TALENT SPOT
With a passion for colour and pattern and a fabulous eye for design, Polly Carter transforms scraps of unwanted fabric into sustainable statement lampshades that she describes as ‘little pieces of functional artwork.’ An interior designer at the Kit Kemp studio by day, Polly is always surrounded by beautiful fabrics, which have inspired her creative sideline.
Having noticed lots of fabric remnants left over from design projects, Polly had the bright idea to save them from landfill by turning them into pieces for the home. ‘I work in such an amazing creative studio filled with stunning fabrics. We have so many offcuts and leftover fabric cuttings from our interior design projects, which I can’t bear go to waste,’explains Polly. ‘So, I collect them and take them with me to my studio at home ensuring nothing goes to waste. It’s sustainable design – reduce, reuse, recycle.’
Alongside offcuts of luxury fabrics often used by the Kit Kemp studio, from brands such as Tissus d’hélène and Turnell & Gigon, Polly also hunts for fabrics online on Ebay and Etsy, and will often edge her shades with playful trims. Indeed you’ll regularly find Polly hunting the fabric shops of Shepherd’s Bush for beads, feathers and pom-poms. ‘I adore colour; orange is my favourite. I love clashing colours and mixing tones that you wouldn’t think would go together,’ she says. ‘I’m drawn to natural textiles with a two-tone mix so the fabric doesn’t look flat, and I prefer weaves, embroideries and cloth with imperfections – it’s textured fabrics that lend depth to a space and make a room feel layered and lived in.’
Once she’s gathered her fabrics, Polly arranges them into schemes, cuts them to size and collages them before finally sewing them up. Creating all her lampshades to order means no two of Polly’s pieces are the same. ‘If the shades are for a restful room like a bedroom, I use softer tones. If it’s for an entrance hall I really go for it and clash pinks and oranges, purples and blues. These are most exciting to make because you never know what they are going to look like when you turn the light on.’
Having always been interested in interiors, Polly studied at KLC School of Design in London and from there undertook work experience with different interior designers until she ended up interning at Kit Kemp, which turned into a full-time job.
‘Kit believed in me and has taught me so much about colour and texture, layering and detail, and that anything is possible within design,’ says Polly. Instagram @polly.carter.design.