Bruce Sparham
Bruce apprenticed as a cabinet maker at the age of 18 and has been making and fitting furniture, kitchens, libraries and bedrooms out of new and reclaimed timber ever since. Luckily, he moved from Sussex to Cornwall at some point along the line and Katharine met him when he came to build a library at her house in 2024.
Just back from a two-month surf trip in Sri Lanka, Bruce was a reluctant but captive audience for Katharine to discuss plans for Minni Parker. During this time, she managed to convince him to build the nook beds in her attic which formed the backdrop to the first Minni Parker photoshoot, as well as the footstools her great grandfather used to make.
Katharine’s mother hand drew these footstools from memory, and the patience and skill with which Bruce has gone on to construct them is a real testament to the man himself.
LIZZIE HOWARD
Lizzie makes every cushion in the Minni Parker collection. She is also responsible for all the blinds, curtains, seat cushions and the headboard that featured in the first Minni Parker photoshoot.
Lizzie calls herself a curtain maker and that’s true, it’s just difficult to isolate exactly what Lizzie does because, for almost everything Katharine has ever asked her, the answer has been “yes”. Since Katharine met Lizzie a few years ago Lizzie has made virtually every soft furnishing in Katharine’s home. So, when Minni Parker began, there was no one else Katharine trusted to bring her designs to life like Lizzie.
Lizzie moved to Cornwall from Yorkshire at six years old when her father was posted here by the RAF. In her 20’s she began helping at a curtain business where she met Marion who went on to become her good friend and mentor. Marion is still the voice in Lizzie’s head, and Lizzie credits her with everything she knows.
Every time Lizzie does one job it leads to another, and this has taken her all over the UK and across the world. Lizzie loves the fact that her work will last 30 years plus and feels very lucy that she has never seen it as a job.
If you cannot find cushions in the size you are looking for on our website, Lizzie can make them bespoke to your project or requirement. She also takes commissions for curtains so please get in touch and let us know what you need.
DECORUM TILES
Ray Koomen from Decorum first knocked on Katharine’s door when a box of his was misdelivered to her house. Realising who he was, Katharine dragged him into her kitchen to show him a drawing of a ribbon she had just designed for Minni Parker and ask if he would be able to turn it into a tile. Ray, it turns out, can do almost anything. Katharine and Ray have spoken nearly every day since and, with Ray’s team of extraordinary artists, Decorum now produce all tiles and ceramics in the Minni Parker range. There is so much more to come from this collaboration.
Decorum was founded by Ray over 30 years ago in Oxfordshire. Quality and artistry were at the heart of Decorum then and that remains true today.
Having relocated to the glorious north coast of Cornwall in 2018, their mission is to create beautiful, hand decorated tiles that people will love. It’s as simple as that. They work with local artists who have the same passion for the landscape that they do, all the while bringing a creative and sometimes unexpected twist to the designs they offer.
IMOGEN POPE
Imogen Pope lampshades are instantly recognisable. They are the making of any room and, since launching her studio in 2021, Imogen’s shades have featured in countless interiors magazines and some of the most beautiful homes in the world.
Katharine and Imogen were both nine months pregnant when they met at anti-natal class, and they went on to spend virtually every day of a very happy year on maternity leave together. When Katharine left London for Cornwall, Imogen was so devastated that she felt she had to throw herself into something big, and Imogen Pope London was born…
That, admittedly, is not exactly how it went, but the first part is true, and Imogen and Katharine have been very close friends ever since.
Imogen has made virtually every lampshade in Katharine’s house, and it is a total dream for Katharine to see her fabrics brought to life by Imogen’s shades.
If you would like to order a bespoke Imogen Pope shade in Minni Parker fabric, please order using the bespoke option on Imogen’s website and she will be able to advise you on the amount of fabric you need.