Claire Murray Designs: Very illuminating...

Claire Murray Designs: Very illuminating...:  I'm in the middle of a huge (still growing!), and towering pile of lampshades, and preparing for my show in Manchester in 2 weeks, clo...

Very illuminating...

 I'm in the middle of a huge (still growing!), and towering pile of lampshades, and preparing for my show in Manchester in 2 weeks, closely followed by the trade visit to Paris.  The silks are still on their way so I shall be burning the midnight oil cushion making as soon as they arrive.  The lampshades are now on the website (not a full set of photos yet, but there will be very soon), and available for sale.  I've made these ones with gold linings as it emits a really soft, cosy light, but if it doesn't work with your colour scheme you can email your request - white, silver, champagne and of course, gold are all available.  Go on treat yourself!  

Coriolacae, Flight, In the Wild, Heron and Champignon (l to r, top to bottom)

Claire Murray Designs: "Fun and unique!" The wallpaper that is...

Claire Murray Designs: "Fun and unique!" The wallpaper that is...: The Tab Collective have been busy launching their brand new website, promoting the home-wares of independent designers.  They are doing suc...

"Fun and unique!" The wallpaper that is...

The Tab Collective have been busy launching their brand new website, promoting the home-wares of independent designers.  They are doing such a great job too - a feature in the May issue of Homes and Antiques (out today 3rd April) showing my Flight wallpaper (and 2 more in the basket!).   I love this mag and am thrilled so see my design in there!

The Paris trade visit is quickly approaching now, and I steadily getting prepared.  I've been having some lessons to brush up on my French (v basic!) and I must have all my price lists and information translated into French and prices in euros.  It's all very exciting and a little nerve-wracking too, I'll admit!  The 'what will I wear?' question is also nagging me in the background but I have so much to do I can't really pay that much attention to it (yet!).

Watch out for silk fabrics by the metre later this spring, and some new lampshades too.

Quelle Surprise!

It's been a really lovely few days.  I have spent some quality time with some very dear and very old friends, booked my flights to Paris and discovered this post on WGSN (World Global Style Network)!  

The lovely people at Tab Collective are getting lots of brill press coverage too and there's going to a wallpaper feature in the May issue of Homes and Antiques.  

Booking tickets to Paris very soon!

I am ever so excited to say that I've been invited by UKTI (UK Trade & Industry) to attend a reception with my designs next month at the British Ambassador's Residence in Paris.  The building is amazing and I can't believe my designs will be professionally styled and on show to a host of Paris buyers.  Vivienne Westwood launched her 2012 collection here - I feel extremely honoured!  

Take a look, isn't it lovely.

New products, new stockists, new year! Roll on 2014!

It has been ages since my last blog!  In fact I just realised I've haven't posted anything at all in February (something quite lovely about going from Jan-Mar in one big jump)!  I've had my head down working hard of course, busying myself with silks and patterns and such like.

I had such lovely feedback at the Home London show, that I've returned to find myself going from the one-off sample pieces I showed (silk cushions and lampshades) to producing enough stock to sell through my new stockists.  I'm learning that patience is a virtue, and that the creative process is just that, a process, which takes time and energy to get just right.  My fabrics will be arriving soon, the cushion inserts (the best duck feathered ones I could find) are on order, and 'Flight' wallpaper will be printed within 2 weeks (it's been a difficult birth, but it will be worth it!).  I'm testing out a new fabric printer - the samples look good so far, and I've made some tiny adjustments to the fabric.  Satin silk is verryyy slippppyyyy and extremely delicate so I've opted for dupion silk for the cushions (slightly textured but still very luxe), and I'm going for poplin lampshades to keep the costs down a little for my customers.  I can't wait for everything to be ready and on the website but all in good time!

Oh, and I'm showing at Home is in the North in Manchester in April, and may indeed be going to Paris too (more on that later...).  Check out too, my two new stockists Will & Glory and The Tab Collective for some very lovely new homewares.

Home again after Home London

It was lovely being back in the bosom of my family once again, but I have to say I enjoyed my visit to Home London 2014 immensely!  

Heart Home Magazine selected me and 9 other new designers to exhibit our wares on our very own stand at this trade show, alongside some amazing and talented designers and gorgeous products.  I met some lovely and very talented people on my stand too - Coucou Manou, Kirsty, Tania from Quirk & Rescue, Kirath Ghundoo, Anna Dent, Caslon&Co, Melissa Smith Textiles, Home Slice Design, and Holly Francesca.

I learnt a lot from doing this show, got great feedback on my designs, and picked up a couple of new stockists and the odd journalist along the way.  A big thanks to Arianna and Carole from Heart Home Magazine and the lovely Zoe Brewer who said some very nice things about my work! It was great fun, and though I missed my boys at home, I'd love to do it again soon! (PS not all my pics turned out so well so some of my faves have been edited out!) 

Earls Court - we were in Earls Court Two with Top Drawer and Craft

The Heart Home Magazine New Designers stand

Some of my fellow designers on our stand.

Prints on homewares from Caslon & Co.

Lampshades by Kirsty

This is my part of the stand - in between the lovely geometric patterns of Melissa Smith Textiles and London illustrations by Holly Francesca.

Melissa Smith Textiles.

My new silks went down well, the heron was very popular.

Our stand

Gorgeous Marimekko was a little way along from me.

Lush Designs stand was lovely - vibrant and colourful!

My friend Hannah was there too, showing her new wallpapers and range of parchment lamps.

Loved Lisa Bliss' stand too.

Surfacephilia - simply gorgeous!

Happy New Year! Boy, have I been busy!

A teetering pile of my new sleek and soft silk cushions.

my tools of the trade - I love my new handmade labels

Hope you are all having a wonderful start to 2014!  I've had a great Xmas, saw lots of people and virtually lost my voice just before Xmas Day.  It didn't stop me getting some new products ready to exhibit at the Home Show in London next weekend.  Hope you like them - the are all printed onto satin silk and feel lovely!  In fact they are so soft I have a dressmaker ordering some for some clothing!  Oh, and I made a beautiful silk scarf for a friend out of the heron design.

So the Home London show is almost here!!!  I'll be on Heart Home Magazine's New Designers stand, M46, nerves a-jingling!

Birds and Butterflies Wallpaper is finally on it's way!!!

It's been a very long time in coming but I am so very pleased to announce that my Birds and Butterflies wallpapers should be going to print this Wednesday!!!   Now, another company produce a wallpaper named "Birds and Butterflies" so my new design will need to be known as something else.  The pattern flows and flutters around on the wall, so I'm happy to rename it "Flight".  

It will go on my website very soon, along with more cushions and lampshades made up in a selection of the new fabrics.  Here it is, pictured with the silk fabric in the same design - I think they go beautifully together!

New fabric designs in bold, abstract pattern on cotton satin and cotton kimberley fabrics.

Sleek, silky, soft and slinky!!! New fabrics have arrived!

I took delivery of these lovely new silk satin fabrics this week and I can't wait to get working with them!
The silk satin is perfect for lampshades but I have plans to create some matching cushions too.

The fabric feels so soft and luxurious, and reflects the light beautifully.  There a some new designs amongst them, (herons and pheasants here), and some bright and bold abstracts printed on cotton kimberly and cotton satin fabrics.

The Angel...

The tree is up and The Angel (of the North) is up there too!

We have a Winner!!!

Which one will it be Jo Smith?

Time to announce the lucky winner of my Christmassy wallpaper competition!  Two rolls of my wallpaper will be on their way to Jo Smith of Smith’s Upholstery, Glos.  Jo liked both designs so the pressure is on to choose which one she wants now!  Congratulations to Jo and thank you to everyone who entered!  

Hope your Christmases are warm, happy and full of cheer.

I've won a place a the Home Show!

 I couldn’t believe me eyes when I got a message telling me that I’d been selected as one of the winners of the Heart Home Magazine competition to share a stand with 9 other new designers at the fabulous Home Show at Earls Court in January. 

It’s a huge interiors show and they are expecting in excess of 16,000 buyers from all over the world (Heals, Habitat, Anthropologie, Harrods, Liberty and many many more).

So exciting - I can’t wait!

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12-14 January 2014

Earls Court 2

London

The other designers are:  Calson & Co., Anna Dent, Coucou Manou, Kirath Ghundoo, Holly Francesca,  By Kitsey, Melissa Smith Textiles, Homeslice Design and Quirk & Rescue.