Posted on September 16, 2022
Now in its second year, Shine House Tours is a homes and interiors day out in the Cotswolds. The event allows interiors lovers the opportunity to step inside some of the Cotswolds most stylish homes. This year the event includes a Q&A event with a group of the UK’s most prominent Homes and Interiors experts.
We are delighted that Kerryn Harper-Cuss - writer, editor, consultant and a regular facilitator at Design Week and Decorex events has agreed to chair the Panel. Kerryn will be joined by an exciting panel of contributors including Jules O’Carroll, designer and business owner of the British fabric brand Parker and Jules, known for its lively and exuberant prints. Sophie Rowell, interior designer and founder of Cote de Folk, named as one of House and Gardens rising stars, known for her considered, original and warm interiors. Justin van Breda, furniture, fabric and interiors designer known for his updated traditional aesthetic, attention to detail and dedication to craftsmanship. Rachel Cropper, expert in interior architecture and design, known for her clever and refined listed building renovation and restoration work as well as her role as Creative Director of the Stonewood Group. The venue for the discussion is the newly opened and truly fabulous trade only showroom of Dean Gipson, owner of Dean Antiques and one of the country’s leading decorative antiques Dealers.
About our panellists:
Interiors Editor Kerryn Harper-Cuss has worked on four interior magazines and edited three of these, most recently The English Home, where she was Editor-in-Chief of both its UK and US editions for 12 years.
She is passionate about craftsmanship and design with purpose, endlessly curious about the stories of makers and a champion of specialist indigenous skills both from Britain and around the globe. Writing regularly for the interiors ‘glossies’, she has chaired seminars with erudite panels of design experts at the leading interior events including Design Week at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. She is also an ambassador for QEST (the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust).
Jules O’Carroll is the co-founder of Parker and Jules a fabric and wallpaper collection that takes inspiration from England’s heritage and landscape - infusing it with modern colour. The collection’s award winning designs have quickly established the line as a popular choice for interior designers and British press alike.
Jules spent her 20's working in textile development in Italy, India and Hong Kong. Her homewear and interiors collection debuted in Liberty whilst also creating product for several high street retailers' home collections. She built on this success training in interior design at the KLC London and studying the history of European decorative arts and interiors at the Wallace Collection. Subsequently she has worked on interiors and home collections for a range of clients. This depth of experience has provided a clear vision for Parker and Jules where her maxim of ,’rhythm, repetition and surprise’ layers historical knowledge and contemporary know-how with a tuned eye for colour and scale, clearly demonstrated in the latest collection of Borders for Parker and Jules wallpaper range launching AW 2022.
After a successful 22 year career in fashion Sophie took the leap to change my career completely. After designing her own home and refurbishing two more of her own properties her raw passion for interiors was ignited. With this unconventional approach to the industry her desire is to help create beautiful, unique spaces that express her client’s personality.
She believe interior design can be for all, not just a select few, and the varied services she offers reflect that. Sophie works very much in collaboration with the homeowner in a fluid and responsive way, listening firstly to how they want to use the space and what they believe to be precious and beautiful. She also takes cues from the property itself. Thus creating authentic, unexpected, meaningful design. She looks to bespoke items, antiques and vintage finds for sustainability and to make each and every project truly unique.
They say that home is where the heart is and Sophie looks forward to helping you unlock the heart in your home.
Cape Town born, Justin Van Breda was educated in English and Politics at Stellenbosch University before turning toward the creative world of design. He studied at Design Time School of Interior Design in Cape Town before venturing to London on what was going to be a year out. In early 1999 he started working for Nicky Haslam at NH Design and within 9 months was made Creative Director – gone were ideas of ‘years out’ and his career path was set.
During late 2001 he returned to South Africa to curate his first furniture collection, pieces of which still form the backbone of the designs. The showroom was first presented as JVB in 2002 on London’s Pimlico Road, with further showrooms in South Africa and on the Lots Road in Chelsea. Now, twenty years after first hanging his shingle on Pimlico Road, Justin’s flagship showroom is situated on the prestigious King’s Road in the heart of the Chelsea Design District. Pieces from Justin Van Breda's London atelier are now housed coast to coast in America and on to the furthest parts of the globe.
The collection spans furniture, finishes, designs and fabrics, which evoke a curated yet relaxed way of living, one that distils into a modern classic design aesthetic. At its heart, each piece has an appreciation for design details - be it a gilded finish or a particular curve to a cabinet. Still working closely with Africa, Justin’s outreach and workshop programs are very close to his heart, and he has a great appreciation for the craftsmen and designers he brings together to collaborate in the name of creative endeavour.
Justin splits his time between London and Gloucestershire with his husband Alastair and his two Labradors, Margot and Maude.
Rachel Cropper Studio manages the renovation and restoration of the interior architecture and design of private client projects which includes experience of working with listed buildings. Rachel’s interiors are known for sympathetically incorporating pared back refinement in conjunction with a creative use of natural light and smart spacial arrangement.
Starting out as a professional quantity surveyor and working on large commercial projects, the budgeting and management skills necessary to ensure client expectations are met every time are second nature to Rachel. A desire to take more of a creative role and an affection for our historic British architecture, led her on a path to listed building renovation and restoration working alongside a trusted, highly skilled team of trades.
Helping friends with their interiors projects revealed a latent talent, which through training and experience, has blossomed into a consummate skill for designing carefully balanced interiors with a unique identity for which Rachel is now recognised.
Based near Bath, Rachel splits her time between her own restorations, private client projects and her Creative Director role for The Stonewood Group.