Petra Palumbo: Homeware in the Highlands

Petra Palumbo creates gorgeous homeware products designed with the environment in mind, Petra’s signature carafe and tumbler set was created as a stylish plastic bottle alternative and her eponymous homeware company followed. Weaving in influences from her Lebanese ancestry and the rich heritage of Scotland, the place she calls home, Petra’s collections are made for a better and more beautiful world. From the earliest sketches to the moment they arrive at your home, every piece is designed with beauty and sustainability in mind.

Located in a beautiful old bank in the centre of Beauly town – a charming Highland village set 12 miles from Inverness, Petra opened her first flagship store late last year, it truly is a haven for homewares. Step into Petra’s colourfully curated world, a riot of colour, pattern and texture, full of classic objects that can be handed down through generations, and all with the smallest possible impact on the planet.

We are delighted Petra chosen to showcase our natural paint colours ‘Light Olive Green‘, ‘Celadon‘ ‘Pompadour‘ and ‘Buff‘ in her store – take a glimpse of the store below and discover what drives and inspires the Highlander herself with our ‘in colour’ series.

Petra tell us that: “My natural colour palette is autumnal – think rich raspberry, olive green, mustard, dusty pink, maroon, aubergine….I’m always drawn to that sort of scheme. For the Flagship I decided to go against my natural inclination – a tough decision to make – but my rationale was that being so far up north (the same latitude as Finland) and how dark and short the winter days are, I thought that going for a fresher combination would lift the spirits and reflect the light rather than absorb it.”

Like many of us Petra selected a collection of colours to sample, hauling them to the construction site to make sure they looked good in the natural light in the shop at different times of the day because it’s crucial to see paint in all lights. Petra quite rightly told us, “You’ve got to live with them so putting the paints in every scenario was really important to me. I even had the sheets propped up at the end of my bed because I wanted them to be first thing I saw in the morning with fresh eyes.

After months of trial and error, Petra finally settled on a scheme that we are completely in love with! Petra has used ‘Light Olive Green‘ on the flagship front door, centrepiece reclaimed dresser (pictured below in before & after), the skirtings and architraves, derived from William Morris‘ ‘Honeysuckle‘ wallpaper as you enter. ‘Buff‘ is shown on the ‘everchanging wall’ and the 11 original arched windows floor the space with natural light, creating the perfect backdrop for her wonderful collection of homewares.

Nestled to the side of the store you’ll find Petra’s ever-evolving curation space complete with two very large original alcoves which have been fitted with antique mirror and shelves either side of the fireplace. Petra tells us: “I found a very large fire surround on gumtree for £50 (I had an alert on my phone for fire surrounds within a 15 mile radius and this one came up) and I painted it in Pompadour. I had to bring in a bit of my natural palette! It immediately adds some oomph to the space but also complements my blue and white Delft tiles that decorate fireplace and the greener side to the flagship.”

‘Buff’ is painted on the big wall in the curation space where a large open freestanding unit sits against it filled with treasures. It’s the perfect background as it has enough tonal warmth to make an impact but not too much to take away from my wares. Petra says: “I wanted to find a colour that would draw inspiration from the natural earthiness of the Scottish landscape and also tie in with the William Morris wallpaper.”

We spoke to Petra about her brand, her flagship store, sustainability and more!

What drives and inspires you?  

I’m driven to design and create sustainable homewares that I can’t find on the market. My goal is to create long-lasting, high quality products that people want to keep, look after and hand down to the next generation.

If you could open a Petra Palumbo shop anywhere else in the world where would it be? 

I would have a double fronted shop with a lovely awning somewhere in Saint Germain in Paris, in a quiet little rue with cobbled stones preferably next to a delicious boulangerie. 

Tell us how you started Petra Palumbo?

I started Petra Palumbo in 2018 with the goal to marry homeware with sustainability. My brand began with our signature hand painted bedside carafe and tumbler sets, a stylish alternative to plastic water bottles, I showcased them at an event I styled at Christie’s in London and they sold out, I knew I was onto something and it just grew and grew from there. 

What has been a personal highlight of your career ?  

Opening my flagship store in November 2021 was a personal highlight of my career so far. That same year my daughter Vaila arrived so it was a real challenge juggling the two whilst giving both an equal amount of love, attention, care and time. It was a very proud moment. 

Favourite book or podcast to share? 

I’ve really enjoyed listening to How Do You Cope by Elis James and John Robins who talk to a range of guests about the challenges and hurdles they’ve faced in their own lives. 

Best piece of business advice to pass on that you have learnt?  

Talent in your team is everything. Know your limitations and bring people on board who complement as well as compensate for a particular lack of skill sets. 

What is your favourite Edward Bulmer colour?

I’m obsessed with Pompadour – it’s a gorgeously rich red. Half way between raspberry and ruby. I could eat it! I’ve used it on the fire surround I bought for £50 on gumtree in our Flagship, customers comment on it all the time. The colour has instantly brought the space to life. 

Where or what has inspired your work and pieces the most?

Nature in particular flowers, Guatemalan and Mexican folk art, colour, textiles, materials and capturing nostalgic memories within my Delft tiles.

If you were to advise people to make one change tomorrow to better the planet, what would it be?  

Make food waste a thing of the past. Small hacks like doubling up on meals for dinner and lunch and freezing excess portions for use later in the week can heavily reduce your food waste levels. 

Finally – which is your favourite timeless piece you are coveting from your current collection.

I’ve just launched a collection of Delft tile trays, cheeseboard, trivets, coasters. They are beautifully hand made in Scotland by an incredible team of joiners and they truly are heirloom pieces. 

You’re having a dinner party – with all your own glassware of course – which 3 people would you invite to join you for dinner?

The incredible Lucienne Day who drew on inspiration from other arts to develop a new style of abstract pattern-making in post-war British ‘contemporary’ textiles. She was a total pioneer and had a real flair with colour. Would love to chat to her about what it was like being a woman designer in a predominantly male industry during the 50’s and 60s’s, how her childhood affected her work, and I’d love to talk to her specifically about her collection of Arabic script furnishings too. 

My late Grandpa Rudolph Palumbo whom I sadly never met. He was shy and modest but with an unerring eye and impeccable traditional taste, particularly in brown furniture; Georgian and Edwardian. I’m sure he would liked my Italian themed lemon glassware as he was born in Salerno just outside Naples. I would love to hear his thoughts on my designs and learn about how he trained his eye.

Wes Anderson – I’d love to talk to him about his use of symmetry in his films which in turn, creates a sense of harmony and balance. It’s beautiful but I sometimes find it disarming how rhythmical and neat all his films are. It’s almost like he’s striving for perfection in every shot. I’d be keen to understand why he does that and whether this translates to his home. I’d be really amused if his home was in fact the total opposite, a complete shambles! 

We cannot stop swooning, thank you so much Petra and many congratulations on your flagship store.

Take a look at Petra’s homeware collections here and follow Petra Palumbo’s Instagram, full of homeware and interiors inspiration.

Petra’s store has certainly added the picturesque Scottish Highlands to our wish-list of places to go this Summer. Good news for us all too, Petra is hosting a Pop Up – ‘Celebrating Spring‘ in London at the LAMB Gallery in Mayfair from Tuesday 26th – Saturday 30th April, see below for the full details. We look forward to seeing you there…

If you would like to try some of these beautiful colours for yourself do order a sample pot and to see more of the colours in real rooms head to our gallery, Pinterest page and of course our Instagram @edwardbulmerpaint and that of our founder and the leading designer himself @edward_bulmer.