March 10, 2024Louise Roe is no stranger to the red carpet. Having moved from London to L.A. in 2009, the then fashion journalist — who cut her teeth at ELLE UK, InStyle and vogue.com — landed the role of fashion editor-at-large for the U.S. edition of Glamour, where snatching celebrity sound bites from awards-show attendees on camera was part of the enviable job.
“Those magazines were such a brilliant start to any career — we really did work hard and play hard,” she recalls. “I went to the Golden Globes and even the Oscars a couple of times. I sometimes forget, but my husband will say, ‘Do you remember that time Adele couldn’t find her shoes at the Grammys?’ Which did actually happen! I really should write it all down.”
The Glamour appearances led to other TV opportunities. In addition to hosting awards shows for NBC’s Access Hollywood, Roe also worked on E’s Fashion Police and the BBC’s The Clothes Show and fronted MTV’s makeover series Plain Jane. But these days, the carpet she most often treads is soft and cream colored, not vivid rouge, and can be found in the London townhouse she shares with her husband, TV producer Mackenzie Hunkin, and their young daughters, Honor and Inès. And although she occasionally dips her toe back into television, her professional focus is on her chic and ever-expanding interiors brand, Sharland England.
The catalyst for the career change was a home renovation that she threw herself into when the family moved back to England, in 2020. “We restored a Georgian rectory in a lovely village in Oxfordshire, which was gorgeous,” she explains. “Although we’ve since moved back to the city — we agreed that we needed to live in London now and perhaps move to the country in a few years’ time — it cemented my obsession with historical interiors.”
From a style point of view, the transition from hosting to homewares was a smooth one, as Roe’s background in fashion and keen eye for design stood her in good stead in developing the brand’s decorative aesthetic. When it came to the business side, however, she cast a wide net for much-needed help and advice. “I did loads of research, and everyone from editors to friends with their own interiors brands to interior designers were so generous with their time.”
Finding the artisans to make the creations she dreamed up was one of the most challenging tasks. “It was a treasure hunt, especially during COVID. There were a lot of Zoom calls!” she remembers. “Some of my ceramics are handmade in a seventh-generation family workshop in Italy. The linens are all hand-loomed, hand-dyed and -embroidered by predominantly female craftspeople in India. And my rattan is all handwoven in Java, very near to where the rattan itself grows.” The common thread is the passion that everyone has for their work. “It’s completely contagious,” she says. “I’m so proud of the heritage and indigenous techniques each collection displays.”
Braided and looped rattan furniture came first, followed by handmade tabletop items, textiles, candles and a selection of antique pieces. This spring, outdoor furniture will join the wider collection, which she christened Sharland England as a tribute to her great-grandmother, Marjorie Sharland.
“I never met her, but we have lots of photos, and growing up in the English countryside, we used her vintage furniture, much of which was rattan,” says Roe. According to family lore, Sharland, who lived in Buenos Aires, had a wonderful sense of humor, sense of style and knack for seemingly effortless entertaining. “The brand is crafted around the idea of her home — beautifully decorated but with no pretension. There’s such an elegance to those rattan pieces, and the memory of being surrounded by them really inspired the aesthetic, which is nostalgic but with a touch of modernity.”
Roe’s current house, a Victorian four-bedroom, is home to a clutch of well-loved antiques, characterful fabrics and pretty wallpapers in a palette of terracotta, blush pinks, golden yellow and soft greens. “This project didn’t need as much work, but we painted absolutely everything, and I am innately drawn to those colors,” she says. “In L.A., where the light is perfect three hundred sixty-five days a year, even a white box will feel warm, but back here, you have to be mindful of the gray. So, rich shades, layers and lots of texture are what I think are needed to make a home feel cozy and inviting.”
Curtains from the rectory, adjusted to fit the new home’s windows, hang next to antiques like a handsome secretary desk that dates back over 200 years and a captain’s chair that Roe sits in to work. “The desk is late Georgian, and it’s my absolute favorite piece in the whole house,” she says. “It’s a real centerpiece without being over-the-top. Old wood has the special ability to ground a room and bring everything together.”
Sharland England designs are, of course, in the mix, and pieces from the collection — including the torched-rattan Piolo chair, the scalloped Adeline coffee table and the hand-painted Verona splatter vase — can also be found in a selection of items from female-identifying 1stDibs sellers specially curated by Roe in honor of Women’s History Month. Her own creations sit alongside such picks as a charming Venetian Murano glass mirror, a colorful Persian Bakhtiari Tree of Life carpet, a mid-century Indonesian carved cabinet and a Lee Radziwill–inspired block-print pillow — all of which meld comfortably with Roe’s convivial yet refined style.
In addition, she has chosen the Female Design Council, founded by Lora Appleton, who also runs the furniture studio and gallery Kinder Modern, to receive a charitable contribution from 1stDibs in recognition of the annual observance. With members including gallerists like Cristina Grajales, artists and makers like Cheryl Riley and Arielle Assouline-Lichten and interior designers like Nicole Hollis and Anishka Clarke, the FDC provides a strong community for all womxn in the industry, irrespective of color, race, gender or sexual identity.
“I’m passionate about supporting craftsmanship, especially as so many techniques are becoming less and less prevalent,” says Roe. “I love how the FDC helps people from all backgrounds gain experience and offers business advice to those in the interiors industry. Inclusivity and diversity are their priority, and through mentorship programs, exhibitions and media exposure, they do such incredible work. I run an all-female team at Sharland England, we have a mentorship program for young women who join us every summer, and I’m proud to work with many female craftspeople around the globe. So, I could not think of a more fitting charity to support.”
What Roe has discovered since launching the company, in 2021, is that however strong your team is, running your own business is still tough. “It’s no picnic,” she says. “The hours are crazy long and the risk can sometimes be terrifying, but I do feel truly excited and inspired by what Sharland England has become. We’re always developing the collection. And in addition to the outdoor furniture, there’s a piece coming up called the Aperitivo table that I’m very excited about. Everything just flows better when I’m designing with cocktails in mind!”
