Newmor is well known for promoting British design and craftsmanship - its wallcoverings are made here in the UK and specified in projects across the world. So, it came as an unexpected surprise when they were tagged on social media post by Kookiwood, a vintage furniture restorer.
We caught up with MD David Johnston, to find out what got the team so super excited, he said, “It is a genuine delight to see our wallcoverings being reimagined by a true artisan. We promote artists through our designer collection, but we never expected to see our wallcoverings used in furniture restoration.”
Kayleigh Andrews, the creative force behind Kookiwood began upcycling furniture in 2019 when she bought her first home. She didn't want to settle for budget options like IKEA but couldn't afford anything she liked of style and quality, so began upcycling pieces for herself.
With over a 150k followers on Instagram, she explained how her hobby turned into a fulfilling business, “I fell in love with the process and began selling my pieces online. In 2020, I left my 8-year career in the Royal Air Force to pursue upcycling full-time.
“I specialise in high-quality materials, including designer wallpapers. My pieces are a captivating fusion of striking design and exemplary craftsmanship, where vintage charm meets modern innovation. Picture walnut cocktail cabinets adorned with bespoke geometric gold accents, and interiors decoupaged with luxurious wallpapers.
“I first discovered Newmor while scrolling Pinterest and was instantly drawn to their Savoy Starburst design. As a big fan of Art Deco, I knew it would be the perfect finishing touch for one of my cabinets. I love that Newmor is a family-run business manufacturing in the UK. Their commitment to quality and craftsmanship was evident from the start. They were incredibly accommodating, customising the wallpaper to fit my exact measurements and providing digital proofs for my review. The final product surpassed my expectations. The metallic gold finish is truly stunning, and the wallpaper's quality and thickness are unmatched. It was a pleasure working with Newmor, and I'm thrilled with how the wallpaper helped to transform my cabinet.”
Newmor's commitment to manufacturing in the UK is admirable. It's a testament to the quality and craftsmanship that can be achieved when production is local.
Kayleigh Andrews adds, “I try to prioritise using brands and products from British Independent businesses so I’m very happy that I discovered them! But I am curious if Newmor add a special coating on their wallpaper, as I’ve never encountered wallpaper as durable. I typically need to apply multiple layers of varnish, but I didn't feel the need to use any varnish with the Newmor Savoy Starburst design.”
The Starburst cabinet is Kayleigh’s most ambitious and complex design to date. The intricate piece required countless rolls of tape and countless hours of meticulous work. It’s clearly a real labour of love, which you can see in the timelapse video she created here.
David Johnson said, “We get super excited when we meet talented artisans like Kayliegh, as skilled craftsmanship is something so close to our hearts. As for the paper, Starburst is printed onto our mylar base, it’s one of our most robust bases and any of our digital designs can be printed onto it. It has a metallic mirror finish which is dulled by the print. Our standard vinyl bases are also incredibly durable as our wallcoverings are predominantly supplied to the contract interiors sector, hotels, bars, restaurants etc. I’m so pleased that Kayleigh got in touch, and that Melanie Gethin from our sales office was able to help with her order.”
Newmor Designer, Jess Broxton created the Savoy Starburst said, “I was thrilled to see my Starburst artwork being used in a different medium and in such a unique way. My Starburst was the first artwork I created whilst working on my first custom range when I started at Newmor straight out of university. I had the same excitement seeing the cabinet on social media as when I realised that it had got picked for our range 6 years ago! The inspiration behind my Starburst was from the Roaring 20’s, and I love that it’s been recreated and used on a drinks cabinet as that is what I imagined where it would be displayed! I had seen these Starburst’s from that era and from my favourite movie ‘The Great Gatsby’. I had used an existing texture from our archives to create the Starburst and it works perfectly with the Walnut! Kayleigh has created a truly beautiful piece.”
To view Kayleigh’s full collection of restored and reimagined furniture, visit www.kookiwood.com
