Designer outlet: Kerry Jackson of MM Linen aims to bring the outdoors in with her focus on bright florals

From the other side of the world, Kerry Jackson’s company, MM Linen, is adept at bringing bold floral designs to bedding and other household items and her products, which are designed by an array of international artists, are available through outlets in the UK.

Kerry says: “Botanicals and florals are signature to our brand. From large format to small ditsy florals, we’ve got it all covered. There is nothing like being harmonious with the outdoors.”

In terms of giving a bedroom a winter makeover, she says: “Go with what you personally love, whatever makes you happy and creates your own personal sanctuary.

“Whether it be teaming floral curtains with plain bedding and an array of interesting cushions – the more the better, as far as I am concerned – or going the whole way and matching your curtains with your bedding for maximum impact.

“Lighting is also really important to create a peaceful mood, and not too much clutter in furniture.”

Kerry studied interior design, then spent 20 years as a homewares buyer, finally setting up her company later in life. She explains: “My senior buying role was relocated to Auckland as I just turned 50, and I couldn’t move cities due to my family being in the South Island of New Zealand. Being self-employed and running a business myself was what I aspired to do.”

She founded a partnership with a UK-based business associate and MM Linen now sells across Britain, the US, South Africa, Australia and the UAE.

Kerry says: “We have a team based in the UK, and long-standing relationships to leading UK retailers. It has been a thrill to have been in the top two highest performing bed linen brands at John Lewis for the past two years, proving it’s all about design and quality.”

She says of the products: “It is about transposing my love for floral fashion in an array of colours. While botanicals have always had a home in so many interiors, the look and feel I wanted to create was large format, hand-painted, and unique designs that made a real impact and followed all the colour trends in fashion.

“I guess I would say the range is ‘affordable elegance’, using quality fabrics. This supports our company’s sustainable stance, and provides a product that really stands the test of time.”

MM Linen’s bedding is made from pure cotton and linen, for breathability, with high thread counts designed to last.

The company is totally carbon neutral, offsetting all emissions from its manufacturing process into clean energy plants, and it has also created fully sustainable fabric packaging.

Artists are spread out across the world, but work to a brief from Kerry in terms of inspiration and colours. She says: “We create new ranges every six months. We have to be conscious of the different countries and their seasons, so our designs really are across the board in depth of colour and seasonality.”

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