Creative Homes Come From Curiosity with Michal Silver of Christopher Farr Cloth
In this episode of the Slow Style Home Podcast, I speak with Michal Silver, Creative Director at Christopher Farr Cloth, whose work is guided by curiosity, collaboration, and a deep respect for history. Michal shares how their textiles and wallpapers grow slowly from long conversations with artists, archives, and craftspeople around the world—allowing time for ideas to unfold rather than following fast-paced production cycles. She reflects on the joy of being pushed out of her comfort zone, the role of the hand in design, and the importance of creating interiors that feel personal and lived-in rather than perfect. Ultimately, this conversation is about embracing the slow evolution of home and creativity—letting spaces grow with us, layer by layer.
Watch this episode on YouTube HERE
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In this episode, I speak with Michal Silver, Creative Director at Christopher Farr Cloth, the London-based textile and wallpaper studio known for its deeply artistic approach to pattern, collaboration, and craft. The conversation is a reminder that design can be slow, thoughtful, curious—and richer for it.
Michal’s reflections encourage us to let creativity unfold over time, to trust process, and to see our homes as evolving expressions of how we live and what moves us.
The Creative Culture of London Design
Michal describes the British design sensibility as inherently eclectic—a place where antiques meet bold contemporary elements, creating interiors that feel layered and lived-in rather than polished or perfect. She explains that Christopher Farr Cloth embraces this sensibility by working with a wide range of artists, designers, and archives, allowing each collaboration to become its own journey.
This diversity ensures that every collection feels distinct and evolving, while still rooted in the studio’s identity.
The Power of Time in the Creative Process
One of the most striking themes is time. Michal emphasizes that creativity cannot be hurried. She describes moments during a project where she suddenly dislikes everything they’ve created—and has learned to step back for weeks or even months before returning with a fresh perspective.
Because Christopher Farr Cloth is not driven by corporate production schedules, collections are released only when they are ready—sometimes only six patterns instead of twelve. This restraint keeps the work grounded and meaningful.
A Collaboration That Required Starting Over
Michal shares a memorable collaboration with Japanese ceramicist Makoto Kagoshima, whose hand-drawn patterns appear on individual plates—each one unique. Michal initially assumed they could simply translate his motifs directly into fabric, but Kagoshima insisted the medium required a different approach. He asked to start again entirely from the beginning, taking time to understand how pattern repeats work on cloth.
This collection took over two years to develop—an embodiment of slow craft at its finest.
Honoring the Legacy of Anni Albers
The studio’s work with the Anni Albers archive is a powerful example of respecting history while speaking to the present. Michal explains that their goal was to stay true to Albers’ original Bauhaus-era patterns while making thoughtful adjustments—adding texture, updating fibers, and developing new colorways inspired by the work of Anni’s husband, Josef Albers.
The result is a collection that feels both timeless and contemporary—alive with geometry, tactility, and thoughtful restraint.
Embroidery as Sculpture: The Work of Véronique de Soultrait
A more recent collaboration with Véronique de Soultrait began when Michal discovered work that appeared to be embroidery but was actually rope and cord applied entirely by hand. To translate this into textiles, they worked with artisans in India who hand-guide embroidery machines—creating pieces that carry the imprint of many hands and cultures.
The result is exuberant, touchable, deeply human textiles that remind us that ornament can be joyful, not decorative for decoration’s sake.
Interiors as Evolving Stories
Michal discusses how creativity is not limited to professional artists—every person expresses creativity simply in how they pair a chair with a lamp, or arrange books on a shelf. Homes evolve because we evolve.
Small adjustments—pillows, drapery, a new textile—can shift a room’s energy without demanding an overhaul. Change can be seasonal, intuitive, or simply based on desire.
Let Curiosity Lead
At the heart of this conversation is openness. Michal speaks with gratitude about waking up excited for her work, still curious after decades in the industry.
Her example reminds us that:
Creativity doesn’t require rushing.
Beauty is often built slowly.
Our homes are living spaces, not finished products.
When we follow curiosity, we grow—not only in our spaces, but in ourselves.
Until Next Time
-Zandra