Uniquely Bespoke: A Home Design Collaboration with Jess and Jules

Rachael Taylor with Jess Payne and Jules Woodmore

Written by Rachael Taylor for Moyo Magazine, Issue 9.

I relocated to Liverpool and moved into my forever home during early June of 2015. Matt and I purchased a property in our dream location yet it needed some serious love and care as it had been sitting empty for quite a while. We knew that it needed a bit of renovating and that parts of the house would need restructuring if we wanted to achieve the family home that we’ve always wanted, and we were excited about getting started. It’s a big project that will take years to complete but we both love the house and we’re enjoying the process of putting our own stamp on it.

Before we moved in I promised myself that I would invest in beautiful furniture and good craftsmanship. I’ve always had a passion for interiors so it’s been fun creating unique features, matching beautiful colours and coming up with design details that reflect my personality. In some instances I like to plan a design scheme, but I also like to craft spontaneously. I tend not to source accessories for rooms all in one go, I’d rather wait for things to jump out at me and shape the personality of a room in a less contrived way. I believe that every corner of my home should have some unique point of interest, or tell a story. And wherever I can I try to incorporate a chunk of my own design work into each room through my wallpaper, soft furnishings or bespoke furniture.

Working with Rachael has been an incredibly fun and enjoyable process from start to finish. She let us know exactly what she wanted and we worked together to bring her vision to life. Rachael believed in us and she had the confidence to experiment with her ideas – however crazy! – and experiment until we created exactly what she was after. The three of us were able to collaborate and use our individual skill sets for maximum impact. ~ Jess & Jules

As a designer I feel confident about creating or commissioning unusual pieces so when we moved into the house I searched far and wide to find an innovative company to help me create unique and individual pieces incorporating my own designs. I was delighted when talented designers and makers, Jess Payne and Jules Woodmore of Jess & Jules Ltd, got in touch. They both have their own skill set and are passionate about what they do so I knew that they’d be great to work with.

Our collaboration started with an idea that I had for a chest of drawers for our guest room. The vibe of the space is quite masculine and contemporary with splashes of bright colour and cool grey tones. I wanted to incorporate a small amount of my own design work without it dominating the room. I loved everything geometric at the time so this seemed a great place to start. I sent my rough notes, visuals, design files and desired colour palette to Jess and Jules and they took it from there.

Jess captured the essence of my theme perfectly and she created a striking pattern, incorporating my artwork, to decorate the main body of the drawers. There was a little back and forth as I experimented with the final art however they were really minimal changes as Jess just understood my needs so perfectly. Jules then sourced the perfect slim line drawers, matched paint colours accurately and worked her magic to up-cycle the drawers into a striking masterpiece. The drawers are fully useable and they make a really bold statement as a piece of functional art.

As I was organising the drawer project I started to dream of more bespoke pieces of furniture so I briefed in a footstool from my own yellow Sketchy Stems fabric.

Jess and Jules sell a fantastic array of components, such as hairpin legs and shaped plywood bases, so I picked my favourites and let them work their magic! The chair and sofa in our snug/TV room are quite small so it’s nice that we can put our feet up. This footstool is the perfect new addition to our home.

Next was my son Blayke’s toy box. I wanted the design to compliment the current décor in his room but also be something that would grow with him. I liked the idea of a mix and match theme that would allow me to incorporate a range of my own patterns with bold geometrics, however I wanted a slightly softer look this time so I opted for circles.

Once again Jess did a fabulous job with the design and I added some fine details. Jules then cleverly created the box from scratch including a soft closing lid and a finger guard opening. Toddlers have a knack of trashing things so they really bullet proofed it and added a great protective coating. As it’s Blayke’s toy box the most important thing is that he uses it and enjoys it. A few scuff marks here and there will only add to its charm and tell a story from his childhood.

Jess and Jules kindly drove the items up to my home and we had such a great day together. I had seen photographs of all my pieces but in real life they were more beautiful than I could have imagined. I couldn’t quite believe how sleek and streamlined the finish was.

Shortly before their visit I decided that I wanted to up-cycle an oak veneer sideboard. At the time I was renovating the old conservatory and creating an open plan extension to turn it into a more family friendly space. I had chosen Herringbone floor and knew I wanted a statement piece to compliment its beautiful pattern work. Jess got on the case and once again came up with the perfect design to complement my original patterns and specified colour palette. She really listened to my feedback and suggestions and incorporated all of the little changes.

This project was trickier as it was such a large piece of furniture and I knew it would have a real impact when you walk into the room. I toyed with numerous ideas and versions and I got there in the end with their help and patience. I actually had a happy cry when it arrived as we had just decorated the new room and it just injected a sense of bright and happy energy into our new family space.

Seeing my new furniture always brings a smile to my face and whenever my home renovations prove particularly challenging they remind me to see the fun in it all.

Next came ‘project happy accident’! I was walking back from the dentist and I spotted an usual letterpress up-cycled toy box at a local antiques store. The piece itself was a diamond in the rough and needed some serious TLC. I knew just by looking at it what I could potentially do with it and I had a vision for it: to pull it apart to create two unique side tables using all of the original elements. I snapped it up and reached out to Jess and Jules for their opinion as I really trust their eye for this sort of thing.

I found out that the piece was made in the shop especially for the Channel 4 show Find it, Fix it, Flog it. Apparently Simon O’Brien worked on it for one of the shows.

The finished letterpress tables were just everything I imagined and more: functional, practical and super stylish, and I love that there’s an interesting story behind them.

And last but not least is my oversized multi panelled lampshade. I have such eclectic taste at times and I wanted to layer up patterns within our new open plan living space so I parcelled up a variety of my own fabric designs and shipped them to Jess and Jules to work with. I just love knowing that each piece is truly one of a kind and it’s great to be able to create furniture and accessories that reflect your personality.

What can I say… I’m addicted now and I’m driving my husband a little mad with ideas for new projects! I never just settle and accept that a room is complete. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Jess and Jules and I’m always blown away by the power of collaboration.

Connect with Jess & Jules: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Give new life to old furniture

by Jess & Jules

Whether it’s a bargain you picked up in an antiques shop or a piece of furniture that’s been lying around the house for years, with a little inspiration you can create a really special and unique accessory for your home. Not sure where to start?

Here are Jess and Jules’ expert up-cycling tips…

Don’t automatically assume you need new. You may have furniture at home fit for purpose or the perfect size, which is a great starting point.
Look at how your furniture is made. Legs/knobs and fabric can be changed to create a totally new and unique look.
Take photos along the way. It’s all too easy to take something apart and forget how to put it back together.
Consider how you will be using your furniture as this often dictates what materials you need to use.
Don’t be afraid to let your imagination run wild. Dream big! Who says you can’t turn a toy box into two side tables with the right help or advice.
Source furniture from Ebay, social media sites like Facebook, your local charity shop, and friends or family – don’t worry about how it looks now, think about how it will work in your space and the potential it has.
Restyling furniture does not always mean shoddy or shabby-chic. Something as simple as a good paint job can be the difference between a sleek and stylish piece and something that looks worse than when you started.
Whether you can visualise your project or not, a design company like ours can help you make your idea a reality. Think about your own skills. What, realistically, can you achieve yourself and what will you need to outsource? With a few photos, measurements and an outline of your ideas a designer/maker will be able to give you a quote to get the ball rolling should you decide not to work on the project yourself.
Rest safe in the knowledge that you have done your bit for the environment and created a totally bespoke piece of furniture that you will love and treasure forever.
Have fun and enjoy the process. Once you start restyling furniture you’ll be hooked!

Designer Opportunity

Jess and Jules are on the hunt for new designers to join their team!

For further details about what they’re looking for, what you need to do and what you get in return visit their website and apply before midnight (GMT) January 31, 2017.

This is a fantastic opportunity not to be missed – good luck!