Spotlight on Kelly Swallow

Unique, vintage patchwork chairs by Kelly Swallow will fill the Bubble Plaza this weekend at Bubble London. The Hertfordshire-based designer shares with us the secrets behind her fabulous pieces.

My chairs are individually sourced vintage and antique pieces, each with a unique charm. I love to rediscover the beauty and personality of a chair with a stunning collection of fabrics.

giving it a newfound splendour.

I'm inspired by fabrics and get ridiculously excited when on fabric sourcing trips. Working in patchwork and mixing colours, textures and patterns gives endless possibilities for fun and creativity.

I love to work on bespoke pieces which can include fabrics which have a meaning to the client or treasured pices of fabric, for example a patch from a little girl's dress or a boy's shirt. So the chairs encapsules memories of a childhood and becomes an heirloom piece.

My home-based workshop allows me to work around my family’s schedule and to always be able to take my son to school. At nine, he is wonderfully creative and has boundless imagination and sense of fun and is already thinking about what his job within ‘Kelly Swallow’ is going to be!

Kelly Swallow sells "ready to go" pieces and also takes commissions, allowing customers to be completely involved in creating their own bespoke piece.