Lou Harvey sends LOIS KUHLE’S head spinning.
She’s sassy, sexy and a self-confessed raging nutter, which she blames on her bubbling creative energy. Lou Harvey is great to be with and her enthusiasm for life and lovely things infectious.
One morning with her and you’ve a desperate need to hurl out all your boring cushions and fabrics and instantly refurbish.
Lou studied fashion and interior design, but has spread her wings and created the distinctive Lou Harvey range of accessories and soft furnishings. Her brand has become synonymous with cutting-edge design, style, fashion and functionality.
“Seven years ago I returned from a stint in the UK with a tiny baby. I didn’t want to go back into interior design and have to deal with housewives. A fabric house approached me to manufacture a finished line for Laura Ashley which became too expensive for the market, so I started printing my own fabrics, and have never looked back,” she says from her elegantly decorated home in Mount Edgecombe.
Loose covers rule, she believes.
“I’m a big Jik fan. I keep things simple and practical. People mustn’t feel uncomfortable on my furnishings. If the covers are dirty it’s easy to remove them and throw them in the wash.”
Lou’s Durban-based company prides itself on being 100% South African-manufactured, with her eye-catching fabric range being designed, woven and printed locally. Her new range is sold through St Leger and Viney.
The Lou Harvey brand has exploded in popularity in South Africa and is now stocked in more than 250 stores countrywide. International demand has led to the range being sold in the USA, UK, Australia and other African countries.
“The trend has been for texture orientated fabrics, like silks and velvets. I decided to launch a range with a contemporary edge that’s easy to blend with textures,” she said while lounging comfortably among her huge cushions. “I love greys and whites and with an added splash of colour it gives the whole room a lift.”
Lou believes all rooms should be interchangeable.
“It’s easy just to change a cushion and by adding in a bit of colour you can transform the personality of a room.”
She’s not easy to hold back and is expanding her range even further.
“We’re introducing kids’ and adults’ clothing, fun flip flops for summer and a really exciting different soft toy range with a life concept. Each toy has a name . . . they’re all really unusually shaped with their own personalities. There’s also an African toy range for 2010.”
To complete the Lou Harvey brand she’s also launching a full apothecary range, with soaps and lotions to fill her gorgeous bags!
And for fun? Going to the hairdresser!
“My Friday afternoon spot is at Hair on Edge in Flanders Mall. You’ll find me there with a glass of wine in hand!”
Useful contact: Log on to www.louharvey.co.za