Step inside the studio of Perth designer Natalie White, as she shares the inspiration behind her brand Bowerhouse

Inspired by travel and textiles, this Perth designer brings home a taste of the exotic

Your textiles and homewares business, Bowerhouse, is turning heads. How did it come about? I come from the fashion world, and my prior career as a production manager saw me work with designers to source and develop textiles and fashion. It involved many overseas trips to fabric markets, mills, and printing and sewing factories. After eight years of that, I wanted to create something of my own, incorporating my passion for travel, textiles and homewares. A research trip to India and Indonesia gave me the inspiration and clarity to put a plan together and start designing. And, in 2013, Bowerhouse was born. Was starting your own business a big leap of faith? Yes, I dived in headfirst, without a back-up plan! I quit my job, booked my flights to India and didn’t look back. I had savings set aside that I had imagined would become a deposit for a home – but with the encouragement of my now-husband and family, I decided to follow my heart. How was the transition from fashion to interiors? My background put me in good stead for sourcing makers and designing textile-based pieces, but moving into rattan products was a learning curve. It was a long journey from sketch to the final product, and I did three trips to Indonesia to work with the maker and develop the designs. Luckily, a great guy there taught me a lot about the rattan material and craft. Can you tell us about your designs? The primarily textile-based collection features kantha quilts and cushions, with a complementary range of handcrafted rattan pieces including stools, side tables and bar carts. Bowerhouse is all about beautiful, handcrafted pieces that are not mass-produced and cannot be bought at big department stores. Nothing is ‘throw-away’ – it’s made to be loved, used and enjoyed for many years to come, and my customers really appreciate this. Quality is definitely more important to me than quantity, and I prefer to work with smaller, more exclusive collections released more frequently. What’s on the horizon for Bowerhouse? With my two-year-old son Jonah keeping me on my toes, and baby number two arriving in June, I’ve had to pull back on the overseas trips. The plan is to continue to share the Bowerhouse love in Australia and across the globe with our kantha quilts, and to create more beautiful pieces.

Perth designer Natalie White in her studio (opposite, top left), with her woven baskets. Bowerhouse’s textile artworks include (opposite, top right) Haveli Of Love (top) and You On My Mind, and (this page, below) Desert Jewel. Some of Natalie’s cushions (opposite, top right) and her ‘Indigo Shibori’ kantha quilts (opposite, centre), ready for delivery. There’s tonal variety in her quilts (opposite, bottom left). A Bowerhouse artwork, The Maharaja’s Daughter (opposite, below right) hangs above her living area. (This page, above) The moodboard for Natalie’s kantha quilt range.