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At Sorbet Living, we’re drawn to designs rooted in place, shaped by hand and made with meaning. This summer, we’re pleased to welcome a selection of cushions by London-based textile designer Sophie Harpley. Featuring hand-painted prints in soft linen, the beautiful pieces bring the relaxed charm and heritage of Sophie’s brushstrokes to all styles of interiors.
Sophie Harpley grew up among floral fabrics of her Victorian childhood home, discovering the joy of pattern and craft as she helped her mum style curtains and clothes from Laura Ashley and Liberty cloth. After earning an MA in Graphic Arts from Bristol in 2012 and honing her love of art and decorative design at the V&A Museum, she launched her eponymous studio and combined painting, illustration commissions and design partnerships. Her distinctive loose, painterly style now forms the heart of her collection of sustainable wallpapers, textiles, cushions, and homewares – with designs inspired by a beautiful blend of modernist art, nature and Mediterranean travels.
Sophie’s studio practice is quiet and intentional, just like her designs. In this thoughtful Q&A, she shares her reflections on Italian influences, creative motherhood, the importance of connection, and how she keeps spontaneity at the heart of her work.
We loved the Instagram postcards from your recent trip to Sicily. Did the destination spark inspiration for your future designs?
“Absolutely! I’ve always been really inspired by Italy. My great grandma was Italian, so I never met her but stories have been passed down which creates a mystery and nostalgia around the whole idea of Italy for me. I first travelled there as a teenager and immediately felt a sense of connection. I’ve since travelled back numerous times, always exploring a new area. The colours capture my attention immediately – all those faded pastel shades reminiscent of frescos or gelato. Our trip to Sicily was based on the southernmost tip of the island, known for its baroque architecture. There were decorative details everywhere – a feast for the eyes. We stayed in quite a rural location which was full of lemon trees and bright mediterranean flora. There’s always been a little nod to Italy in my work and previous trips to Amalfi, Liguria, Abruzzo, Puglia and Tuscany have all inspired me.”
Your signature style celebrates imperfection and visible brushstrokes – what drew you to a freehand approach, and how do you embrace ‘happy accidents’?
“The way I work with paint is quite experimental, I have a spontaneous style and paint freely, almost like sketching with a brush. To me it is what comes naturally and the excitement to translate an idea onto paper means I just want to paint fast and fluidly, bringing energy to the design. I’ve learned to embrace my natural handwriting, because you can only be you! But I also believe that hand-painted homewares bring so much character to an interior. I think that being able to see the human touch in my work is what makes it relatable to others. People are not perfect and in an age of looming AI it feels evermore important to me to celebrate the uniqueness that only a human hand can bring. I’m trained in graphic design, I know how to make things very neatly if I want to – but I instinctively rail against it.”
If we found you in the studio on a working day, what would you be listening to while you create? Music, audio book, podcast or peaceful silence?
“I quite often listen to podcasts or an audiobook. I love hearing about the lives of other creatives. Up With The Lark is a great podcast. Otherwise I’ll play something chilled and jazzy, especially if I’m painting.”
How do you hope people will feel, when they see your designs in their home?
“Uplifted.”
You had your daughter during lockdown and relaunched your design studio shortly after. What are some of your favourite creative activities to do with your little girl?
“Drawing! We draw together all the time. She starts drawing as soon as she wakes up and as soon as she gets home from school. She has really reminded me of the joy of regular practice and not being precious about creating, just getting stuck straight in and trying out ideas. As adults we often get ‘blank page syndrome’ and put things off or get stuck in perfectionism. Seeing how uninhibited children are is just wonderful and our kitchen table is never without pots of pens, pencils and paper read to go.”
We love your ‘Studio Stories’ website feature! How important is it for you to connect with other creatives? Do you find social media is a good tool for this?
“Thank you! My newsletter and blog (Studio Stories) are a bit like a diary I suppose – I find it a reflective exercise to sit down every month or two and ponder what there is to report. It is also a nice way to connect with others who share some of my creative interests. I often get personal replies to my newsletter because it’s obvious I write it myself and that’s something that bigger businesses just can’t replicate – a genuinely personal service and approach to everything. Social media can certainly be a good way to connect with others too – but I am also enjoying the resurgence of real ‘face to face’ meetings within my industry too. When you work alone it’s nice to remember you are also part of something bigger – with lots of lovely clients and contemporaries to ‘talk shop’ with. Having now been in the creative industries in London for almost two decades, I’ve met a lot of interesting people. The ‘Creative Friends’ part of my blog came about from this – I have just always been fascinated to learn how other creatives got where they are. People who’ve forged their own path always have interesting stories to tell, are knowledgeable and determined.”
“At a time of uncertainty across the creative industries, what words of advice or encouragement would you give to emerging designers hoping to start their own studio or launch a collection?”
“Practice, be patient, learn from every failure and knockback. Ask yourself what your values are and stay true to them.”
You can find Sophie’s cushions in our summer collection.
By Amy Tarrant.
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