Country_Homes_and_Interiors_-_November_2019

TEXTILEDESIGNERJULIABRENDEL

❝My fabrics have their

roots in Poland and their

heart here in Britain ❞

L

isteningtoJuliaBrendeltalk

aboutherfabrics,it is easytosee

howshehasdrawnmajorinterest

withheruniquetakeonfolk

patternsandarchivedesigns.Herpassion

andcreativecaptureoftraditionalpatterns

keepherclientsenthused,butJuliawould

bethefirsttosaythatit wasa lengthy process

decidinghowtomakehermark.

‘Iliveina lovelylittlevillageinKent,ina

beautifulTudorandGeorgianhouse,butI’m

originallya citygirlfromPoznańinPoland,’

explainsJulia.‘Itwasbeinginthiscountry,

ina quiet,beautifulplace,thatgave me an

outlettobegina newcareer.’

Alwaysa creativeperson,andwitha

backgroundinproductdesign,Juliasays,

‘Iwantedmorethanjustbeingathome

withmychildrenandI missedtheartistic

opportunitiesthatstoppedwhenI had

myfamily.Also,I’mwhatmyfriendscall

a “perpetualbeginner”,havingdoneall

sortsofpracticalartsandcraftclasses.

I neededa careerthatblendedallkinds

ofimaginativeinroadsandoutputs.’

It wasatoneofthesecourses,attheV&Ain

London, that the seed of an idea was planted

inJulia’smind.A cushion-makingclass,

inspiredbyfolk-stylecostumesoftheBallets

Russes,ledJuliatodrawuponherownPolish

roots.‘Ourvillageshaveuniquecustoms

andI’vealwayslovedhowPolishplaceshave

differentcostumes,embroideryandwoven

patternscelebratingtheirhistory,’shesays.

‘Thiscoursewasa serendipitousmoment

thatsparkedmycareerpath,creatingtextiles

inspiredbymyHungarianandPolishpast.’

JuliareturnedtoPolandtosearchout

traditionalweaversandtheirhistoricskills,

butlookedtoBritishtalent,too.‘Polishtextile

weavingis worldrenownedforitsintricate

yetstillmodestfinish,’shesays.‘I really

wantedtocapitaliseonthisauthentic

advantagebutI alsowantedtouseUK

weaversfortheirartisantechniques.’

Julia’slarge,bright,barn-stylestudio

providesa creativehubtoworkin,yetshe

canstillbeonhandforherfamily.‘Folk

designsaremainlyinspiredbynature,with

thecolourpalettetakenfromlocalfaunaand

floraandthelight,’sheexplains.‘Livinginthe

countrysidebringsmeclosertothisnatural

environment.Thereis hugedesignpotential

in the wildlife here in Kent, with its many >

72 COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS