With blue skies overhead and the Dorset countryside as our backdrop, we rolled a beautiful Weekender hut into place last month for a very special shoot with our friends at Susie Watson Designs, who, like us, have a love of timeless design and craftsmanship. After the shoot, we caught up with Susie herself to learn more about her creative journey and her passion for the English country aesthetic…
Since launching your eponymous brand 25 years ago (congratulations by the way!), you now have ten stores nationwide, including your flagship in Broadway, in the Cotswolds. Can you tell us a little about how it all began?
My love of interiors really started back in the Nineties when I was renovating townhouses in London. Buildings and a floor plan are two of my favourite things in life. After working on a number of interesting houses, I announced to my husband that my next project was going to be a shop, next to the famous Julie’s restaurant on Portland Road in West London. He asked, “What are you going to sell?” and I said, “I’ve no idea!”
Having always loved and collected art, I decided to open a contemporary art gallery. That evolved into selling interiors pieces: hand-painted furniture, hand-dyed cushions and tassels and, eventually, kitchen pottery. I felt what the world really needed was more beautiful pieces for everyday use, especially as people were increasingly living and entertaining in their kitchens.
We opened our first Susie Watson Designs store in Marlborough in 2008, and now we have ten others from Salcombe to Harrogate, including one just down the road from your Plankbridgeworkshop in Sherborne.
Craftsmanship is clearly important to you, as it is to us. You work with wonderful artisans in India and Sri Lanka. Can you tell us more about that?
Yes, we work with a remarkable ceramics factory in Sri Lanka that has created our hand-painted pottery almost from the beginning. We also work with a textile studio in southern India, where our cushions and hand-embroidered fabrics are made, and cabinetmakers in northern India who craft our furniture. I travel out there at least three times a year and have developed a close relationship with the owners over the years. Many of our artisans sign their work where possible, which is a lovely way to create a connection between maker and customer.
The Weekender hut you styled for us is really charming – we love the soft, dusky pink tones. What mood were you hoping to create?
We imagined the hut sitting in a quiet meadow somewhere very pretty, so we decided on a rustic, romantic palette – warm pinks and soft stone-washed linens. A shepherd’s hut is a perfect space to play with an English pastoral colour scheme. We dressed the table with our pottery to feel a little romantic too, something that might make you want to sit with an afternoon cup of tea looking out through the double doors or sit on the steps in the early evening with a glass of wine as the sun goes down.
What would your advice be to someone decorating a compact space like a shepherd’s hut?
What you put on the walls makes all the difference – if you get it right you are halfway there. Whether it’s a room at home or a hut in a corner of a garden, I would always start with a mellow, calming wall colour that complements your fabrics and furniture. In small spaces, I’d suggest gentle prints – stripes or small florals – but not too tiny, or they can become a bit dizzying and make your eyes swim. It’s all about finding a balance between restful and full of charm and character.
We’re excited to see your designs in our dog-friendly Guest House hut we’re taking to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this May. Could you give us a little sneak peek of what visitors can expect?
Yes, we’ve added a few Susie Watson touches – stripes for the blinds and dog bed cushion, and outside a marble-topped bistro table with classic metal chairs, which I absolutely love. It’s going to be fun seeing it come to life at Chelsea!
If you would like to explore ideas for incorporating Susie Watson Designs textiles into your hut, please drop us a line at enquiries@plankbridge
Watch our reels from the photoshoot here
