Textile Artist behind Townley Terrace

Named after the building’s original architect, @townley_terrace is a beautiful Georgian home on the coast of Kent where Jessie Cutts lives with her husband Ivo, and two children.

For us, discovering Townley Terrace came hand in hand with Jessie’s textile art practice - @cuttsandsons. As she tells us, her pieces are a direct response to the fabrics she uses, taking trimmings and up-cycled scraps and turning them into modern compositions that feel fresh whilst cherishing the history embedded in every off-cut.

As it would turn out, her approach to renovating the Georgian home wasn’t too far from her art. Slow quilting, like a slow restoration, take a lot of consideration. Finding the right pieces for the right spots, not rushing decisions to get the job done faster, and hero-ing special and sentimental pieces.

With a tight budget and a lot of work ahead, Jessie left London and embarked in an ongoing restoration journey of the decaying Georgian home in a process full of DIY and “trust the process” spirit. It’s this ethos that draws in thousands of people to follow her candid documentation of  every corner in the house.

Here we invite you to step inside Townley Terrace as she gives us her tips and advice on an artful renovation. 

We were also thrilled to have Jessie share her impeccable curatorial eye and be part of our Artist Open Call selection committee. You can meet our Open Call Winners, and shop the collection.

1. ADD TEXTURE THROUGH TEXTILES

Textiles on all surfaces make rooms feel so much more comfortable and cosy. I love finding ways to incorporate more softness to rooms, especially living in England where it’s chilly 10 months of the year. For me that is second-hand rugs, beautiful textiles on the walls for artwork and layers of quilts and blankets. 

2. LEARN TO LOVE UNFINISHED SPACES

Even when rooms are unfinished, especially in a long-term renovation like ours, I find ways to hang art and make them ‘nice’ for the time being. Sometimes this prolongs getting the work done, but it does make me feel less depressed looking at awful rooms. The artwork is always the first thing I unpack when moving and will hang it up on existing hooks, just to have it feel like your space.

3. TREAT EVERY CORNER LIKE A WORK OF ART

Art for me goes beyond pictures on the wall. Every surface in my house is fair game to being covered in something handmade, old or sentimental. This extends to just everything in the house. Most of the everyday objects I use I’ve picked up second hand, cost less than new ones and are far better quality, not to mention a lot more beautiful. I have a real love for particular objects and feel like it adds a little extra joy to the everyday. A favourite mug or spoon or pair of scissors is very satisfying.

4. SOURCE SECOND-HAND 

We buy as much second-hand as we can. If there is something we need, I go straight to Ebay and FB first. It makes for a more interesting interior every time. This extends to everything, sinks, taps, tiles, beds, sofas, stoves, TVs. Plus you can sell it on if for usually the same amount of some reason it doesn’t work for you anymore.

5. BUILD A DIVERSE ART COLLECTION

Our house is filled with artwork that I have been collecting my whole adult life. It’s a mix of things by friends, up-and-coming artists, things brought home from travels and vintage. It takes time and patience to build up a collection, but I keep an eye out all the times for things I love from local artists and online. And it must have been said a million times, but there is so much vintage artwork – ready framed often too – already out there waiting to be found.

I usually whizz in and spend 5 minutes in my local charity shops at least once a week rummaging the art piles, plus regularly go to boot fairs and antique shops. I only ever find anything good about 1 in 20 times, but it's always worth it when you find an original for a few pounds.

FOLLOW JESSIE CUTTS

@townley_terrace | @cuttsandsons | cuttsandsons.com

We're very excited to announce the Partnership Editions Artist Open Call winners. We had over 550 applicants from all around the world, all of an incredibly high standard, so making this edit was not easy, and we are so grateful to all those who took the time to apply.

Alongside our founder, Georgia Spray, we called on our selection committee of tastemakers including Jessie Cutts, who used his expertise and excellent eye to help us unearth and shine a light on new talent.

Discover the Open Call Winners Collection.

“The very soft and tactile nature of Ann-Marie’s pieces are very appealing. I am obviously always drawn to textiles and I love the nods to repair, utility and reuse, while being beautiful pieces to live with.” - Jessie Cutts

Follow Ann-Marie on Instagram: @a_m_williamson

“I love the playful nature of Richard’s paintings feel immediately cheered by seeing them. They seem like a little snapshot of a scene, interpreted with fun, lightness and immediacy.” - Jessie Cutts

Follow Richard on Instagram: @richardraineyart