Country_Homes_and_Interiors_-_November_2019

beautifulflowers,birds,butterfliesand

evenmyvegetablegarden– theyall

inspiremypatternsanddesigns.’

HerHungarica,ArabicaandIndia

collectionsallhintatJulia’sinterestintravel

andhereclecticlookattheworld’sheritage.

ThenewestdesignsarecalledTribesand

Laibik.‘Theyareverymucha melangeof

influencesthatI’veseenduringmytravels,

atexhibitions,inbooksandontheInternet;

effectsthatI experiencedandloved,’says

Julia.‘I can'tcountalltheseparateelements

thatcontributedtothesecollections.

DesigningTribes,withitshorizontaland

verticalstripes,andLaibik– inspiredbythe

beautifulcostumesofPolishhighlanders–

was a bit like throwing different scraps and

sketchesfrommymemoryintoa bag,then

shakingit andpouringit ontothefabric.’Julia

alsoworkedhardtoensurethattheearthy

coloursofraspberry,amber,midnightblue

andwheatgrasswereallsympatheticand

workwellwhenmixedtogetheracrossthe

designs,creatinga cohesiveandpleasing

combination.Bespokecoloursarealso

available.Julia’sfabricsaresoldbythemetre

butshealsosellsready-made table linens,

cushionsandlampshades.

Juliaadmitsshewasluckytobeina good

financialpositionwhenshestarted,asher

husband,Gerry,hadjustretiredandthere

wasmoneybehindhertobeginwith.That

security,plusherpositiveattitude,gave

Juliatheconfidencetotakeonmorethan

justa designer’shat,securingplacestosell,

thinkingofretailstrategiesandsortingout

tradefairopportunities.‘WhenI lookback,

I realiseI’velearntsomuchwitheveryhigh

andlow,’shesays.‘I thinkbeingintheright

placehasallowedmetodothis.That, and

sometimestheoddlatenight!’

Juliahasfoundlike-mindedfabric

designersverysupportive,too.‘I metSarah

Hardakeratoneofmyfirsttradefairsand

shegavemelotsoftipsandevenshared

someofherresources,whichwasincredibly

generous,’shesays.‘I lovethefactI work

insucha creativecommunity.Eventhough

Iworkaloneinthecountry,therearemany

waystoconnect,whetherit’stofindsuppliers

ora doseofsupportona badday.’

Thehardworkhasensuredmanyhighlights

forJulia,fromearlypositivefeedbackat

tradeshowstowhenherfabricswereused

tomakecostumesfora Polishnationalopera.

‘I havemysweetmomentseveryday;it might

bea goodcustomerreviewthatremindsme

howmuchI’veprogressed,’saysJulia.‘I’ma

longwayfromwhereI wasborn,butI really

believethatI’vefounda newspiritualhome

torevivemyrootswithmydesigns.’

JuliaBrendel,01795 599840,

juliabrendel.com

❝

MYDESIGNSTUDIO– I’M INTHEVILLAGE JUST

MINUTESAWAYFROM SHOPSAND EVERYTHING

I NEED, AND ONLY AN HOUR FROM LONDON

❞

What I love about my work...

Thefabricsareinrich

shadesbutJuliaalso

does bespoke colours

74 COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS