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Divan inspiration
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Bored of the same furnishings? We speak to Eleanor Young, a Glasgow textile designer and re-upholsterer who enjoys giving unloved items a new look
WE SAW YOU George Miller 48, production designer/musician, Glasgow
The specs I found on eBay My knitted tie is from a secondhand shop in Dunfermline called Penny Lane.
The trousers are from Topman, the shoes are TK Maxx, the bag is from Urban Outfitters.
My haircut is quite often done by myself.
The shirt is Hardy Amies – when they had a shop on George Street [Edinburgh]. It’s called ‘the Jagger’, but that’s not why I bought it. The cardigan is Hardy Amies too – it’s Crimplene which means it’s warm in summer, and cold in winter.
My overcoat is also Hardy Amies, vintage from the 60s, and bought in Armstrong’s.
24 THE LIST 17 Feb–3 Mar 2011
How did you get started? I graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 2007 having studied textile design. I’ve always had the intention to produce my own designs, however I didn’t have the confidence or practical knowledge to jump straight in. It was only after various work placements that I had the skills to turn my ideas into a business [Fun Makes Good] and I began in 2009.
Where do you find the furniture you work on? A lot of the pieces have been found on the street before the weekly bulk uplift. Huge numbers of unwanted chairs get left out, when all that’s really needed is a clean-up and a bit of imagination. It’s great when you find something really unusual to work on. It’s got to the point now where friends tell me where they have seen something that I should go and pick up. Most of the pieces given to me to re-
upholster are hand-me-downs from relatives which have been kept in the family for years. What I find interesting is removing all the layers of existing upholstery – they hint to the styles of the periods before. We discovered the original fabric for a chair, three layers down, had the same colour scheme as the new design I had created. Purely a coincidence, but quite fitting. Is there a job you’d love to be commissioned to do? I’d love to fit out a whole
room for a boutique hotel or lounge. I’d really like to work with someone who wasn’t afraid to use colour, pattern and scale across all of their furniture.
Where do you draw your influences from in your textiles? A lot of abstract architectural shapes feature in my work. There are so many influential architects and iconic buildings in the world, even in Glasgow – you cant help but be inspired. Recently I’ve been playing with origami and bringing bird motifs into my patchwork. I like to play around with shapes and colour and fit pieces together like a jigsaw.
Describe a typical day. . . Generally I start with a cup of tea! I check emails and update the Fun Makes Good Facebook page. If I have a new commission I begin sketching ideas and consider colour combinations. I source fabrics, before doing a scale mock-up on the computer. I try to use as much locally–produced fabric as possible, such as Bute wool, Harris tweed and local leathers. It’s important to use and promote these resources. The afternoon can be anything from making my smaller products [Young also makes and accessories] or going out on a chair hunt! Every day is different and quite often unpredictable, which is why I love doing what I do. jewellery
www.funmakes good.co.uk