From Marketing to Masterpiece: Helen Gilbert’s Journey with Luxe 39 Velvet Cushions
In an inspiring tale of entrepreneurial spirit, Sara Walker delves into the world of Helen Gilbert, the visionary behind Luxe 39, a brand synonymous with exquisite luxury velvet cushions. Helen’s remarkable transition from the demanding corporate landscape of marketing recruitment to the tactile artistry of textile design illustrates a powerful pursuit of passion, flexibility, and creative fulfillment.
Three years ago, Helen found herself navigating the familiar complexities of modern professional life – a career in marketing recruitment that, while successful, often clashed with the equally pressing demands of raising a family. The typical 9-to-5 structure, particularly during school holidays, presented an inflexible challenge. “It was fine in term time, but it got really difficult during the school holidays, and I just wanted to work more flexible hours and spend more time with my family,” Helen recounts, articulating a desire shared by many contemporary professionals seeking a better work-life balance.
The Spark of Inspiration: From Corporate Life to Creative Entrepreneurship
The genesis of Luxe 39 wasn’t a sudden epiphany but a confluence of everyday circumstances that, in retrospect, perfectly aligned to form a compelling business idea. Following a full house renovation, Helen embarked on a quest for the perfect interior accessories. Her search for high-quality velvet cushions, specifically ones that met her aesthetic and tactile standards, proved fruitless. This unmet personal need quickly evolved into a creative endeavor. “I couldn’t find velvet cushions I liked of the right quality. I started making my own,” she explains. These initial creations, distinct in their double-colour designs, caught the eye of friends and acquaintances, who soon began commissioning Helen to craft cushions for their own homes. It was amidst this growing interest and her own contemplation of a career change that Helen recognized a significant opportunity – a chance to transform a personal hobby into a viable, family-friendly business.
This pivotal moment marked Helen’s initial foray into entrepreneurship, driven by a clear market gap and a burgeoning passion for design. Her experience underscores how personal frustrations can often be the fertile ground for innovative business solutions, especially when coupled with a desire for greater autonomy and work-life integration. The shift from a structured corporate role to the dynamic world of small business ownership promised not only creative freedom but also the much-coveted flexibility that her previous career couldn’t offer.
The Enduring Allure of Velvet: A Fabric Choice Rooted in Passion
Helen’s dedication to velvet is more than just a preference; it’s a deep-seated appreciation for a fabric she describes as timeless and enduring. “I’ve always loved velvet; it’s such a timeless fabric, and it lasts for years,” she affirms. This passion is the cornerstone of Luxe 39, which exclusively uses a premium cotton velvet. This choice reflects Helen’s commitment to quality and natural materials. The fabric, woven in small batches, offers a luxurious feel and exceptional durability, making it an ideal candidate for long-lasting home accessories.
Velvet, historically associated with royalty and opulence, possesses unique properties that set it apart. Helen highlights its remarkable ability to interact with light. “I don’t think any other fabric bounces the light quite like velvet, and colours always look really vibrant, so I knew that was the material I wanted to work with.” This luminous quality ensures that each cushion is not merely an accessory but a focal point, capable of transforming a room with its rich texture and captivating sheen. The depth and vibrancy of colors achieved on velvet are unparalleled, allowing for a luxurious visual impact that synthetic alternatives often fail to replicate. This meticulous selection of cotton velvet, combined with a discerning eye for design, truly sets Luxe 39 apart in the competitive home decor market. Finding such a specific, high-quality material was the crucial next step in bringing her vision to life.
Navigating the Supply Chain: Overcoming Early Hurdles
The journey from concept to creation is rarely without its obstacles, and for Helen, sourcing her specialized cotton velvet presented one of the earliest and most significant challenges. While a dedicated UK mill still meticulously weaves its own cotton velvet, their business model focused exclusively on wholesale, demanding large minimum orders. “They would only sell wholesale, and I just didn’t have the budget or storage space to buy 50m rolls!” Helen recalls, painting a vivid picture of the initial hurdles faced by a budding entrepreneur. This constraint quickly led her to explore alternative avenues, seeking out existing stockists who might be willing to sell smaller quantities.
However, this path also proved arduous. Many stockists were reluctant to supply a start-up, perceiving new businesses as high-risk or low-volume clients. This period of searching and negotiation tested Helen’s resolve, highlighting the systemic difficulties small businesses often face in establishing reliable supply chains. Her perseverance, however, paid off. “Finally, I managed to track down a supplier who would sell me the quantities I needed, and I was in business!” This breakthrough was not just about securing fabric; it was a testament to her determination and a crucial step in transforming Luxe 39 from an idea into a tangible reality. It underscores the importance of resilience and meticulous research in overcoming the initial barriers of setting up an artisanal business, particularly one reliant on specialized, high-quality materials.
A Kaleidoscope of Color: Crafting Bespoke Home Aesthetics
With the supply chain established, Helen’s artistic vision truly began to flourish, particularly in her approach to color. The mill she partners with provides an extensive palette, offering a vast range of hues. Helen’s initial selection process was intuitive yet strategic: “My starting point was to select colours I love which work well together.” This personal connection to color is evident in Luxe 39’s diverse offering. Today, customers can explore over 80 unique colour combination choices online, transforming the act of choosing a cushion into a delightful journey of personal expression.
Helen’s expertise extends beyond personal preference; she possesses a keen eye for emerging interior design trends, allowing her to anticipate what will resonate with her clientele. “I can spot colour trends and have an idea of what’s going to be popular,” she notes. This foresight has led to some of Luxe 39’s most popular offerings. Currently, vibrant mustard yellow and warm burnt orange stand out as best-selling colours, reflecting a broader trend towards rich, earthy tones in home decor. Building on this success, Helen is poised to launch a stunning, deep gold shade of yellow, promising another luxurious option for customers. The recent introduction of purple has also proven incredibly popular, showcasing a desire for bold, jewel-toned accents. Looking ahead, sage green is “in the pipeline,” a strategic move based on Helen’s prediction that it will become a significant color trend, offering a calming and sophisticated touch to any interior. This dynamic approach to color curation ensures Luxe 39 remains at the forefront of home styling, providing options that are both timeless and fashion-forward.
A unique selling proposition of Luxe 39 cushions is their double-sided velvet design, featuring a different, complementary color on each side. This ingenious feature offers unparalleled versatility, providing “two looks for the price of one!” Helen actively embodies this principle in her own home. “I change the cushions in my own house regularly as I make the new colours up as samples to photograph and live with them so that I can get an idea of what colours go together to offer advice to customers.” This hands-on approach allows her to provide genuine, informed guidance, helping customers select combinations that perfectly suit their existing decor and personal style. It’s a testament to her dedication to customer satisfaction and an intuitive understanding of how colors interact within a living space.
The Entrepreneurial Journey: Lessons Learned and Triumphs Achieved
Embarking on the entrepreneurial path from scratch is an endeavor fraught with learning curves and unforeseen challenges, and Luxe 39 was no exception. Helen’s journey highlights many common trials faced by small business owners, particularly those in bespoke craftsmanship.
One primary area of development was mastering operational efficiency. “I make my cushions to order in small batches, so I had to learn how to manage my fabric stock levels efficiently,” Helen explains. This careful balance is crucial for a business built on bespoke orders, where lead times are important. Any delay in fabric procurement could significantly impact customer satisfaction. Therefore, precise inventory management became a critical skill, ensuring that materials are always available to meet demand without excessive overhead or storage issues. Another significant learning curve emerged in the realm of time management and marketing strategy. In the early days, Helen invested considerable effort into social media, particularly Instagram. While a powerful platform, she soon realized that its return on investment for Luxe 39 was not always proportional to the time spent. “In the beginning, I invested too much time trying to market on Instagram. It’s very time-consuming without much return on investment.” This realization led to a strategic pivot. While Luxe 39 maintains an Instagram presence, acknowledging that some customers use it for inspiration, it now forms only a small, more focused part of her overall marketing efforts, allowing Helen to allocate her valuable time to more impactful activities.
Since its launch in July 2018, Luxe 39 has experienced consistent and encouraging growth. Helen observes that even global events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, inadvertently provided a boost to her business. “I think the situation with Covid has probably been helpful from a business point of view. People want to invest in their homes more and have extra disposable income available as they’re not going on holidays.” This shift in consumer behavior, focusing more on creating comfortable and aesthetically pleasing home environments, played directly into Luxe 39’s offerings of luxurious and personalized decor. This adaptability and the inherent resilience of the home decor market during times of uncertainty proved beneficial.
Now, three years post-launch, Luxe 39 is thriving, enjoying steady growth and a loyal customer base. Helen takes immense pride in her high rate of repeat customers, a testament to the quality of her products and the exceptional service provided. The unanimous five-star reviews across her website further validate the brand’s success and the satisfaction it brings to its patrons. Beyond the commercial triumphs, Helen finds profound personal fulfillment in her work. “I really enjoy working for myself, and it’s satisfying to be making something that brings a little colour into people’s lives.” This sentiment encapsulates the heart of Luxe 39: a business born out of passion, meticulously crafted for quality, and dedicated to enriching homes with beauty and vibrance.
Elevate Your Home with Luxe 39 Velvet Cushions
Luxe 39 stands as a beacon for those seeking to infuse their living spaces with unparalleled luxury, comfort, and color. Each cushion is not just an item of decor but a piece of art, meticulously handmade to elevate any interior design scheme. Whether you’re refreshing a living room, adding a touch of elegance to a bedroom, or searching for that perfect accent, Luxe 39 offers an exceptional range that caters to diverse tastes and needs.
To explore the exquisite collection, featuring nine different sizes and an extensive palette of over 80 vibrant colour combinations, we invite you to visit the official Luxe 39 website. Helen Gilbert is also delighted to discuss bespoke sizes, offering a truly personalized service for those with specific requirements, ensuring every customer finds their ideal velvet masterpiece. Prices for these unique, handmade velvet cushions begin at an accessible £35, making luxury attainable.
All images (c) 2021 Helen Gilbert/Luxe 39