Utterly luxurious. You know I fall in love with fabrics every day, but these are so very special. Jo Bound of Boeme creates fabulous designs for glorious surfaces.
paon – teal – cotton velvet
Originally studying textile design at Nottingham (UK), Jo worked for the past 20 years for leading fabric companies such as Malabar, Sanderson and Harlequin. But it was only recently when Liberty approached her that she decided to quit the corporate world and start her own brand. “Boeme is the culmination of my life’s work and it has a very distinctive look. My aim was to offer a portfolio of beautiful fabrics with a fine art, illustrative quality to them. I feel that a lot of fabrics on the high street seem as if they’ve been instantly produced and lack depth. I’ve tried to create a collection that has a lot of thought in it; fabrics to cherish like antiques.”
Even a quick view of her work bears testament to the fact that she is an avid collector of antique textiles. Chinoiserie, hints of Roccoco and Victoriana all make an appearance in various guises, but are given fresh insight through the use of scale and colour. Jo’s other inspirations come from the everyday countryside around her home, and she loves to visit the nearby Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Wisley.
floressa – duckegg – viscose/linen
madame pangon – navy – cotton velvet
The colours of her designs are gorgeously rich, and the base cloths they are printed on include pure linens and velvets, to create fabrics of great luminous depth. The Art Deco inspired Madame Pangon and the peacock print Paon, which are both printed on rich velvet immediately conjure for me dreams of pure tactile and visual lusciousness.
Not content with simply creating allover repeats for fabric, Jo also creates amazing scenes for stand alone panels, which can be used as wall coverings, or framed pieces. The fabulous Magnus Opus is one of these. Stylistically taking its cues from the great scenic wallpapers of the 1800s, it prints at a staggering 414cm wide and 260cm high – guaranteed to make an impression!
magnum opus (detail) – linen
But most of all, Jo wants people to feel at home in their homes, and believes that this can be achieved through a vigorous openness to variety. “A collection of things that the home owner really loves is so much more appealing than carefully matched shades of cream. “I collect antique textiles and surround myself with cherished items I’ve found in eclectic places that a lot of people might call junk – but for me they are inspiration. Decorative objects cheer us up, they’re real value for money.”
jo bound
You can find more of Jo’s work at http://www.boeme.co.uk/
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With thanks to Jo for sharing her words and images.
Nice pictures! Please go on to my blog and comment whar you think about it! U would make my day!
You have find so beautiful fabrics! I want to make a couple of cushions from that peacock-pattern fabric!
I love the Boeme design fabrics. Especially the orange toile London scenes and the peacock pattern which reminds me of a William Morris fabric. These are beautiful designs, so vibrant and also with a nod to the past. Thanks for letting us know about these exciting new companies.