NI designer Katie Larmour: “I am so pleased that my products mean so much to so many people”

“As a promotional model in the Noughties I had promoted just about every product and event in Northern Ireland, so by 2013 I decided I wanted to have my own brand.”

Katie’s high-end decorations, cushions and other products are part of the Irish linen revival at home and around the world.

From small beginnings, Katie’s decorations are now stocked in more than 200 stores, including everywhere from Titanic Belfast and National Trust venues to the National Museums of Ireland, and in Britain, plus internationally in New York, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Toronto, Sydney, Zurich and Paris.

Her entrepreneurial journey began when she studied fine and applied art at what is now Ulster University.

She specialised in ceramics but, through various jobs outside modelling, including selling antiques, fell in love with vintage textiles.

“I started collecting vintage and antique textiles and made them into cushions and sold them.

“Then in 2016 I decided to turn up at 1stDibs’ offices in New York and they accepted me as a dealer.

“And because I was making one-of-a-kind cushions using rare, vintage Hermès and Cartier scarves, I was included in Create at Brown Thomas in Dublin, which was lots of fun. And I’ve had my scarf cushions gracing the shop floor of Harrods too.”

Over the years, Katie’s designs have also been picked up by A-listers and even royalty, but she was keeping tight-lipped about names when the Belfast Telegraph visited her home studio.

“I am so pleased that my products mean so much to so many people,” she says.

“I often get emails from customers who have come across my decorations at the Giant’s Causeway and then, when they get back home to the States or wherever, they find my website and see so many more they want.

“I love when a customer writes to me saying how their family members loved [my products] and an explanation comes through about a tennis racquet for Dad, a pram for a friend’s newborn, a champagne bottle and diamond for an engagement gift, a starfish to go in a coastal holiday home.”

On why Katie’s major focus is on decorations, she says she’s a crafter at heart.

“I am just a crafter really. I love sitting at home making and creating things. I dabbled in different products, including quilts, and had lots of linen scrap fabric left over that I didn’t want to throw out.

“This was before everyone understood the importance of sustainability and had their eyes opened up as to how to improve their businesses and processes.

“So I had this heap of material and thought about what I could use it for. I got my offcuts together and came up with the idea of doing Christmas decorations.

“Over the years, I have found that I want to streamline rather than expand my business, and while I want to grow, I have learned how to say no to things.”

Katie launched her festive decorations line in 2019 with just five designs. Through support from seamstresses and embroiderers in Belfast and India, her collection today includes more than 400 different decorations.

Collaborations with local organisations include the Grand Opera House and collections for Dromoland Castle Hotel and Royal Botanic Kew Gardens, among others, adding to an impressive client list.

“I really enjoy working on projects that are close to home and meaningful.

“Titanic Belfast stocks my anchors and other lines, which makes me very happy, and I was so thrilled the National Trust wanted to carry my stock. They have such strong values, so to get the green light from them was a real achievement.”

Katie (40) is always surprised when organisations find her through social media, having grown up before these sites were key drivers of business.

“I don’t even remember to post every day and I don’t have a big presence, so I have been really taken aback by people approaching me for collaborations and bespoke lines after they found me on Instagram.

“I haven’t focused on it because I focused on wholesale, but it is lovely to find that people discover my work in different ways.”

The popularity of the products depends on the market, but signature linen with gold and silver threading makes them recognisable as Katie’s work.

Irish symbols, such as trinity knots, the triple-spiral triskelion, harps, horseshoes, Celtic crosses and the map of Ireland, are among customer favourites.

In Belfast, the Giants Causeway, the Harland & Wolff cranes, pints of stout and whiskey bottle decorations do well with locals and tourists wanting to post a little luxury something home to family and friends.

And coming up to Christmas, elves, polar bears and nutcrackers are a hit.

“There has been a real Irish linen revival — there is an interest in that. I am so thrilled to be part of the Linen Biennale.

“A festival for Irish linen shows there is interest out there and people wanting to explore the textile. And so many artists are now using the textile too.”

Busy Katie shares her life with husband Karl, who works in fintech, and their two children, Finn (2) and one-year-old Axel.

“Life is crazy. It is rewarding and I am learning new things.

“Juggling everything has been quite challenging. They [Katie’s kids] are my inspiration as well.

“When the babies wake me up in the middle of the night I sometimes find myself drawing once they get back to sleep, so energy comes at haphazard times of the day.

“I have been so inspired by reading their bedtime story books. I created the frog, squirrel, fox, rabbit and other creature decorations that pop up in books.

“They have so much fun coming into my studio and they help me collect oak leaves, walnut husks and avocado stones to use for natural dye colours.”

On top of getting married during the pandemic, as well as life with “the babies, the house and a flourishing textiles business”, Katie was a judge on the recent series of the BBC’s A Stitch Through Time and completed a short course at Belfast Metropolitan College last year because her love of ceramics has never left and she was told “it is the place” for ceramics at present.

“The college is great,” she says.

“I had so much fun going back to ceramics.”

Katie also had a happy coincidence recently when her range of pink decorations came to market while the smash-hit Barbie film was taking over cinemas.

“It was never intended, as my things are a slow process from sketching to getting them made. I had really cute little mini quilted handbags that were pink.

“I paired them with Barbie dolls for a shoot for social media, so Barbie modelled my ice skating boot, tennis racquet and umbrella.

“It rains so much here, so of course Belfast Barbie had an umbrella in the height of summer.”

For more information on Katie Larmour Linen, visit katielarmour.com