Att Home with...Harlie Briggs

Artist Harlie Briggs is best know for her abstract paintings that explore colour, emotion, nature and the female muse. Since 2016, painting and drawing the female form has been monumental in celebrating the supportive females around her. Which has lead to her paintings the female form across homewares as well as canvas. Adding her work to her home has helped create a space that feels unique, homely while adding pops of colour. We caught up with Harlie to find out find what inspires her work and how she creates a sense of home in her own space.

What are your top 5 things that you couldn't live without in your home?

• Vases for fresh or wild flowers 
• A good selection of tablecloths, to match different vases and plate combinations
• Pale yellow bedsheets (very niche but they make me feel so calm)
• A beautiful fireplace 
• Dogs! Haha

Is there a piece in your home that has traveled with you from each place you have lived in? What is it, why do you love it?

A beautiful dark oak mirror that my mum bought for me from an antiques shop in Islington that we had always visited since we were little kids. We used to go in there after primary school and literally hide! It was a lovely little shop that always had one-of-a-kind treasures. She bought it for me when I moved back into the flat that we grew up in and it has come with me back to the countryside. It’s like my little piece of Islington that I will always cherish! I love antiques and I am quite sentimental so as I am looking around my room, I can see a lot of things that have come with me along the way.

Was there a place or something you saw recently that inspired your home style?

My Islington home I feel mostly spoke for itself; the tall ceilings with ceiling roses, the marble fireplace and beautiful wooden floors are more than I could ever hope for. I kept it fairly neutral as of course it was always full of my artwork, which is more colourful, abstract and bold, so I felt that the neutral decor and the paintings balanced each other out beautifully. Currently, I feel super inspired by Lucy WiIliams’ new home - I just adore the way she has played with colour, pattern and textures. I love the blues and browns in Lucy’s home, and the vintage feel that it has. One of my favourite places on Earth is Ardingly antique fair and I am starting to build quite the collection! I have been someone who has stuck to neutral colours and natural woods for such a long time, but I am currently exploring the idea of adding different colour combinations into my home, as well as into my artwork. 

How do you relax at home?

To be honest, I feel the most relaxed when I’m in my studio painting with the log burner on and my dogs surrounding me. It is incredibly rare for me to be able to switch my mind off, so having something cathartic like painting to concentrate on and give my mind a little rest is really lovely. In the evenings, some cosy candles, a big mohair blanket, a cup of tea and a programme on the sofa is where you’d find me.

Anything new you are looking to add to your home currently?

I am currently re-doing my new bedroom with a new lick of paint, as well as sprucing up the outhouse studio which I am currently sharing with my sister who is a tattoo artist - I’d love to make it a little bit more cosy so I can invite people over to view artworks if they are considering purchasing them. Seeing as I am in totally new spaces, I have my eye on a lot of different things - sofas, rugs, curtains lampshades etc for the studio and the house so Pinterest and antique fairs are currently my best friends.

 

Where do you find inspiration for your art? Anything new you are working on at the moment?

Inspiration comes from all around me, the places that I visit that are bustling with nature and the people that I meet along the way. I have just finished an original painting collection for Glassette and I am already back in the studio creating some work for Domenica Marland, who is an admirable art collector. It’s so exciting that I get to share my art on different platforms and with different people, and I really hope to have an exhibition one day where I can invite people to come and see my paintings in person! 

Discover Harlies interior edit