Interior designer Zara Bolingbroke-Kent is the brains behind Bombay Sprout, the fabric company specialising in traditional Indian dhurrie rugs with a contemporary twist. We caught up with Zara to talk about interiors, ancient Mughal designs and Instagram...
Why and how did Bombay Sprout come about?
Bombay Sprout came about through my inability to source rugs of the right size and design when I was doing design projects.. I took myself off to India and found myself in the deserts outside Jaipur. This is where I met my wonderful weavers, who I have worked with for nearly 16 years.
How do you go about creating new designs or products?
Some of the designs are ancient Mughal designs that we have re-coloured. Our new designs are very inspired by Indian designs and also the Ottoman Empire.
What’s your personal favourite Bombay Sprout design?
My favourite design is the Carnation Design (above), a classic floral design that's works in both traditional and contemporary interiors.
Bombay Sprout's Murgal Marigold fabric collection
Tell us about your own background in interior design...
I have been doing interior design since I was 21 (24 years ago!) and I was very inspired by my upbringing. We were fortunate to travel a lot and my parents loved buying antiques and beautiful paintings.
How do you see the role of lighting in interior design?
Imperative. It can make or break a room. I am a lover of occasional lighting and standard lamps. So many public places are so badly lit, and for me this sets the atmosphere.
Social media gives designers a chance to see their products in situ in people’s homes. Have you seen any favourite examples of people using Bombay Sprout in their interiors?
I have so enjoyed seeing our rugs in such a diverse collection of interiors. We have had a very traditional room with a really modern Dhurrie and it looks wonderful (below).
What’s the most enjoyable thing about running Bombay Sprout?
I love what I do. The whole design aspect is something I am extremely passionate about and I love working in India and bringing the joy of their colours to different audiences around the world. It is such an inspirational country on so many levels and I can't wait to take my young children out there next year.
Find out more about Bombay Sprout and shop their fabulous fabrics on their website. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook. In the new year we’ll be running a special competition with Bombay Sprout. Make sure you follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date.
