By Quinn Riley
We’re all doing a major happy dance about the addition of the latest line we’ve hand-selected to join our showroom - Brett Design! If you’re not yet familiar with Brett Beldock and her fabulously creative wallcovering patterns, here’s the scoop.
ABOUT BRETT DESIGN
Since founding Brett Design in 2007, former fashion designer turned product designer, Brett Beldock has gained acclaim for her crisp, creative, yet off-beat approach to home furnishings and decor. Brett draws inspiration from her extensive knowledge in the history of decorative arts and fashion, both current and past, to create one-of-a-kind furniture and wallpaper designs. With her finger on the pulse of what’s next, Brett has developed several successful lines in addition to her own, including – PROFILES furnishings, rugs for Doris Leslie Blau, and collections for national retailer CB2. Brett Design has appeared in several national and regional publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Luxe Interiors + Design, Interior Design, among many others.
That was the cliff notes version, y’all. To truly get to know Brett and learn about what makes her wallcovering line so dang incredibly special, read on…
“We have to keep learning through everything,” says furniture and wallpaper designer Brett Beldock, describing herself as a student, with a deep love for research and the discovery of new things. “I just bought myself a Japanese Marbling Kit and I will be learning marbling all afternoon,” she shares with a joyful expression. We are zooming from her home office in Southampton and I can spot her beautiful New Anemones wallpaper in the background.
Involved in the world of Balenciaga and Givenchy, Brett’s runway-model mother and fashion-designer grandmother inspired her initial professional career in the fashion industry. After years in clothing design, Brett itched for a more one-on-one relationship with clients: “working for a large brand was not special enough, it lacked personal connections.” After working on the interior of her friend’s townhouse, Brett pivoted to interior design, a passion that she pursued for over 20 years. Brett shares that her favorite aspect of this role was the process of designing furniture for clients: ”I am a designer of things. I designed stockings and pantyhose for Danskin, shoes in Italy, knitwear, and clothing for all of the different fashion houses on 7th avenue.” Brett founded Brett Design Inc in 2007 and this endeavor fulfills her true passions—”after a certain time in life you should really do what you love to do and I love to design products.” She also designs for CB2, contributing to their collection of modern furniture and home decor. We are absolutely thrilled to have Brett’s gorgeous wallpaper join our to-the-trade showroom lines here at CLOTH & KIND!
“Every single wallpaper has a story.” Brett’s Pearls wallpaper is a tribute to her great Aunt Dorothy, lovingly called '“Aunt Dottie.” “When my Great Aunt Dottie passed away she left me this fabulous hollyhock sofa and all of her pearls.” Brett photographed these keepsakes and transformed them into an elegant wallpaper. It is now installed in the entryway to her townhouse in Harlem and serves as a lovely reminder of one of the many women in her life that she holds close to her heart.
In her personal spaces, Brett incorporates her own designs with inspirational pieces by her favorite artists. Brett’s husband recently gifted her an absolutely STUNNING Zanele Muholi photograph from the Yancey Richardson Gallery. It is now the centerpiece of her living room in Southampton—a space that she has kept black & white, with her own tables for accents.
Another pattern, Elliot’s Tiger, was made by combining an image of her dog’s fur and overlaying it with a beautifully painted tiger print. Did I mention that Brett has 2 adorable boxers? Elliot, her “handsome prince,” and Jojo, the absolutely sweetest girl, keep her company as she continues to work remotely during quarantine. Dogs have always been a large part of Brett’s life—her parent’s bred Boxers when she was a child and now she is a frequent visitor of several Boxer rescue sites. When Brett’s dear Boxer Grace passed away in 2015, she reached out to Houston Boxer Rescue and adopted Jojo, a deaf girl that responds to signing. Brett has owned several dogs throughout her life and it is apparent that she has a way of making each feel incredibly loved. I particularly enjoyed learning about one of her first dogs, a 12-pound poodle named Alice. Nicknamed “Alice in the Palace,” she would sit in Brett’s black bag as she rode her bike throughout town—”just like Dorothy and Toto!” On one afternoon in Southampton, Alice and Brett discovered a lab puppy being followed by a pack of dogs. After searching for the dog’s owners to no luck, Brett and Dorothy adopted the lab, naming her Charlotte.
Where else does Brett find her inspiration? According to Brett, “if I could go back in time, I would be a painter in the 1940s-1970s,” a dream that has materialized from her love for these 5 5 wonderful women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler. Brett has a beautiful Women’s Series that gives a wink to their legacy, based on the book Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel. “I am proud that I could even attempt to emulate my idols,” says Brett.
In addition to working on her own lines, Brett also takes special requests. A magazine might ask for a Dorothy Draper-inspired design, for example, leading Brett on new journeys to find inspiration. When Elle Décor asked for a Chinese Print, Brett visited Chinatown and purchased umbrellas as one of her inspirations. She loves exploring 1stDibs, discovering new designers and reading more about them. As for social media, “I don’t love instagram for me, to post—I find it a bore.” However, she does use the platform to go down “rabbit holes,” finding a new architect from Japan, or stumbling across a new design technique to try out.
How has Brett maintained her creative energy in quarantine? “I am practically eating books,” she exclaims, as Brett shares her discovery of Audible. Having a father as a Churchillian historian and an avid reader was confusing for Brett as a child with her Dyslexia, noting that her recent dive into the world of audiobooks has been life-changing: “If I had discovered this earlier, I may have been Hillary Clinton, I mean who knows?!” A great audiobook is comforting to Beldock and serves as a form of meditation--”it’s like water running… like being in a warm bath.” Brett began her deep dive into audiobooks with Rachel Maddow, one of the women that she has always admired. What is she reading now? Brett raves over Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of #1 NYT bestseller Between the World and Me, a powerful novel that dives into the implications of race and exploited bodies throughout American history.
Brett, we are excited to see what you will create next—we know that it will be absolutely fabulous! Thank you for sharing your story and upbeat spirit with CLOTH & KIND. We are sending all of our love to Elliot and Jojo!
If you’re interested in learning more about Brett Design wallcoverings, or to receive memos/quotes, kindly reach out and we’ll hook you up.
