you talk us through your creative process when designing your lampshades?

We are proud to say that all our lampshades are designed from scratch, starting with the frame shape which I sketch out on paper first. Each sketch will have carefully considered calculations for size and style before submitting for production. Once the frames are ready, each one is webbed in cotton ready for the fabric to be cut, chalked and machine sewn which in turn is then ready for hand stitching to the frame. A large proportion of our fabrics are then hand pleated around the top of the frame, which has now become one of our signature techniques. Each shade is then finished with a selection of responsibly sourced braids and fringes or our hand sewn ruffles.

How have you used these natural paints in your own home & what do you love about the colours?

Yes I’ve used Edward’s paints all around the house including the lounge, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The range has grown over the years since I bought my first sample and the colour palette is perfect for our Georgian home, I love how the colours can change depending on the light, whether it be daylight or a lamp, the colours help create a wonderful mood.

How do you think using natural paints aligns with your values as a maker?

We have a passion for keeping heritage skills alive and make sure we deliver the best craftsmanship using quality materials but at the same time keeping sustainability in mind. We strive to keep our carbon footprint to a minimum by sourcing local materials and making to order which keep our stock levels low. We are currently recycling our off cuts, using these for a new cushion collection and have plans for a patchwork lampshade collection too, with any surplus going to our local make-do-and-mend community sessions. We’re enjoying sourcing the most eco-friendly fabric choices such as linens and sustainable bamboo, matka and peace silks. Our ethos stretches beyond the lighting when we think about where to place our lighting and how it can be paired with other sustainable materials and decoration within the home such as Edward’s paints, we find the two go hand in hand very nicely.

What’s your favourite lampshade style and why?

I’m inspired a lot by the heritage and history of the Arts & Crafts movement. I enjoy looking back at lighting designs from the past and then designing my own interpretations with new colours, fabrics and trimmings to create something new for the interiors of today. One of my favourite pieces to date is our latest Crescent Lamp we have on display in your showroom this week. Inspired by the craftsmanship of the Arts & Crafts era, I wanted the lamp to make a beautiful and bold statement with a flower like stem and focused in particular on the cascading curves of the Art Nouveau period, reflecting on design notes from the master crafts people at that time such as William Arthur Smith Benson and Charles Robert Ashby. The lamp has been given a fresh modern twist with its solid diamond shape base and brass spheres and can be paired with a range of our 12” handsewn lampshades for the perfect fit.

We’re so excited to have you in London for two weeks, where are your ‘go to’ places to eat shop and visit when in the city?

Well it’s a real treat for me to spend a day in London, as I’m based in Derbyshire, it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. I’ve really enjoyed coming to visit the showroom and it’s beautiful surroundings in Belgravia. I love the architecture and buildings all along Ebury street, Elizabeth street is great for a bit of boutique shopping, then along past Peggy Porschen which I will definitely be making a stop at next time for a dreamy cupcake.  A visit to the Blood Orange Bar and an Italian meal at Chucs are highly recommended and we are also hoping to book in with Boisdale on Eccleston St for some live music next time we are down in the area.

How do you think using natural paints contributes to a more sustainable future in home decor?

Making your home as sustainable as possible is a positive move forward for the environment and starting with a clean palette of plant based paint is a great starting point. I’m seeing more eco-friendly products emerging in the interiors market and it’s good to know there are now ways in which we can make more considerate and sustainable choices with beautiful items that provide style and function in the home from paint and lighting to fabric and furniture choices.

Favourite Edward Bulmer Natural Paint colour?

It has to be Cerullian Blue – I have this in 2 rooms already and it may have to go into a third! I’ve always been drawn to blue over any other colour!

The first known ‘lampshade’ came about in the 17^th century, how far have they come and how to do clients choose the perfect one?

I have always taken inspiration for a design from bygone eras but love putting a fresh spin on the design, adding a contemporary edge, whether that be an unexpected fabric choice or by adding our specially made braids, fringing or ruffle to the design.

Favourite autumnal recipe?

Crumble! Not the most adventurous perhaps, but a good hearty one, especially with fresh blackberries that we pick each year. Thankfully we have some amazing hedgerows just across the fields that are full of them. I love adding cinnamon, apple and lashings of ice cream.

Lighting in a room is so important, what are your top tips when choosing lighting, lampshades or deciding on how to light a room?

It all depends on what you would like the light to do, for example if you are wanting ambience we would recommend lamps, either our traditionalist floor lamp or a range of table lamps to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. If the requirement is task lighting then our Crescent lamp has been designed with flexibility in mind and works well as either a decorative piece or a working piece for casting light on a desk. We find that a lot of our customers look to Beauvamp for statement lighting which can be achieved by adding an unusual pop of colour or a bold braid and find our fringed and ruffled shades are a popular choice for injecting personality into an interior. Our new painted Uplighters have been designed for lighting corners which we are excited to get photographed in their setting shortly and we have also been asked if we can go larger, so we have increased our standard frame size to 24” to give out even more light!

Come and see us until 16th November and don’t forget on the 6th and 13th November, Alice will be holding live lampshade demonstrations in our London showroom.

We would love to help you with all your winter decoration questions and queries, pop in and pick up a free colour chart.