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Linda’s second collection with Terrys Fabrics is inspired by her country home in Yorkshire. ‘My patterns wrap you inside a natural world that reflects gardens, fields and the wider countryside,’ says Linda
I N C O N V E R S A T I O N W I T H Li nda Bar ker We catch up with the interior designer, T V personality and writer ahead of her second collection of blinds, curtains and bedding with Terrys Fabrics
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‘Fabrics absorb sound, so I like to have full-length curtains in my bedroom,’ says Linda. Wisteria curtains in Hedgerow, from £56.73,
There should really be no lead apart from what you love yourself. I've got curtains in my bathroom. That's a bit of a no-no but I love that. There are no rules!
Royal Velvet Rust Roman blind, from £23.99 Octavias Tangle bedding set in Ochre Blue, from £59
Congratulations on your new collection
with Terrys Fabrics…
Thank you. I absolutely love it. It’s been an absolute joy to work with Terrys. They enabled me to have free reign over pattern and colours so it’s properly a design that’s from my heart.
This range includes two new designs, Yarrow and Wisteria. What was your inspiration?
I am a big outdoors lover. I moved up to East Riding in Yorkshire in lockdown and that coincided with the start of the collection and putting designs, ideas and colours together. Yarrow is a flower that I grow in my garden, wisteria trickles around the front of my Georgian house. Don’t look too far for inspiration – it’s all around!
This second collection includes bedding – what are your bedtime essentials?
I find the bed is a lovely place to nurture your mind, so I have beautiful magazines and lovely books by my bed. I’m a very image-led person, so I always have that reference. I have to have a place for a cup of tea in the morning and a place for the dog, obviously. I love layering fabrics in bedrooms, like the perfect quilt, blanket and extra cushions.
The new designs also feature on curtains and blinds – are there any times when you would choose blinds over curtains?
Well, sometimes you’d have both, which is really rather nice. Normally you would say you don’t want curtains in a kitchen because the fabric might absorb cooking smells and all of that, but you know, just do what you want to do. I’ve seen kitchens with curtains, and they can look phenomenal. There should really be no lead apart from what you love yourself. It’s your home so go for it! I’ve got curtains in my bathroom, for example. That’s a bit of a no-no but I love that. There are no rules!
Do you have any tips for measuring blinds?
It can be really tricky, can’t it? People hate measuring anything. Measure twice, always. Do it with somebody else so they can check your measurements. That sounds really idiotic, but it really helps to have two people just to make sure that everything’s right. When you get your blinds delivered you really want them perfect; you don’t want a centimetre out of place. Use a good retractable steel tape measure – not your kid’s school ruler!
Are there any trends for blinds and curtains that we can expect to see in 2023?
A big trend right now is darker colours and a use of patterns. Fabrics are the perfect way to introduce that into the home. I really like to see full-length curtains; not necessarily ones that are chopped off at the windowsill, if at all possible. I think that big blousy curtains will, hopefully, permeate into people’s homes. I like when they’re a little bit puddled at the bottom on the floor. It adds a sense of luxury and excess in a very beautiful way.
The luxury bedding range is made from 100 per cent cotton with a 200-thread count. Wisteria bedding set in Sage, from £59
Dotties Love Lemongrass curtains, from £49.99
Royal Velvet curtains in Rain Forest, from £40
You bought a doer-upper in Yorkshire, how are the renovations going?
It’s been a three-year project and you never really finish with an old building, but it’s been lovely to do. We’ve got carpets down now so we’re really getting to those finishing touches which is a dream come true. Already, I can’t really remember what it was like before. It’s amazing how you forget how ghastly renovations can be. After all my house renovations I’ve said never again and here we are.
Have you done the renovations yourself?
Yes, we needed a plasterer, electrician and a plumber but everything else we kind of got on with it. I’ve decorated the walls with hand-painted details; Chris [Linda’s husband] is very good with making cabinetry – it’s amazing what you can learn on YouTube. Ever since I left art college, I’ve been doing houses up, so you learn those skills and it’s kind of a joy to build your own home from scratch.
Are there any DIY jobs you put off?
No, I’m always speeding the process up so I can get to the nice stuff!
What are your favourite DIY jobs?
I really like painting. I trained as a fine artist originally and I used to do massive drawings so there’s part of me that just loves drawing on walls, still. I did something yonks ago on Changing Rooms… I projected an image on a wall and traced around it. It’s the simplest thing ever. I still love to do that. I also love sewing. I’m a crafting queen and always have been so I really love the creative bit that comes with homemaking.
What’s your latest homeware buy?
We bought a massive lump of stone that’s still out on the drive. I think I might do a stone wall curve in the garden with a little seat in it so I can hide and read. I’m a big houseplant girl and I just got some fig plants from Lidl for £11 with some wicker baskets for them to go in.
What’s your favourite room in your home?
Because I’ve made my bedroom all neat for the interview, it’s got to be here. My kitchen is also beautiful. I love this house so much; I love everything about it.
What colours do you think will be big in 2023?
Green for sure. And in all its shades – I love bright emerald green, dark olives but then the pale pistachio greens, too – I don’t think you can go wrong with green. It’s on the up and up and up. It works with all those greys we decorated with a few years ago so don’t feel that you have to completely change everything. I think it’s a very strong trend.
What’s next?
I just hope to keep doing what I’m doing. It’s lovely to work with Terrys and hopefully that will be successful, and we’ll keep going with more things. There’s a bit of television – I work with Steph McGovern on her show [Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4] and they have me crafting quite a bit. And then I’ll still be decorating our house. I’ll get into my scruffs any sec! I’m just kind of loving where I am.
Wisteria design in Sage Yarrows design in Teal
PERFECT FOR SPRING
Yarrows design in Rust
S CA N M E
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