William Whiteley

For a new edition of our Friday Five interviews, we are really pleased to introduce Rachel Edmonds. Rachel is an award-winning interior and furniture designer and has used her skill and passion to create her blog, Raspberry Flavoured Windows.

What inspired you to start Raspberry Flavoured Windows?

As long as I can remember I have had a love for all things creative. I’ve always been a maker of things. I’m fascinated by how things are put together and a believer that when you put your mind to it you can achieve pretty much anything you want to. I also love talking or should I say writing. I love words. And so in 2018 after losing my job in the furniture industry I found myself at a loss to express myself and that’s why I created Raspberry Flavoured Windows. A place to share what I know in a light-hearted, possibly at times overly wordy creative space.

What is your current favourite interior trend?

Ah, I’m afraid I am not a follower of trends. I believe a home should reflect the personalities of those who live within its four walls. A trend for me lacks in diversity, it becomes a one size fits all approach. No two homes are the same, nor the individual people in those homes and yet we are all encouraged to buy into the same trends.

Just as we get creative with our wardrobes wearing clothes that reflect not only our moods but embody who we are I believe we should do the same with our homes. Our homes should take us through a range of sensory emotions suited to that particular room and it’s given task and no one trend can encompass that huge range of requirements.

What inspires your home interior style?

Now this is a tricky one, and one I’m often asked. I can’t actually completely put my finger on it to be fair. It’s a warm fuzzy feeling I get when I connect with something. And that something can literally be anything. From the memory of enjoying a cup of coffee in an Italian Piazza with the person I love to a particular shade of green that catches my eye as I wander through a wooded glade. I’m a bit of a romantic at heart and it’s the things I connect with most that inspire me.

I also have a rather dry sense of humour and tend not to conform to the norm with anything I do and this tends to makes its way into my interior style too. I love room designs that garner a reaction. Be it a smile or a raised eyebrow, I don’t mind what that reaction is good or bad just so long as I don’t fit into the bland category. Because as I always say, life is way too short for vanilla!

What are your essential tools for upholstery?

Upholstery wise I cannot be without a good quality pair of scissors and my staple remover. A simple tool but boy does it make life all the more easy when stripping a piece. I also love my electric staple gun which speeds up the whole process beyond measure and tends to be more accurate than a hand stapler too.

You can find Rachel’s website at www.raspberryflavouredwindows.com and follow her on Instagram at @raspberry_flavoured_windows