CHELSEA TEXTILES

Chelsea Textiles is a family firm, started in 1990 by Mona Perlhagen, who moved to London from New York, where she had been a fashion buyer for Bloomingdale’s. She identified a need for perfect recreations of antique embroidered fabrics and cushions, to complement traditional interiors, and set about researching and sourcing authentic materials and the world’s best craftsmen, to produce hand-embroidered fabrics of the same quality as those of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Since that time, the company’s design ethos has evolved to encompass the early 20th century. The product range has also expanded to include furniture, inspired by Mona’s seven years in Sweden, with a Scandinavian theme, both traditional Gustavian and 20th century design classics. While firmly rooted in the past, pieces have been carefully adapted to complement the more understated interiors of the 21st century.

Chelsea Textiles work with top interior decorators worldwide and have co-operated closely with Robert Kime, Alidad, Neisha Crosland, Kit Kemp and Domenica More Gordon on their own embroidery collections under the Chelsea Textiles umbrella. The company also works with exclusive boutique hotels, such as the Firmdale group, on projects such as Covent Garden, Haymarket, Soho, Charlotte Street and Crosby Street Hotels.

Mona’s daughter, Jenny, who studied history of art and interior design in London and New York, was appointed the company’s chief designer in 2005. She continues Chelsea Textiles’ commitment to authentic detail, adding a freshness of approach and taking the company in exciting new directions.