Home Office Tour: Kate Baxter of Fabric of My Life
Interiors stylist, writer, and publicist Kate Baxter charms us regularly with her musings over at her popular Fabric of My Life blog. Get a look at the flexible new SAYL chair now taking up residence in the flat she rents in London (and hear her thoughts on what it’s like to live in the middle of a city prepping for the world stage) in this easygoing office tour.
Tell us about yourself: What you’re passionate about, what you’re proud of, and where you’re going. Fabric of My Life is my own little corner of cyberspace where I document my favourite inspirational finds, be it interiors, homewares, fashion, or well-designed products that make me go “ooooh!” I started my blog when I was freelancing as an interiors stylist as a way of cataloguing all the things I liked in one place — but it has grown into so much more than that now. I’ve made so many great friends and connections through my blog and have had several fantastic experiences as a result of it — the best being selected this spring to take part in BlogTour NYC, a week-long design tour of Manhattan with 14 other interiors bloggers.
What inspires you in your work? Everything inspires me! Although I write mainly about interior design and homeware products, I draw inspiration from all areas of my life — friends, film and TV, magazines, being out and about in my beloved London…. The whole city is abuzz with energy just now, as we surge forward from the excitement of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations to the imminent Olympics; the whole atmosphere is simply electric. Hearing the athletes talk about their preparations for the games, their dedication, and their ambitions is so inspiring and the increasing sense that we can actually do this — put on the greatest spectacle in the world — is truly, truly exhilarating.
Tell us about your home workspace. Were there any special considerations that influenced its setup? I live in a rented flat, so my main consideration is how to fit a dedicated “workspace” into my bedroom. Luckily, I have the largest room in the house and have been able to zone off a corner to set up a mini office. This is probably where I spend most of my time, catching up on emails, blogging, scouring the Internet for inspiration. I love that I have a window next to my desk – it’s great to have natural light to work by and a little bit of greenery outside to offer a moment of quiet contemplation while waiting for the next wave of inspiration to hit. I like how long my desk is — it’s great for laying out press pack materials and samples to order my ideas for posts. I keep things (somewhat) organised with desk accessories from Ording and Reda and Muji, and surround myself with photos of my friends, mementos from trips, and images ripped from magazines to keep me inspired. I would love to have an Anglepoise work lamp, but for now, my white lamp from IKEA does the trick.
You have a new SAYL chair. How do you like it? I am incredibly lucky to have had my SAYL chair gifted to me by WellWorking, a West London-based company that provides office furniture and ergonomic solutions for the workplace and home. I was introduced to them through my blog.
The chair was chosen for me based on my answers to questions regarding my height and build and how I use my work area. Before I got my SAYL, I had an industrial-style brown leather chair that I had bought at a car-boot fair. I loved it despite it being very impractical, so I had actually been very hesitant to change chairs. But as soon as I sat in the new SAYL I was a convert. WellWorking came to my home to “install” the chair and it was adjusted to my height and my desk, meaning that from the very first time I sat down to work in it, I was the most comfortable I’ve ever been sitting at my desk. I use my chair not just for work, but for leisure, as I often sit up at my desk watching TV on my laptop. The webbed back supports me perfectly and the recline (which I’ve always hated in other chairs) is an absolute dream.
Do you have other Herman Miller pieces in your space? This is my first Herman Miller piece, and I would most certainly have more if I could. In an ideal world, I would love to have a Nelson Swag Leg Desk and an Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair. I saw the fascinating Eames: the Architect and the Painter documentary recently and would very happily have anything by Charles and Ray Eames in my home. Their design aesthetic was simply stunning.
Photos: Kate Baxter