Crafting Comfort and Character

A Conversation with Holly Wicks, Founder of Zeal Interiors

Soft furnishings often sit quietly in the background of an interior, but they have a huge influence on how a space feels. From adding warmth and texture to shaping light and acoustics, they play a far bigger role than many people realise. We recently sat down with Holly Wicks, founder of Zeal Interiors, to talk about her journey, her approach to craftsmanship and what goes into creating truly bespoke curtains and soft furnishings.

In 2016, a creative shift brought Zeal Interiors into being. After a career in media and copywriting, the decision to set up a studio felt less like a leap and more like a return to something deeply familiar. “I really missed creative freedom and making things with my hands,” she explains. “I learned traditional seamstress techniques from my mum when I was young and worked with her intermittently as I grew up. Setting up my own studio felt like a natural progression.”

With parents who furnished stately homes and boutique hotels across Somerset, the pull towards quality, craftsmanship and scale was already built in. Rather than simply following trends, her work is rooted in understanding what fabrics do, how they hang, how they filter light and how they elevate a room’s atmosphere. “Home is a sanctuary,” Holly goes on to say. “From the beginning, I wanted to help create drapes that are cocooning, elegant and personal. Pieces that bring comfort and stand the test of time.”

Her process begins not with swatches, but with conversation. A site visit is as much about listening as it is about measuring. Heights and hardware matter, but so do the small details, a projecting door handle here, a sloping ceiling there, the way natural light moves through a room. From there, fabric selection becomes a collaboration. “We think carefully about what fabric is going to suit the finished scheme and whether an interlining might soften acoustics or add that extra sense of luxury and insulation. It’s about how it feels, not just how it looks.”

Production and fitting are treated with equal care. Hardware is installed by trusted craftspeople in advance, and dress in day becomes a moment of transformation. It isn’t simply about hanging fabric. It’s about steaming, settling pleats and creating that lived in, crease free finish that makes soft furnishings feel like they have always belonged.

Working with interior designers adds another layer to the process. Being involved early, seeing drawings, visuals and mood boards, helps shape the details. Designers have a multitude of elements to coordinate, and Zeal Interiors aims to make soft furnishings a seamless part of that wider vision, adapting and resolving together as projects evolve.

Sourcing materials is treated with the same attentiveness. Only fabrics, hardware and trims that are built to last make the cut. If a client is drawn to a fabric that won’t wear well or perform as needed, she will suggest alternatives, always with honesty and a view to longevity. “I want our products to not only look good but work well for years,” she says. “That’s why I also recommend heavy duty curtain hardware, especially when thermal interlinings add weight. The hardware needs to glide smoothly, so nothing gets damaged.”

Every window presents its own challenge and opportunity. No two are the same, whether in period homes with architectural quirks or contemporary spaces with clean lines, and problem solving is part of the craft. The availability of adaptable hardware solutions, custom projections, angled brackets and robust backplates means even the trickiest details can be resolved thoughtfully.

Balancing traditional technique with modern practice also plays a key role. Bespoke soft furnishings honour age old hand sewing traditions, yet there’s also space for state-of-the-art industrial machines where they make sense. Inspiration is woven from many places, including a vibrant online community of makers whose shared knowledge enriches her process.

One of the most rewarding aspects of her work, she says, is the personal response from clients. People often comment on the level of detail and the bespoke nature of the service, and fitting day can be an emotional moment, the point where vision becomes reality. Many homeowners return again for future projects, a testament to the trust that grows through collaboration.

Some projects leave an especially meaningful imprint. One client, for instance, chose William Morris’ Blackthorn fabric, a design from her childhood home, as a way of honouring her late mother. Making these curtains became more than a design decision. It became a heartfelt connection to memory and place.

Looking ahead, there’s excitement about the future. Plans are underway to move into a larger studio to expand capacity and offer creative workshops, from café curtain making to cushion design and textile mood boarding. The fabric library itself continues to grow, with plans to bring in more sample books from renowned houses such as Romo, Ian Mankin, Linwood and House of Hackney.

A current collaboration with Inuti Interiors, crafting sumptuous Linwood Omega velvet curtains and textured Romo bouclé for a home in Clifton, feels like the beginning of many shared creative moments to come.

Soft furnishings, she reminds us, are not merely an afterthought. They are part of the way we live with spaces, reflect personal style and create atmospheres that feel just right.