Who is Saunton & Fleur?
Ruth’s story.
From Americana…
I got my original inspiration for restoring and reusing back in the 1980s, during the years I lived in America, with very little money coming in. Way before vintage became so fashionable!
I turned old cable reels into tables, by covering them with beautiful pieces of fabric and lace; decorated wooden ladders for wall art; and generally used whatever I could put my hands on. It definitely ignited my passion for creating unique decorative pieces, each with their own distinctive story, and taught me all kinds of new skills.
…to Victoriana.
Two children, a modelling career and film work later I found myself in 2010, renovating and redesigning a house with my husband. As part of the look and feel we wanted to create for our new family home, I began sourcing, restoring and hand-painting old Victorian furniture, reimagining both its style and purpose to create something new and original. I got so much joy from doing it, I decided to turn my passion into a business in 2012, and see if others felt the same.
Home and design
Four years later, we decided to embark on the privilege and challenge of building our own home. I put my business on the back burner, still trading but on a smaller scale, and took on the role of project manager. It was scary but we wanted a completely different style of house so I knew I had to take the reins and lead the way. We were aiming for an old farmhouse look, using beautiful, timeworn used materials wherever possible, and I’m pleased to say we feel as if we achieved it.
Love and experience
As you can imagine, everything I’ve learnt and experienced over the years has continued to fire my imagination, hone my skills and deepen my love for creating one-off storytelling pieces. I wanted a whole new look and reinvention for my business to share my story and ethos with all the kindred spirits out there…and that’s how Saunton & Fleur was born.
Share your story.
I’d love to know what inspires your style, whether you’re drawn to vintage, unique handcrafted design or restoring and reusing. Get in touch or share your stories & photographs on our social media.
Our home build.
Our home was a labour of love, a real insight into the style of furniture I love to create. Built from scratch we designed every room to create the lifestyle we were looking for.
