High Street Hero: Multiyork's Creative Director, Kate Tansley

Being at the design helm of a British brand like Multiyork is no mean feat, especially when you have to oversee every creative and visual aspect of the company. However, it's a job that creative director Kate Tansley relishes, and it makes perfect use of her sklls as both a designer and an experienced furniture buyer. Specialising in all kinds of upholstered furniture, including sofas, armchairs, sofabeds and cushions, Multiyork can cover any of its frames in your choice of thousands of textiles, all sourched from well-know UK fabric houses. Since fabrics and upholstery are of such high importance to the company, it stands to reason that its creative director is an expert in the field.

Kate Tansley, creative director at Multiyork

Based in Norfolk, Kate joined the Multiyork team in 2014 having previously worked as a freelance consultant for the company. As its creative director, she supervises the 14-strong design and development team, which creates the brilliant ranges, while also overseeing the look of all the stores, ensuring they're both inspiring and inviting.

Kate's career has always involved working with fabrics in one form or another. After studying textile design at Nottingham Trent University, she began working in fashion surface design. As well as embroidering fabrics and making handbags for brands such as Paul Smith, Karen Millen, Marks & Spencer and Oasis, Kate also made one-off bridal pieces. She eventually moved into interiors, specialising in buying furniture and accessories for big-name companies,
including Harrods, BHS and TK Maxx.

Family Friendly

This elegant corner sofa is Kate's favourite piece. Long Island corfner group sofa in Warwick Maddox linen, £2,937, Multiyork

Since Multiyork prides itself in its ability to offer an almost endless array of fabric options for its upholstered furniture, Kate's passion for textiles, together with her knowledge of the interiors market, made her the perfect fit as the company's creative director. ‘Essentially, my role follows products from concept to how they look in store, and all the parts of he journey along the way,' she says.

Multiyork's main message of ‘Multi styles, Multi fabric, Multi choice' charges Kate with ensuring that the company always offers the latest fabric designs, as well as a host of timeless classics. Exclusive collaborations are also an area that Kate is keen to develop, following on from the brand's recent partnership with Monsoon. ‘We developed the range with Monsoon because we know our customers are looking for something that's on trend but, most importantly, that has longevity and timeless style,' she says. ‘We're currently working on a few other collaborations with British designers, launching this autumn.'

Tailored Look

Smart and simple. Medium Venice sofa in Moon Earth Turquoise, £1,059, Multiyork

Introducing new shapes and techniques is also key to keeping the collections current. ‘We recently launched fixed upholstered designs which is a big change for us as Multiyork has previously always specialised in tailored loose covers,' says Kate. ‘This was so we could offer more textured fabrics, such as velvets, that sometimes just don't suit removable covers. It has also given us the chance to introduce more tailored details, such as buttoning and studding, to our designs.'

The team now works eight months in advance, giving it the flexibility to respond to fashions as they emerge. ‘The fabric trends that I see coming through for autumn are all about layering textures and tones,' says Kate. ‘Deep emerald greens from the recent botanical trends will merge into natural mineral and precious stone patterns. Watercolour florals together with structured weaves make a lovely combination and add an edge to the softness of the bloom motifs. Victorian drama with its rich colour palette, together with oversized prints, will be huge, too. I've always loved Sanderson for its classical prints and I love the creativity the company shows with colour. On the flip side of that, micro-scale prints will produce really elegant repeats - I'm personally very much looking forward to that last look!'

Statement Seat

Take a leaf out of Kate's book and be brave with a bold floral fabric. Latimer armchair in Linwood Arcadia Summer Meadow, £1,199, Multiyork