Simion Hawtin-Smith on designer Susi Bellamy

Simion Hawtin-Smith loves the luxurious, intricately patterned fabrics created by Susi Bellamy

I’ve often said that it’s the stories behind  the pieces of furniture I work on that provide the inspiration for my fabric choices. Narratives such as where a chair has been in situ, or the previous owner’s life. Most of the time I’ll source and pick a new fabric to cover a chair based on its environmentally friendly construction or style. Not only do I love the stories behind the chairs themselves, but to have a beautiful tale about the fabric on top is the perfect combination.

This is why I’m so drawn to the fabrics produced by artist and designer Susi Bellamy. Susi works from Cobalt Studios in Newcastle and with her background in art and fashion she produces some wonderful designs. It’s clear from her time spent in Italy that she draws a heavy influence from the Renaissance period, while the intricate nature of her designs are down to her sharp eye, honed from when she worked as a fashion editor at Conde Nast alongside photography legends David Bailey and Norman Parkinson.

Each of her artworks are digitally transferred on to velvet, cotton, linen, silk or wallpaper. Her designs work perfectly for mid-century furniture, giving chairs a modern lift, but they also enhance Victorian, art deco and other period pieces too.

I’ve used Susi’s Malachite marbled velvet in a gorgeous green on my signature Parker Knoll Statesman 1970s chair. I’ve also covered a Parker Knoll Ambassador chair with her Peacock Bouquet velvet. One of my all-time favourite makeovers was restoring a set of four 1960s G Plan Fresco dining chairs, designed by Victor Bramwell Wilkins. I covered these with the Carnelian marbled velvet and the design always makes me think of Jimi Hendrix and his associated psychedelic images.

I am super-impressed with her work and it has been great to watch her designs go from strength to strength since I first saw her at interior design show Decorex. I just wish I had the skill to produce something as wonderful myself!