Our exclusive chat with top interior stylist and author Jennifer Haslam…
“I’d noticed a shift in interior styling trends from very finished, polished homes to much warmer, more rustic, more natural feeling aesthetics: … But as I got talking to people I realised it wasn’t just about the look, there was a real ethic behind it too…”
Jennifer Haslam is one of the leading interior stylists in the UK, styling and writing for magazines such as Living etc, Homes & Gardens, and The Saturday Telegraph, and styling for a vast array of interior and design clients including Heal’s, Habitat, Waitrose and John Lewis.
Her new book The New Naturals – Inspired Interiors for Sustainable Living draws readers into 18 global homes that put well-being and environment first, from renovated Victorian London homes to Italian summer houses and Australian new builds – and one stunning Devonshire cottage featuring a kitchen by Naked Kitchens.
We chatted to Jennifer about the book, sustainable living, and what makes a great kitchen…
Tell us a little about your background and career as an interior stylist…
I’ve always been interested in the arts and visual imagery, even as a teenager I would have pulled out magazine adverts from the likes of Vogue, and put these on my wall as posters, but I didn’t think about how those images were created until I started my degree, where I was studying Fashion Design. Through that process I met a few photography students who introduced me into the world of styling. I started working in the uni holidays at a photography studio, where I realised that all these sets that photographers shoot have to be created by someone, and I thought, that could be me!
My first paid styling job was actually filling fridges and freezers for Argos catalogue shoots, after which I got into room set design for a studio. Our method was to emulate aspirational editorial images for commercial clients and I quickly decided I wanted to create those editorial images myself which led me to taking an internship with Wallpaper magazine, and then moving to Living etc. I was employed there in various roles for a decade, learning the industry and everything about how interior styling works. I’m now freelance, which is perfect as it means I can enjoy working with both commercial and editorial clients producing a variety of shoots.
Your new book The New Naturals features beautiful homes from around the world that prioritise well-being and the environment: ‘inspired interiors for sustainable living’. What does ‘sustainable living’ mean in the context of the home?
The New Naturals encompasses a very broad range of approaches to sustainability, from simple, accessible things that anyone can do in their current home – decorating with natural paints, choosing second hand furniture pieces and so on – right up to innovative architectural projects like super energy-efficient Passivhaus homes, and low-carbon homes made from locally sourced timber instead of concrete.
How did you come to write the book – and what was the experience like?
In my editorial work I love to feature well-made, built-to-last items by small businesses and craftspeople, so sustainability is an area I’m very interested in. What prompted the idea for the book was that I’d noticed a shift in interior styling trends from very finished, polished homes to much warmer, more rustic, more natural feeling aesthetics: exposed timber beams, exposed stone, Tadelakt plastering and so on. But as I got talking to people I realised it wasn’t just about the look, there was a real ethic behind it too: a consideration about health, wellbeing and the environment, and an emphasis on connecting buildings to their local landscapes and natural surroundings.
Visually I knew the imagery would look beautiful in the context of a book, but the depth of the homeowners knowledge and the ideas felt like an interesting concept to explore in a book, and my publishers were enthusiastic... Possibly a little too enthusiastic as it was a whirlwind project with just a year from pitch to publication! In that time I had to cram in an awful lot of research, talking to people and learning technical things on the go. It also became a global project – there are homes from across the world in The New Naturals.
One of the homes features a kitchen designed and built by Naked Kitchens and styled by you. Can you tell us a little about that project?
It’s an old Devonshire cottage with a beautiful, sensitive restoration. Anya and Henry – the owners – stripped the property back to its bones, to eradicate issues with damp and mould and in putting it back, researched absolutely every single thing they introduced into the house building project: the materials, where they came from, the sustainability and the quality. They wanted well-made things, and with the Naked Kitchen that handcrafted element really comes through.
It also has such clever use of colours: dark green, aubergine and mustard yellow. It feels contemporary but also has a traditional, rural feel that fits with the cottage.
What makes a great kitchen design?
A great kitchen is above all well thought-out and practical, fit for its everyday purpose. Looks-wise, it should complement the rest of the interiors rather than jar with it.
One of the things I love about Naked Kitchens is the way they work in both modern and traditional homes. The handcrafted quality is timeless and the specific Naked Kitchens’ colour palette, which draws inspiration from the Norfolk countryside, has a beautiful, earthy, natural quality to it. It only takes a tiny tweak to a green for example and suddenly it doesn’t have that connection to nature, but the Naked Kitchens colours really hit that spot.
Can you give some practical tips for how people can bring more sustainability into their homes and everyday domestic lives?
In The New Naturals I’m very keen to emphasise that sustainable living doesn’t have to be about huge, radical ‘Grand Designs’-style projects, and although I have covered those types of inspirational properties, I wanted there to be homes in there which offered ideas that everyone can do.
The most accessible choice is buying vintage, existing pieces, or if new, then well-crafted items that will stand the test of time. There are amazing pieces to be found online, often low cost or even free on the likes of Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and Freecycle.
You can afford to be patient: twenty years ago when people bought a house the thought was "Oh we must go to IKEA and buy everything now!” But you don’t have to buy everything all at once; you can wait for the right vintage or second hand piece to come up. Or update a piece you already have. Before you buy something, ask yourself if you really love it and need it. And when you no longer want something, make sure it goes to a good home, not just the tip.
Other simple things you can do include decorating with natural paints and finishes such as clay plaster. Even just switching to natural cleaners and washing tablets is a great step towards sustainable living.
Finally, what are you working on next?
It’s been a very, very busy year, so what I’d really like is a bit of a rest! Ha ha, but with a busy diary ahead for 2024,and some exciting projects I’m not yet able to mention, there will be plenty I’ll be working on, with a style-filled year ahead!
The New Naturals – Inspired Interiors for Sustainable Living is published in hardback by Hardie Grant and can be bought here.
See more of Jennifer’s work at www.jenniferhaslamstylist.com and follow her on Instagram @Jenhaslamstylist
Image credits:
- Simon Bevan
- Home owners Praktyka Project click here for more information @rural_office
@Jenhaslamstylist - Jennifer Haslam
