BLAKE WOMAN - KELLY VITTENGL
Introducing our next Blake Woman, US born UK living lady Kelly Vittengl.
Kelly was born in New York City but has since made the leap across the pond to call London her home. She is Founder of Frances Loom, the home of the most beautiful curated rug collections and furniture since 2014. If that wasn’t enough she launched JOAN the podcast last year - bringing awareness to mental health and healing the soul through stories of experiences of women.
We hope you enjoy as much as we loved meeting and chatting to her.
You were raised in NYC and have since lived between there and LA. What do you love most about those two cities?
The energy of New York City is incomparable. It doesn’t matter how long or short I’ve been away, there’s nothing like the feeling of stepping foot in Manhattan again. However, LA is much more in line with my personal lifestyle: nature, sunshine, yoga, green juice… It’s all a bit cliche, but my version of LA just feels so good to my soul.
You moved to London in 2016. What made you move and why?
I moved to London for love, of course! Isn’t that how all foreigners get here? I’m no longer in that relationship, but I’m so damn grateful that he brought me here!
Tell us a bit about your background. You started in the fashion industry, correct?
I went to fashion school in New York City, and then moved out to LA straight from college. I started working as a producer and then a set designer in the fashion industry there. I knew I wanted to pursue interior design, so I started collecting antiques on the side and slowly developed some clients of my own. I finally left the fashion industry and jumped right into launching the website and designing for clients. Little did I know what the website had in store for me…
Frances Loom was born in 2014. Can you tell us how you had the idea and your initial steps to launch.
As mentioned above, it all kind of happened by accident. I launched the website on the side to sell the antiques I was buying at the LA flea markets. I found the customers were mostly interested in the rugs, so I decided to focus the site on that. I was not prepared for what came next… The brand just suddenly exploded. I was selling out within 5 minutes of posting, I had magazines and blogs reaching out to profile me and the business, and I literally didn’t even know what was going on! It was madness for several years!
What are your brand ethos?
Frances Loom is committed to timeless pieces that showcase incredible craftsmanship, all while telling a story. I am very particular about the rugs I choose. They are all antique, and if you look at our Instagram or website, the brand “feeling” comes off pretty strongly. I have a very particular and strong aesthetic and it is what keeps our customers coming back.
Where do you source all your rugs?
When I first started, I was sourcing everything in Los Angeles, but I now source almost everything in London. I work with fifth and sixth generation Iranian and Turkish rug dealers, who import from their home countries. I’ve been working with them for years now but they still get a kick out of the fact that a young, American woman has created a business around selling antique rugs.
What do you love most about your job?
The freedom, flexibility and creativity! I’m a Taurus and stubborn as hell, so I’ve never been very good at having a boss (lol!)
What is the hardest thing about running a growing company?
I would say the hardest thing has been accepting help, which sounds silly. But, when you start a small company, you get so used to doing everything on your own. When you finally do hire others, there is a lot of control that you have to consciously give up. I always convince myself that I can do everything better than anyone, only because I had to teach myself. But, at the end of the day, hiring others and really letting them in to help, especially during growth is the most important thing you can do.
Having a space or home where you can relax is so important - tell us how we can curate the perfect relaxing space
I am the queen of creating cosy spaces (again, my Taurus coming out). The most important things when creating a comfortable relaxing space are texture, layers, and light. I love to blend and layer textures, from antique wooden tables, to linen cushions, to chunky knit throws. And of course, candles! I love soft, low lighting. Candlelight just adds that cosy vibe I’m always aiming for.
Top tips for designing/ dressing a room
I have two rules of thumb when decorating:
1) Don’t rush! Take your time collecting pieces for you home. When you decorate all at once, it’s obvious and can look thrown together in a messy way.
2) Piggy backing on rule 1, choose items that speak to you. Pinterest is incredibly helpful to narrow down what it is you’re trying to achieve, but at the end of the day, you want pieces in your home that you love!
Your top interiors blogs/ people to follow
Rose Uniacke is one of my favourites. Her style is so classic, but has the most beautiful rustic, antique touch.
I’m a sucker for classic English design, a favourite Instagram account of mine is @englisheccentrichome — it’s very much my style!
What is next for Frances Loom?
We just launched a furniture collection, a pillow collection, and we’re in the process of building out the shop to include more home decor. So there’s lots going on and lots more to come! We have some exciting special collections coming too.
If running FL wasn't enough you also launched JOAN the podcast last year and completed 10 episodes for Series 1. Can you please explain to our readers exactly what it is and why you decided to launch it?
A few years ago, I went through an intense period of panic attacks that really flipped my life on it's head. At the time, I felt like I was losing my mind. I felt as though I was the only human being on the planet experiencing panic attacks, and I consequently felt incredibly alone. I went on an intense healing journey, and as I began to open up with others about my experience, I realised that so many other women had gone through something similar at some point in their lives. It drove me to create JOAN so that I could help others going through their own difficulties, feel supported and know that they are not alone.
What does JOAN stand for?
JOAN is actually named after Joan of Arc! I was creatively writing one day, and her name appeared on the paper. Of course I knew of her, but I didn't know the ins and outs of her story. As I did some research, I realised that she was the pinnacle of a strong woman speaking her truth. She was sadly silenced for doing so, so the podcast is an homage to her and all the women in history who have not been able to share openly for fear of being punished.
Tell us about your first guests?
I wanted to cover a lot of area with the podcast to reach as many women as I could, so I included a whole range of women who have struggled with things like anxiety, depression, grief, eating disorders, pre and post-partum depression, suicidal thoughts, physical health challenges... you get the idea. The point is that every single human suffers in some way at some point, and the more we can openly share about it, the more we can connect and begin to heal together.
How do you relax with all the madness of journey your own company and podcast?
My dream evening: a night in, lots of candle light, draw a bath, have a glass of red wine, eat something warm and delicious, and cosy up on the sofa in the comfiest pyjamas with a movie like The Holiday. I’m such a cliche, but just the thought of it literally warms my heart!
What piece from the Blake collection do you love and why?
I love the Redfern Chunky and Domino Sweater are my favourites! Although, to be honest, wrapping up in anything warm and wool (especially at this time of year) just makes me swoon.
Kelly was shot at her home in Islington, North London. She wears the Ardmore sweater in lilac, Domino sweater in cedar and Redfern in charcoal. Shot by Ollie Ali.
Francesloom.com