Meet The Maker – Johanna Franks, Creative Director of Love Frankie

It’s been a crazy time for Love Frankie and we have lots of new designs brewing. On the workbench today is my laptop, phone, camera ready for a shoot this afternoon, copious amounts of new fabric samples, 2 full cups of cold tea and about 40 post it notes with frantically scribbled working drawings. I am working on some new fabric designs this morning which will be used for a range of portable lamps launching very soon.

Love Frankie is a vibrant and playful brand that celebrates individuality, with a focus on bold colours, patterns and show stopping pieces. The Love Frankie style is a mix of excellent craftsmanship, a riot of colour and textures and a carefree spirit which blends vintage-inspired elements with modern touches.

Finding inspiration for our lampshade designs is one of my most rewarding parts of the creative process. Whether it’s the vibrant hues found in nature, the nostalgic pops of colour from vintage pieces or colours and textures from everyday life.

Inspiration can pop up in the most unusual of places. I’ve had crazy dreams which have translated into colour combinations and a fluke trip to the shops found me using a can of tuna as the inspo for our new Peach Fuzz fabric! There is inspiration everywhere, you just need to learn how to tap into your internal filter and pull things from the archive of your mind at the right time. From wildflowers to the colours of a bird’s feathers, if you keep your eyes open, your brain will store all this amazing info for you to feast on when the time is right.

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to run my own business, with a passion for interior design and being a dab hand on the sewing machine and able to turn my hand to most DIY projects, I knew I wanted to make and create for a living. Learning the skills of how to make a lampshade came from (a lot) of trial and error. Finding the right suppliers for PVC, tapes, fabrics and even sturdy boxes meant a lot of mistakes along the way. But with 16 years of lampshade making under my belt I think it’s safe to say we’ve nailed it now!

Ahh our Portable Lamp collection has been such a dream to create. It embodies our passion for bold, statement lighting that seamlessly blends classic and contemporary styles. Inspired by the iconic floor lamps of the 1960s, we’ve meticulously recreated the timeless silhouette, giving it a modern twist that makes it perfect for the present day.

The introduction of rechargeable LED smart bulbs was a game-changer, allowing us to make these lamps truly portable. Now, our customers can effortlessly move their light around the home, placing it wherever the need arises. This versatility has been a resounding success, making our Portable Lamps is one of our most popular collections to date. We have plans in the pipeline to launch lots of lovely new fabrics in our Portable Lamp Collection as our customers cannot get enough of them!

To complement our collection of lampshades we have curated a selection of textiles using some of our best selling fabrics from our lampshade range.  Allowing the maximalists out there to not only covet the shade but matching cushions, wallpaper and fabric by the metre too.  This year also saw the release of my first collection of art prints and posters, designed by me and printed here in the UK. With styles ranging from typography prints to tribal inspired designs and our latest trippy mushrooms collection “Spellbound”.

Dannells have been a game-changer for our business. Their products and services have allowed us to seamlessly develop and grow as a business and meet the demands of our customers. The team at Dannells are passionate, knowledgeable, and always on hand to provide expert advice and suggestions. Their product range is constantly expanding, making it easy for us to bring our creative visions to life with ease. Dannells is more than just a supplier – it’s a hub of knowledge and inspiration that has been integral to the success of our business. We can’t imagine working with anyone else!

The market may be saturated, but that shouldn’t discourage new lampshade makers from entering the field. In fact, it’s the perfect time to find your niche and stand out from the crowd.

Don’t be afraid to take risks and be bold. When it seems like everyone is making lampshades, that means you have the opportunity to offer something truly unique. What isn’t being offered already? What can you bring to the table that sets you apart?

Be a risk-taker and don’t always take no for an answer. Believe in yourself and your vision, and don’t try to copy or mimic the style of others. They’re already doing it, and you need to find your own path.

Most importantly, be true to yourself. Create the things you genuinely love, not what you think people will like. This is where Love Frankie’s really found its feet, when I started to make and design the things that I really wanted to create.

Love Frankie started in a very different guise when I opened my first store in Brighton. Here I sold my lampshades, cushions and some pretty awesome kids clothes, all handmade in the studio at the back of the shop.

My family and I are now based in Devon, (after a brief dalliance back in London again) where, in 2018 I opened the doors to Love Frankie once again on Totnes High Street. It was a great way for me to meet new people in the area and really push Love Frankie to be the interiors brand it is today.

After six incredible years on the busy bustling Totnes high street, we are now embarking on an exciting new chapter in the Love Frankie journey. We have relocated to a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose Studio space staying in our vibrant town of Totnes. The Studio will double up as a Showroom, photography studio, and meeting place for us to launch our all new Interior Design service. Building work will start on the studio in the spring of 2025 which will see us building a mezzanine floor to house our office and packing space and zone the open plan studio.

One aspect of our business that has truly flourished over the past few years is our debut collection of in-house designed fabrics. The overwhelming response from our wonderful Love Frankie Gang has inspired us to take this part of our business to new heights. With this relocation, I have been able to spend more time designing, allowing us to offer an even wider array of in house designed fabrics, cushions, wall coverings, and of course, our signature collection of lampshades.

I think we have always been willing to take risks and have forged ahead of the pack with new and exciting  designs, making some pretty wild fabric choices and not being scared to explore our maximalist aesthetic. Our risk taking is our USP and there’s only more to come.

Running a business is bloody hard work, you need resilience, hard graft and the patience of a saint. You also need to truly trust your team and understand how to get the best from them and also be prepared to take constructive criticism. I’m happy to say that my wonderful team has all stuck with me for donkeys so I must be doing something right! It’s all about mutual respect and communication.

Oh, the joys of social media! While many companies boast a whole team dedicated to their social media marketing, here I am – just little ol’ me, armed with nothing but my phone and an unwavering determination to reply to as many lovely folks as possible. Honestly, it feels like a full-time job at times! I’ve discovered that this personal touch is what really sets Love Frankie apart.

People aren’t just buying products; they’re buying into me — the face behind the brand. My dog occasionally steals the limelight, and my kids make special guest appearances. It’s not about hard-selling; it’s about sharing life – Love Frankie life! So, as I navigate this wild world of likes and shares, and the pesky algorithm. I can’t help but feel grateful for how social media has turned many amazing customers into friends.

Ah, the age-old question: Well, if I’m being honest, I don’t. Well, I do – sort of – but it’s more like a chaotic dance that involves a lot of tripping over. Thankfully, I have an amazing team who seem to possess some sort of magical organisational skills. They not only help me keep my calendar in check but also make sure I actually take some downtime.

And let’s not forget about my kids; they’re a little bit older now and off gallivanting at school and college. This means fewer interruptions during work hours. So yes, while it can be a struggle to balance everything without resembling a headless chicken, there are glimmers of hope amidst the chaos!

Tea for the win

Our studio space is my workspace, doubling up as my photography studio and warehouse. We’re looking to build a mezzanine in here to allow the stock to be out of view and to open up the downstairs to the wonderful people of Devon once again.

Running my business from a hammock on a beach somewhere tropical!

We are about to launch a new collection of soft shades and also add to our super popular Portable Lamp collections. We can’t tell you anything else or we would have to kill you!