Tales From the Drawing Room

LAURA JACKSON

Tales from the Drawing Room: Laura Jackson

Laura Jackson is a British broadcaster, columnist and the co-founder and Creative Director of Glassette, a platform curating homeware from the UK’s best independent brands

You’re the co-founder and creative director of a hugely successful brand that we love- Glassette, a platform that brings together the best homeware brands in the UK, which we are thrilled to be a part of. Tell us a bit about how the idea to create Glassette was born and how it came to be.

The idea was born in lockdown after struggling to find one platform for all my interior needs. The market was fragmented and I wanted to create a platform that aggregated all the places to buy homeware. I wanted the platform to narrate the products, with brand and community at the heart of it. Like a Food52, but for interiors. Shop and storytelling: it's not just a marketplace. We wanted the look and feel to be aspirational but inclusive and have real personality. We are just at the start but we are building a culture defining a brand that we are super proud of.

What gets you inspired and where do you look for inspiration when it comes to decorating?

It's cheesy to say but everything is inspiring to me, I love colours, textures and shapes - I get quite inspired when building lego with the kids! For decorating I love hotels and restaurants as they are functional spaces with lots of footfall - so they need to be durable, but they also need to be aesthetically pleasing. We are a family of 6 so having the house like a newly wed couple on IG with no kids isn't my reality. Things are messy and chaotic so it needs to be practical - but still have a little of me in there

What is your favourite space in your home and why?

My kitchen is the hub of the house - and we all gather around the kitchen table every chance we get. It's a serene space with lots of plants that look over the garden, but it's also the most 'used' room and always full of people. From corners of quiet on the little kitchen sofa, to chaos around the cooker - it has it all.

What are your top tips to add character to a space?

Add in vintage and second hand - they create layers as well as stories.

Has your style evolved over the years? If so, how?

Yes - kids! Three kids and a dog means we have to live functionally and practically. We don't have 'coffee table books' on the coffee tables, or even flowers! Unless we want them drawn on or the petals all over the floor. Even lighting a candle on the console hall table will get blown out to the tune of happy birthday. But, I wouldn't change it for the world - the house is full of joy and laughter - and a little mess.

You share our same passion for entertaining and tablescaping. What are your absolute must-have items for a summer tablescape?

Yes - I love setting the table, even for a crumpet! It's my form of self care. My go-to's are coloured glassware, a ceramic vase for flowers or herbs, a cheque table cloth and striped napkins, all from Glassette, of course.

Tell us something about you that people don’t know about.

I love whales, I have 178 'holiday saves' on my IG and never shave my legs. That's three. You're welcome.

What are you currently reading - listening - watching?

I am listening to Fipp radio, I have just started 'Still life' but with the kids it's finding the time to read, and I am watching The Bear