jasmine white london reminisces about inspiration for home accessories

Jasmine White London reminisces about inspiration for home accessories

Homegirl London pays homage to Jasmine White London.  Supriya Broadbent makes beautiful hand painted enamel kitchenware (mugs, tumblers, trays, tea caddies, bowls, jugs), textiles (aprons, double oven gloves, oven mitts, tea towels, cushions), papier mache boxes and decorations.  Without any formal design training, Supriya has managed to harness her creativity and fond memories of growing up in India to develop designs which capture the vibrancy of this country.  Combined with inspiration from her everyday life in England, Supriya’s work represents the mix of two countries dear to her heart.  The Jasmine White London collections feature scenes from the chaotic streets of India, to floral displays, starry nights and birds of paradise.  These adorable home accessories make perfect kitchen gifts and homeware gifts.  I caught up with Supriya to find out more.

jasmine white london floral enamel

Jasmine White London – Floral Enamel Kitchenware

Meet the Jasmine White London Designer

Supriya isn’t trained in design, she tells me – “I was brought up in India where I completed a Masters in German Studies.  I came to the UK following my graduation in 1997 and worked in the city as a Tax Advisor for ten years.  During the recession I looked after our child full time which gave me time to realise my passion for design and quality materials.  Although I don’t have any formal training in design I grew up surround by colour in India and realised I should explore my creative side, hence the decision to set up my own venture.”

jasmine white london supriya broadbent

Jasmine White London – Supriya Broadbent

Supriya settled on the name Jasmine White for the business – “This reflects my love of all things fragrant and fine, hand crafted and finished to a high standard.  Besides, the Jasmine flower really inspires me; with its sweet scent, how it winds through your senses to softly enchant you and add fragrance to your surroundings – it’s enduringly captivating.”

Jasmine White London Collection

Nature influences are dominate throughout Supriya’s work, she tells me – “Growing up we spent some years in the Himalayan Mountains in India where you are surrounded by pure, untouched nature.  As children, we used to go for hikes up the mountain and walks along the river, catching fish and blissfully enjoying life.  I can still see water glistening in the sun as it ran along the mountain stream.  I think this helps me appreciate nature in all its beauty.”

jasmine white london bird decorations

Jasmine White London – Bird Decorations

Supriya has a passion for Impressionism – “Just capturing life as seen by the artist is very inspiring.  They were radical in their time, but really we are all impressionist in that we derive from what we see around us, the everyday and the beauty of it from unusual angles.”

jasmine white london easter decorations

Jasmine White London – Easter Decorations

Let’s take a look at Supriya’s collections – Indian Street, Stars, Birds of Paradise and Floral.

Indian Street: This reflects Supriya’s fascination with traffic in India – “The congestion, energy, colourful trucks and the cows!  My ‘Horn Please’ fabric brings the busy buzz of an Indian street alive.”  This design features on linen cushions, aprons, oven gloves, table cloths and pot holders.

jasmine white london indian street design

Jasmine White London – Indian Street Design

Stars: This design captures the beauty of a starry night in soft shades of blue, pink and pastel grey.  It includes aprons, gloves, pot holders, hob covers, table cloths and tea towels plus linen cushions and quilts.

jasmine white london stars design

Jasmine White London – Stars Design

Birds of Paradise: This collection contains silhouettes of birds such as robins and hummingbirds – “The idea being to incorporate everyday birds into my notion of what a birds paradise would be – the everyday birds which we see in our gardens.”  This design features on cushions, oven gloves, tea towels and bags.  Available in multi coloured pastels, regatta blue, delft, shadow grey and biscuit.

jasmine white london birds of paradise design

Jasmine White London – Birds of Paradise Design

Floral: Splashes of floral designs in bright colours feature on hand printed enamel mugs, trays, tumblers, tea caddies, bowls and jugs plus papier mache boxes and decorations.  Supriya tells me – “I do refer back to our garden in Ooty, a hill station in the Blue Mountains in India.  My father had every imaginable flower planted where I spent hours as a little girl.  I recall our Rose Garden in particular where we had over a hundred varieties of roses.  Some of my inspiration comes from that and some from our holidays taken in Cornwall which somehow has a very romantic quality.”

jasmine white london floral design

Jasmine White London – Floral Design

Buy Jasmine White London Products

If you love these products you can buy from Jasmine White London.  To give you an idea about prices – Enamel Mugs £7.50, Enamel Tumblers £6.25, Enamel Tea Caddies £7.50, Enamel Trays £22.50, Enamel Bowls £24.50, Enamel Jugs £27.50, Aprons £40 and Cushions £45.

Author: Homegirl London.  Photographs: Jasmine White London.  Thanks: Supriya Broadbent, Frankie Rowles and Marisa Harrison.