“We’re pioneering a new path…”

Jules Haines launched her eponymously named company in 2020 with the aim of stemming the colossal amount of wasted fabric in the interiors industry and repurposing it in myriad ways. Here she tells Eileen Leahy more about her interiors business and how it has flourished

So Jules, when and why did you launch Haines?

Previously I worked for a textile designer in Singapore and learned firsthand about the huge volumes of waste in the interiors industry. I also experienced that it can be very frustrating for a business not to know how to rehome its surplus responsibly.

The idea really solidified after a chance meeting on Camden Road. I came across an upholsterer and curtain maker who had a pop-up shop to sell off their fabric offcuts and roll ends leftover from projects. Chatting to him helped me understand that it was costing businesses money to store their surplus, and arranging a sale took up precious time and often they barely broke even. He was my first supplier! I started a beautiful resale platform that would save brands time and money as well as helping to reduce the chances of homeware and textiles ending up in landfill.

What does Haines do and how it has evolved over the years?

Haines is an award-winning platform selling surplus interiors stock that would otherwise go to waste. We source and salvage designer fabrics and home accessories, ready to be rehomed and repurposed by design lovers! As well as being kind to the planet, the beauty of buying second-hand fabrics and accessories is that they are like new and around half the usual retail price! It’s a win-win for all!

We started off simply reselling textiles, but we have now expanded into wallpaper, lights, rugs, furniture and accessories. I also teach people how to upcycle a small piece of fabric into a lampshade, these workshops are so much fun. I now do them for brands like Neptune, who have ex-display fabrics that need to be reused, so invite their customers to turn them into beautiful lampshades with me.

How big a problem is waste in the interiors industry? 

It’s a huge problem that mostly goes unnoticed. Many people know that 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the fashion and textiles industry. But the textiles part covers the textiles in our home and considering that 42% of textiles waste in UK landfill* is from homeware, we really should be doing our best to address the problem.

Which brands do you work with?

We work with over 100 brands – textile and wallpaper designers, manufacturers as well as interior designers, upholsterers and soft furnishings makers. Brands include Sanderson, Romo, Fermoie, Pierre Frey and GP & J Baker.

How long has it taken you to grow your business?

After the official launch in 2020 it was just over a year before we took on our first office in Groombridge. We were there for three and a half years and are so thrilled to have recently moved into The Town Hall in central Tunbridge Wells. I live in Tunbridge Wells so walking five minutes to work is the dream!

You’ve received some fantastic coverage and awards. Can you tell us a little bit about this?

Yes, absolutely. A recent piece in the Financial Times featuring us and addressing a subject we approached them to tackle, really made people wake up and listen about the vast amount of waste in our industry. Last year we won a House and Garden Award for Responsible Design, and this year a Homes and Gardens award – it raises awareness of what we are doing and builds brand trust. We are pioneering a new path – it’s not easy, so it can take a while for people to understand why it’s so important that we do what we do. We are regulars on Instagram, but awards and articles really help people find us – as soon as they do they love us!

What are your immediate plans and how can our readers get involved?

They can head to our website hainescollection.co.uk where they can browse all of our stock. We have over 3000 products that are looking for a new home – all still beautiful and mostly new!

We are looking for a new location for our lampshade workshops in Tunbridge Wells, when we find one we will start offering places again. People love our workshops, and a couple of hours of craft is so good for relaxation and mindfulness.

I’m off to America at the end of the month to talk on a panel at a huge home furnishings show, which is exciting. The US as a whole is not as into sustainability as we are so it could be interesting! 

GET IN CONTACT:

jules@hainescollection.co.uk

hainescollection.co.uk

*Source: wrap.org.uk

Eileen Leahy
Author: Eileen Leahy

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