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“I don’t like our throwaway culture” – designer Orla Keily speaks out

Designer Orla Kiely is most recognised for her simple and repetitive floral print which has adorned the likes of tote bags, clothing, and home furnishings for around the last 15 years. 

Dublin born Orla began her career designing hats, which after branching out to bags and accessories also lead her into the world of interior design.  Her retro designs lend themselves perfectly to the Scandinavian style which is hugely popular today.

“Modernism had a huge impact on Kiely, 52. “Growing up in the late 60s and 70s I was very aware of modernism. And as a student in the 80s (in Dublin and London) I was always hunting out modernist vintage, and of course the Scandinavian look.” Rosie Millard from the Radio Times.

 

Orla Kiely expressed that although her designs are featured on numerous products, she hopes people who buy her items will keep them forever.  This philosophy of keeping and looking after the things we buy is something that resonates with Orla “I don’t like our throwaway culture. It’s very sad when you see sofas chucked out on the front doorstep. I love things that last. My mother would have re-covered a sofa. When I grew up, it was always about giving things a new lift. I like that.” . 

This way of thinking is one that we hope will catch on soon, as the latest figures show that around 672,000 tonnes of furniture is thrown away each year, with currently only 17% being recycled.  These figures seem even more shocking when we take into consideration the amount of CO2 needed to produce new pieces of furniture and thus the increasing strain on the planet.

It’s great to hear people of the design industry with the same philosophy as ours and we are lucky enough to even have one of Orla Kiely’s designs in our Prestige Collection.  Our Amari fabric shown below in Graphite colourway can be made into sofa covers or used to reupholster a tired piece of furniture.

If you would like to give a beloved item of furniture a new lease of life then why not speak to one of expert Home Consultants by contacting us today  for a FREE no obligation quotation.

Joanna Whitworth
Home Decor enthustiast and employee of Plumbs Loose Covers and Reupholstery.
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UK-wide service
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Made-to-measure
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Free in-home consultation
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Over 800 fabrics
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