Susanne Redfield is blog contributor at Fireclay Tile and has collaborated with their team to craft their newest hand painted collections. She has a keen eye for colour and design and uses her experience to inspire readers and customers looking to revitalise their home. Fireclay Tile craft beautifully design tiles for their customers, including Susanne’s latest range. She is also the founder of Kibak tile, where she has offered clients historically relevant designs for over 25 years. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Susanne Redfield.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style when manufacturing new designs?
With my strong Scandinavian roots I lean towards clean lines and simple statements. I embrace color, but when designing ceramic tile I know a little color goes a long way so restraint and editing are always on my mind.
2) When looking to launch a new tile range, what is your creative process?
I start with one image that really resonates, and go from there, exploring the shapes, playing with scale and space. I want the collection to feel like a family, each member unique but obviously from the same gene pool. Choosing a cohesive palette is key, balancing gloss and matte glazes, keeping it simple but not boring, pairing unexpected shades, nurturing the happy accidents!
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
Definitely the people with a passion for the entire process, who live, dream, and are forever curious. I remember Harry Lawenda, mentor to designers like Angelo Donghia, Jack Lenor Larsen, and Robin Roberts of Clarence House, sitting on the floor of his office with me ploughing through all my tile samples and marvelling, his questions, his support was invaluable in shaping my career.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
There is no place like a museum for brilliant inspiration, from fine arts, to natural history, fashion and industrial design. What a gift to drift through thousands of years of the creative spirit in metal, clay, cloth or canvas.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to enter the tile industry?
I started my own business when I was 24, my fundamental understanding that this is where I belong and that I have more to explore and give is what has brought me here today, collaborating with Fireclay Tile, a company bursting with young energy and innovative ideas. Advice? Spend time working with others and learning the trade from the ground up.
