Once upon a time in 2018 on a sunny day in Oxfordshire, I was looking for fourteen bed valances to go in a large renovation and interiors project I was completing. I couldn't find anything near the quality and aesthetic I had in mind. Everything was a bit flimsy, synthetic and mass made.

But why not?! The bed valance is a bedroom staple, a mainstay piece, with a long history in European interiors. Used for function and decoration. Originally used to disguise metal bed frames, to quell drafts and stop dust gathering, then gradually they became more decorative pieces with frills and tapestries. These days, their function has shifted slightly to disguise bed bases and storage and as aesthetic pieces. I read every interior design magazine going which endlessly feature well designed and made bed valances.

I became passionate about creating collections of bed valances though had to wait a little while to explore it. Two more renovation projects, three house moves, two children, two dogs and various chickens later, it was 2023 and I began having samples made here in the UK.

Over the last two years, I've been working on samples, design changes, fabric sourcing, and finding the right seamstress team. Driven by sustainability, craftsmanship, and local sourcing, it has remained very important to me to make these on home soil and I am so proud to be working with a studio in Durham made up of an incredibly talented team of women seamstresses. And, for our bespoke pieces, I am able to work with a wonderful seamstress in Oxfordshire.

Often, bed valances are designed to match the headboard and so I wanted to offer the ability to have this cohesive look. Pen to paper once more, I designed The Headboard Slips. Crafted in fine linen and removable for (dry) cleaning, they also combine beauty and function. I am excited to share more details and images of these in the near future.