In the picturesque coastal town of St Ives, a creative force known as Earthworks St Ives has been capturing the essence of this mesmerising landscape for years.
In an exclusive interview with House of Coco, we dive deep into the story behind this artistic endeavor, exploring their unique blend of contemporary design and timeless coastal inspiration.
Join us on a journey through colour, texture, and passion as we uncover Earthworks’ artistic vision and their exciting collaborations on the horizon.
Get ready to be inspired by the beauty of Cornwall’s rugged shores and the boundless creativity it has sparked.
Could you tell us about the inspiration behind Earthworks and how it captures the essence of St Ives?
Tristan and I met at art college and co-founded Earthworks. St Ives may have provided the starting point, but for us, it’s really about light and color. St Ives is a place surrounded by the sea where the elements meet – it’s all about the light and the way it illuminates and amplifies the landscape – highlighting colour and constantly changing. The landscape here is incredibly rich and inspiring. The work is not illustrative – it picks up on mood and essential elements that sit together. It’s about textures, surfaces, and strong shapes – whether this is the horizon or the harbour wall or takes inspiration from the nearby boatyard at Newlyn – the shapes, colors, and sculptural quality of objects within that working environment – all of these elements are integrated into the design process.
Earthworks St Ives started with a little shop on Fish Street – just up from the harbor. We did not set out with a formulated plan. The shop came about by a chance opportunity, and we took it on even before we had decided what we were going to sell. Once we had the shop, we set about designing a set of mugs and had them made locally just outside the town. One product led to another, but once again, it was really about color and surfaces. We wanted to offer something different – very much rooted in and authentic to St Ives. We wanted to produce work that reflected our connection to St Ives and the coastal landscape around us and our artistic response to living here on the West Cornwall coast. Fabrics, which had always been an interest, followed with a range of cushions and lampshades. We acquired a loyal following who returned regularly, and the collections evolved and grew.
Although the starting point is very much the light and coastal landscape of West Cornwall, we have been really pleased that the colors and essence of what we do have resonance with customers living all over the UK and in other coastal locations – including a growing following in Scotland. We are delighted to have some Earthworks products on several of the remote Scottish islands – including a community music center on South Uist.
How do you blend contemporary design ideas with elements from the 1930s and 40s in your collections?
There is a timelessness both to the West Cornish landscape and to the work of other artists who have gone before – drawn to St Ives, and been inspired by these landscapes. So that sense of light, color, form, and mark-making is always a conscious, quiet influence. I don’t think the work that we produce particularly fits in with what is currently ‘on trend’ or seasonal but rather we would like it to sit alongside other elements within a home or space to form part of that sense of place. The things people collect and put in their homes are incredibly personal and form part of their own history and sense of self and well-being, and a lot of deliberation and thought goes into the objects they choose to surround themselves with. Many customers visit our website frequently before making their final selection and often use some of our colour palettes as the basis or catalyst for their interior schemes. When asked, we are happy to offer our input on colors and design elements. When we get feedback that a particular Earthworks item reminds someone of maybe a favorite place or memories of time spent in Cornwall or by the coast, I love that it has triggered that response, and that our references to the landscape and color have in some way connected to their own.
Could you share a bit about the process of creating these items?
The work always starts with colour – always! Living on the coast, you become very aware of the weather patterns, the light, and the shifting tides and changing colors around you. There is an incredible vibrancy to the colors here reflected by the light and water and sky. The work is a process to try to capture the essence or impression of the color and transient subtlety of the landscape all around us. We use a variety of media to design things we would like around us and hope that others connect with them too. Cushions and lampshades are a simple way to add color and vibrancy to an interior.
What makes Earthworks products both functional and decorative? How do you strike a balance between the two?
We enjoy using our artwork to design vibrant, functional, decorative items for interior spaces. It’s important to us that the quality and finish are really high both in terms of the materials used and how they are made and produced. We have worked with a small group of UK companies from the start who share our attention to detail. Alongside the functional items, we also have a range of prints. My passion is painting and color, and I am currently working on a collection of large canvases.
In addition to your existing collections, are there any upcoming design projects or collaborations that you are excited about?
We are really excited about a new project we are just embarking on. We have been approached by a leading UK glass company to collaborate with them. This will allow large-scale glass panels to be produced using our artwork – anything from a glass splashback to large-scale wall panels. We are really excited by this new direction and love the way our artwork translates to glass – producing that wonderful “wet pebble” vibrancy to the colors, which really suits our work, and to be working on a larger scale is also very exciting.
With the studio overlooking St Ives Bay, how does the surrounding landscape and natural beauty inspire your artistic vision?
We are really fortunate to live and work here and be immersed in this landscape. From views out from the studio window, the horizon, weather patterns, and colors shift and change, and daily coastal walks with the light, tidal paths, and colours constantly changing all undoubtedly have an influence on the work – from the rocks, tides, and pools to the vast skies and headlands.
Earthworks has transitioned from a physical shop to an online presence. How has this shift impacted your business and the way you interact with customers?
Although it was great to meet customers in the shop, moving online several years ago allowed us to spend more time designing and concentrating on evolving and growing the business. We are really lucky to have a lot of regular, loyal customers – many of whom have followed our work over the years and as they put it “now have a house full of Earthworks!” We have now built up thousands of subscribers and we try to keep them regularly updated on what we are up to – new work and projects and exclusive special offers.
Being solely online means that we can really pay attention to customers. We have also taken time to source packaging that is recyclable – we use paper bubble wrap and tape, and wrap everything in white tissue which also enhances the experience of receiving an Earthworks parcel. We really value repeat customers so try to make it a seamless experience from ordering to receiving their parcel and to assure them that there are “real” people that care behind the Earthworks brand.
How do you approach commissions and design consultations? Can you share an example of a memorable project you have worked on?
We recently sent a group of 15 prints to a company headquarters in London. We were commissioned by the design company who created the interiors and the whole work space concept floor by floor within the building. This is now the third floor we have provided prints for. It’s great to work in this way as we can design a group of work that will sit together and hopefully enhance that environment for the workers in those spaces – a small piece of Cornwall in the heart of the city!
What kind of feedback have you received from Earthworks customers, and how does their input shape your future designs?
We always welcome feedback from customers and love to get comments and photos of our products in situ in their homes. It’s inspiring for us to see how they sit in different interiors and also how bold and eclectic people often are with color and the objects they choose to juxtapose together. When we ask customers to send a review we also ask them for suggestions of other products they would like to see from us – this is really helpful – rugs and throws and a return of the mugs are the current front-runners!
Our readers love to travel, what destinations do you love and what is top of your bucket list?
Love spending time in Edinburgh – there are many artistic links with St Ives and I share an affinity to both places. Also Cadiz – I dream of returning to the rooftop terrace where we stayed with wild parrots flying overhead. Bucket List – Scottish Highland Route 500 in a camper van.
What do you hope people feel or experience when they engage with Earthworks collections?
I hope they enjoy the vibrancy of the colors and feel uplifted.
As an entrepreneur and artist, what advice would you give to aspiring designers looking to establish their own brand?
Firstly, I guess I would be somewhat hesitant to offer any advice as our Earthworks path has not been at all straightforward, but maybe it would be just that – that it’s OK to try things out, take different directions and learn to operate outside your comfort zone. It’s not always going to lead to immediate success and there’s an art to knowing when to abandon ship, and when to keep on plugging away. Most entrepreneurs who achieve success often do so through learning from past mistakes. It takes time to establish a brand and a customer following, but if you are offering something original and authentic you are more likely to do this. It’s more likely to be authentic and original if it’s something that you are passionate about and enjoy doing.
Finally, as Earthworks continues to evolve, what are your long-term goals and aspirations for the brand?
We would like to grow and develop Earthworks. The artwork, designs, and products are always evolving, and we hope to build on our collections and look at international markets too. We think the glass panels would work really well in architectural settings so will be looking to work on collaborations.
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