Business with Authenticity: An Interview With Helen Izzard Designs

This month we are pleased to interview our trade partner, Helen Izzard Designs, a soft furnishing and interior designer based in Langport, Somerset. Within the article Helen shares with authenticity the rich heritage of business, what keeps her passionate and excited about the work she does, why she chooses to work with independent British designers and how she uses a camera to create a unique brand. We hope you enjoy this engaging read!

Tell me about your business, what makes you get up in the morning and be passionate about the work that you do?

I have always loved sewing since childhood and over the years developed my love for interior design, so the journey from that day to today was inevitable. My ethos has always been hand sewn interiors, and equally as important, hand sewn by me. Both are important to me as I learnt these skills as a child. Every project is different, and I love the diversity of the world of interiors. There are many essential elements of the interior design process for me: pattern, colour, design, style, flow, and light. Bringing all these elements together is part of the creative process in any interior project.

I also love the flexibility and freedom of running my own business. Running a business is incredibly hard work, but the freedom it creates and reconnecting to yourself allows you to choose your direction in life, and you naturally develop a much greater sense of creativity and wellbeing. It is incredibly empowering too, as having too many rules can stifle that process. Every day is different and the decisions I make for the business are guided by my own principles and ethics. To run a business with ethos is a deep sense of achievement and will equally nurtures those around you too.

What excites you most about interior design and soft furnishing making?

The world of interiors is always evolving as new products appear on the market and new fabric collections are launched. There are many aspects about interior design that are exciting, so choosing fabrics and drilling down to the final design is always exciting, watching how it all comes together and changes a home. Often, this stage just flows as the house style and light guides us, and sometimes it takes a little longer to find that perfect element that just pulls it all together. But I love creating each project as they evolve during the making stages, especially feeling how different fabrics move when I am collaborating with them and deciding on the intricate details of each design.

As a business owner I can see that skills and craftmanship are of high value in the work that you produce, and the suppliers that you select. Why is this?

Bespoke interiors are a long-term investment, both from the time it takes for each project as well as the financial investment. I believe that the quality of the workmanship should always sit equally alongside every element of the design. We focus on the main fabric when we are choosing a pair of curtains for example, but alongside this should always be other considerations such excellent quality lining and interlining, equally as important as choosing the main fabrics. They all need to work together to create something that will last.

What has drawn you to work with independent artisan fabric designers and brands?

How I choose my suppliers is not just based on their designs but a combination of their work, the quality of the fabrics they produce and their business ethics too. I love collaborating with independent designers, as it allows me to choose not just beautiful designs but beautiful quality cloth. So many of our UK designers are craftsman and are the ‘hand’ behind their designs, which shows in their fabric collections. They have the freedom and flexibility to offer bespoke designs and colours and will often work with independent interior designers to produce something bespoke for a client. Plus, many are such lovely people too, and I have gained some good friends over the years!

What would you say is the main value of ordering bespoke made-to-measure curtains, blinds and soft furnishing above pre-made from a high street store?

Definitely the bespoke design element, all hand stitched, and longevity of each product. High street made to measure curtains and blinds are mass produced and so readily available as they are machine made and produced in bulk, so the final finish of each product and quality of the fabric used will never match a bespoke handmade product. Ordering bespoke soft furnishings is a completely different service and finish and the customer can work with you to decide on those small finishing touches that make their project unique and bespoke. When care is taken in the production of something, you will receive a finished item that will last.

You have shown a love for the natural world through your business branding and photography. Has this helped you move towards making sustainable choices?

Nature has always been important to me and gives me so much inspiration. Much of my work uses fabrics that have also been inspired by the natural world. We live in a ‘throw away’ culture which is slowly changing but sadly not quickly enough. My ethos is to encourage customers to consider their choices and make decisions based not just on interiors but also on longevity, such as timeless design choices and fabric quality. I am very particular about the cloth I work with, and I love using natural fabrics, such as linen, wool, silk, and cotton, rather than synthetic, as not only are they beautiful cloth, but they are created in a more sustainable way, particularly linen.

Over the past year I have changed much of my business packaging to environmentally friendly products. It has taken longer than I had hoped, and it is surprising how difficult this is for a small business, as the choices are still so limited and at a much higher price in comparison. The plastic used for wrapping fabrics in transit has been my biggest challenge, as it is so important for protecting fabric when sending it to customers so using paper is not an option, it is simply not sturdy enough for heavy rolls of fabric. Yet despite constantly challenging my suppliers, there is a disappointing lack of products on the market. I have finally found an eco-friendly renewable and recyclable plastic derived from natural sugar cane, which I am experimenting with. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it works well.

Much of the beautiful photography on both your social media and website is your own. How did you get into photography and what story do you aim to convey through your business?

I picked up the camera a few years ago as I wanted the freedom, as a business owner, to take my own images, so initially it was purely for the business. I booked myself on a two-day workshop and that was the beginning. I had no idea that I would fall in love with photography! It is another world of creativity but a different one when looking through the viewfinder. I see light and shade so differently and I find that fascinating. And of course, with the camera on manual, there are endless possibilities. The camera is now my third hand, it comes with me everywhere. It is important for any business to tell your own stories, so I use the images I love of my work and nature. We can learn so much about form, colour and light through nature and an image is an extension of that.

What advice would you give to another business looking to begin working on developing their own photography and brand alinement?

It is so important to have your own images and style, and not use others images to convey your own work as a business. So, my advice is to just pick up the camera and go with it. There is no right or wrong with photography, you will develop your own style over time as you get to know your camera and what you love in an image.

My advice would be to create your own style and emotion through the camera, and not copy others, which is so often the case sadly. The camera is an extension of you and your hand so embrace your own uniqueness in your images and create something intentional that showcases your business.

Follow the website link to find out more about the soft furnishing and interior design services that Helen Izzard Designs offers. We are thrilled that Helen holds a sample box of our fabrics and is able to work on projects for curtains, blinds and soft furnishings using our designs.

Photography credit: Helen Izzard, Sarah Mason & Meg Lovell.