Rachel Powell‘s bold, bright prints have a childlike innocence and make me smile every time I see them. Having bumped into Rachel many times on the design circuit, we decided it was about time we sat down for a proper natter about her work. Here’s what we talked about…
What’s the most important thing to know about you?
I love what I do, it sounds clichéd, but it has always been super important to me to get up in the morning and be excited about the day ahead – I’m a glass half full kind of person.
Describe a really good day and a really bad day in the life of Rachel Powell.
A really good day starts with a ride out on my horse, rain or shine, it’s valuable thinking space for me, then coming home and putting my scruffy printing clothes on before starting a day in the studio printing. Being up to my neck in ink and mess with the radio on, is when I am at my happiest.
A bad day is when I feel uninspired and struggle to get my ideas down on paper, when nothing flows, nothing looks right and I am tearing my hair out. Luckily those days don’t happen very often. I refuse to put a design on screen or into production unless I am bouncing off the walls about it – anything less just will not do and that quality alone drives me bonkers sometimes!
What inspires your ideas?
My home – living in a slightly dilapidated cottage that has a brilliant 1970s avocado bathroom suite which I refuse to part with, Formica kitchen units and a retro dormant water heater on the kitchen wall. It fuels my inspiration from two perspectives: the retro features and its cosmetic imperfection. I always design with this house in mind, whether it is taking inspiration from its features or designing things that will complement them. I think it’s fate that we stumbled upon it. I even have my studio in an outhouse I converted.
My new Nellie print was a small Luigi Colani money box that I have at home. It’s a bright yellow one. I knew I wanted to do a really cool elephant print and it was really simple. It was a really easy process and was designed extremely quickly. But it looks beautiful and I love it.
If that was an easy process, what does your normal design process look like?
I guess it depends on the product, with my etched veneer lighting, for example, it was a happy accident at university – the laser cutter had accidentally etched too deep and I just happened to hold it up to the light so I could see it better and caught the sun shining through it. Prior to that, I had no clear idea of what I was going to do with the etched veneer at all – which is why I always think experimentation is so important, you never know what’s going to happen! I like that unpredictability, perhaps not ideal but it works for me. I live for the ‘eurika’ moment!
What advice would you give to an aspiring surface designer?
Be yourself, be original. Don’t try to be like somebody else, create your own visual identity and put your own personal stamp on design. Experiment, play and step outside your comfort zone. Do your research and get to know the industry. Use your time constructively and be prepared to put in long hours and hard work.
Which three things could you not live without?
My iPhone (who could, right?!), my toaster and my 1970s Holmgaard lamp base – it was love at first sight!
What are you most proud of?
My personal and academic achievements as a designer. My art teacher wouldn’t give me a reference for art school when I was 16 so every time I create something beautiful or I land a big account I feel very proud, and admittedly slightly smug!
And, finally, what’s your favourite colour?!
Mustard yellow. Is that a really unprofessional way of describing a colour!? Anyway, I love it.
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- interview :: seven gauge studios
- interview :: the cookie bros
- interview :: charlotte kingsnorth
- interview :: stitch by stitch
