Spotlight on Blackpop

With the recent launch of a new collection Paradise, which has recently gone down a storm at Decorex, it is the perfect time to interview Maxine, founder of Blackpop, a brand I have long since admired for their unashamedly bold patterns and bright and colourful designs.

Paradise is a dramatic collection that celebrates and embraces Oriental Maximalism (right up my street then!), with a definite nod to Chinoiserie. Consisting of bespoke wall murals, velvet wall hangings, velvet cushions, wallpapers and fabrics, the collection is intended for use in both residential and commercial properties, and I absolutely love it.

Blackpop also produce rugs and bespoke furniture utilising their bold and beautiful designs.

It is worth noting, that I write these pieces, firstly to showcase a brand that I have either fallen in love with, or have brought items from and I am recommending them to you, or simply because their place in the interior design community is an important one worthy of note (or all three of these) BUT I do so with an aim of also telling their story, the reasons why they decided to launch their own brand, and what challenges or successes they have had, so that anyone “sitting on the fence” about starting their own business, can read these posts and learn as much as they can to make an informed decision.

So please read on to see the beautiful new collection from Blackpop, and also hear about how and why Maxine started her brand.

1. What was the reason for starting your business?

Blackpop was founded in 2013 - I took a midlife plunge into something very special. Before Blackpop I’d been Lecturing in Digital Media for some time and badly needed a new challenge. I was looking for a surface that would accommodate my intricate design style - this was around the time where the manufacturing industry in fabrics and wallpapers went digital. I saw an opportunity where I could work with my passion for interior design and at the same time create products that were unique. I had and have a real wish to offer style hunters something different, something special for a statement wall or piece of furniture.

2. How did you start up; kitchen table, garage, spare bedroom or rental premises?

I started from home in our loft conversion which was already set up as a studio with a couple of Mac’s with Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. I’d been working digitally with Photoshop etc. since leaving University 35 years ago and being digital savvy was the key for me to take things forward with confidence. Initially Blackpop was a one-woman band I designed the first website, took all the photos and designed the marketing materials.

3. How did you fund your business?

I funded the start up with around £10,00 of savings which included exhibiting at Truman’s Brewery during London Design Festival in 2013. This was a great success for Blackpop and gave me confidence that I was on the right track. Soon after Liberty became Blackpop’s London stockist and sales started to trickle in.

4. What was the most difficult part of starting your business; access to money, advice, finding people to buy, marketing, postage and packaging or ordering stock?

I think the most difficult part of starting up was the steep learning curve, knowing how much stock to order, finding the best way to package orders up and the most economical way to ship products, how to present the wallpapers and fabrics. Paula my partner had been in the background all the time listening to my constant chatter about everything Blackpop, she devised home-made pattern books which we still make! Google was a godsend answering questions from accounting to social media...

5. What help was missing for you, if any?

I did try to get start up grants but found myself spending so much time on the forms that it was counter productive. It’s mainly cash help that start-ups need - to be able to outsource tasks but in my experience, they are usually loans or match funding, and all that stuff is not my forte!

6. Has anything gone wrong or have you had an experience that you wish you had known how to handle differently, given another chance?

Things that went wrong - actually I can’t think of any disasters, the one that does make me shudder happened much later. When filling out a customs form for 60m of fabric someone put that the fabric was a £1000 per meter instead of £100 and the client got a £6,000 tax bill which we had to pay OWCH!

7. What have you learnt?

I’ve learnt how to run a business - I went into it as a designer but it’s so much more, 90% is running Blackpop and 10% is the design time. I’m learning to delegate but we are still a small team. Paula is now full time Blackpop; she’s as much Blackpop as me and we have Kerry who’s an amazing studio assistant and Sarah who’s our social media queen.

8. What is the most important bit of advice that you could give to others starting their journey?

For others thinking of starting a business I’m sure it’s obvious, but it’s a dedication of time and tenacity. I would also say that having digital skills at your fingertips is a must.

9. What do you enjoy the most?

I love the design process and opening the first rolls of fabric and wallpaper and when the upholsterers do their magic, it’s so exciting to see the end products. I also love the trade shows meeting existing and potential clients, everyone in interiors seem so lovely.

10. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being easiest and 10 being hardest), how hard do you find it to run a business?

I would say it’s a mixture of everything, the hard work can be relentless, but it’s a rewarding lifestyle at the same time out of 10 I would guess it’s 5 out of 10 because any job done with commitment is hard work.