27th September 2023
At home with Kate
The moment you drive through the gate, you’re aware that you’re somewhere special. ‘Special’ not in terms of size of home or beauty of the landscape, but more that this truly is a home, and Kate’s home - entirely reflective of her, her family and their story.
If blindfolded and taken along to Kate’s home with no idea who’s house it was, I’d probably have guessed it was hers (and not because I might have spied her in photos on the walls). When a home is inextricably and undeniably someone’s, that’s when it’s worth having a wander around to learn more about the individual. So, in wanting to share with you more about Kate, the founder of Kate Barton, (and to avoid doing so in the usual Q&A type approach), that’s just what I did..
Church Farm has been Kate and Niall’s home for 28 years. After an initial 12 long years of extensive renovations, and with 5 children along the way, this really is the mothership where it all happens - including where the idea for Kate Barton was born and where the creative studio is based.
Stepping foot in the house is an explosion for the senses. Colour, pattern and textures collide. Smell too - there’s always something bubbling away in the Aga, so don’t worry if you’re feeling hungry - there’ll be plenty. The faint scent of washing powder draws you to the old fashioned clothes rail cleverly sat high up in the eaves, out of sight, yet in the direct line of the heat from the Aga. “I absolutely hate dryers. They are a fortune to run, they punish the environment and I don’t think they are particularly kind to our clothes. I want things to last.”
Consciousness about waste is somewhat of a recurring theme with Kate. It’s true, her resourcefulness is apparent everywhere you look in her home. An old plant pot for kitchen utensils, hand-made cushion covers using fabric remnants, or traditional Indian quilts repurposed as window treatments.
“My absolute favourite is my cushion made from a treasured Gujarati wedding dress. I wanted to see it every day, so now that it sits here in my kitchen, I get to do just that.” Not much is being used as its original purpose had intended. Kate has passed her ‘quilts as curtains’ tip to many a visitor to Church Farm - using quilts attached to cafe clips to create a cost effective, warm, yet flexible alternative to curtains.“I take them down in the summer to let more light in, and I change them around for fun every now and again when I feel the urge - quilts that are on the backs of sofas exchange places with the ones in the windows and vice versa. I love having a reshuffle!”
This repurposing and reusing continues as we stroll through the house. Not much looks as though it has been bought new. Every element has a story - either passed down, made by a friend, painted by the children, a birthday gift - all wonderful layers to Kate’s story. Pointing to the seemingly cluttered ledge above the fire, Kate appears to read my mind “I know it might look like chaos up there but everything on that mantel is meant to be there.” And, it’s obviously true as she proceeds to tell the tales of the antique china from her grandmother, Niall’s Glastonbury hat, the stuffed, clothed fox (a teddy bear, not the real deal, thankfully..).
There are a few unexpected things as we continue on. In any other house the odd bit of IKEA or Habitat would be perfectly normal and lovely, but in this home, where everything has a story, this could feel jarring. Somehow it doesn’t though. A couple of IKEA rugs seamlessly blend in amongst hand-painted walls, past generation family portraits and inherited antiques. The fake flowers cause an audible draw of breath. “Oh, don’t be a snob. If you buy good ones, they look amazing and they’re more sustainable than buying fresh flowers all the time.” Cleverly done, I notice that the ‘flowers’ are sitting in a glass vase of water. “Simple, but it tricks people every time!”
There is a fluidity between Kate’s home and her design process. “I’m always surprised by how much of my design inspiration actually comes without me leaving the house.” Looking around, I can see why. We chat about the inspiration behind the printed needlecord in the latest Autumn Winter collection, which came from a vintage French quilt. It’s not just confined to the house, inspiration comes from stepping outside the doors of Church Farm too. “Walking through the garden this morning, I passed the Cosmos I have in pots and I’m now obsessing over that beautiful deep carmine colour with a pink trim for Autumn Winter 24. I can picture it in needlecord - I’m excited already.”
This sums Kate up for me. Life is full and busy, time is precious, norms can be dull and she looks at the world creatively, considerately and freely. Kate designs for life.
We hope you enjoy her new collection.
Written by Lizzy Lee
Lizzy is our resident writer at Kate Barton. With over 25 years experience working in branding and marketing, in both London and New York; Lizzy and family are now happily settled in the countryside, 5 minutes down the road from Church Farm. On a bike, you could pretty much free wheel downhill from Kate’s to Lizzy’s house. In reverse, it’s less fun.
