• Tell us more about your role at Barker and Stonehouse

My role as Creative Stylist involves being responsible for overseeing the styling and art direction of all e-commerce shoots within Barker and Stonehouse (B&S). Making sure all the creative for the shoots sits within the B&S aesthetic and to continually drive the creative forward. This entails consistent research and an understanding of new trends and styles for interiors, accessories and furniture, to stay inspired. I work closely with the creative team and buying/product departments, creating mood boards and concepts for the new ‘looks’ we want to showcase both in our seasonal brochures as well as in-store. I work between head office and our new studio – which has been another project that I have been working on with some of the B&S team.

• It sounds like a dream job! How did you feel about being appointed?

It was an amazing opportunity for me to step into this role, I feel very lucky to have it as my job. Every day is different, with new challenges and new opportunities. It’s great to be creative and expressive within my styling and how I approach photography shoots.

• When did you join the business and what did you do career or otherwise before you joined?

I have been in visual merchandising (VM) roles since 2016. I started off as a VM/shoot assistant intern at Pink Boutique which is an online fashion retailer. I then got the role at the new John Lewis store in Leeds as a visual merchandiser, where I focused on the furniture and furnishings floor. This is where I fell back in love with interiors, working on layout and designing cameo spaces for well-known brands like West Elm etc!

I moved on to work in a VM role at Ikea in Gateshead, the very well-known home furniture company. This allowed me to broaden my skills further, using CAD and other Adobe software to properly plan large spaces and areas that would attract and stop a large customer audience. I then went on maternity to have my first born – a girl named Willow, before starting at B&S in 2020 as a VM.

I was over the moon to start at B&S as it is somewhere I always loved to come to look around and feel inspired by. I worked on the shop floor as a VM for four years – this would typically involve furniture layout, seasonal changes, accessory merchandising and so on. This four year period also included another maternity leave, where I was off with my second born Lola. I went on to work on larger projects in 2023, including being involved with sorting out decor for the new Metro Centre store and then our new creative studio that was built at the warehouse alongside my VM role. This led me to the lovely opportunity to step up to Creative Stylist in January 2024.

• How have your studies helped you to develop in your career to date?

My studies have massively helped as they allowed me to believe in my creativity and to trust the whole process behind it. My degree and college-level studies both helped me to work to deadlines, work on client briefs, present work to groups, analyse what worked and what didn’t in the creative process – everything that I do day-to-day in my new role now. My involvement with decor in store and the studio is also a lovely way for me to use my textiles and surface degree background in various spaces. Figuring out colour palettes and patterns of designs that would complement our furniture and its surroundings with the ‘looks’ we want to present.

• What plans/dreams do you have for the future?

My future dreams would be to keep on working on new, exciting projects. Possibly work on my collaborative projects and push myself creatively. Our studio space has so much potential and is something I’m really keen on developing, pushing through fresh ideas, new set builds and seeing how it can really grow.

• Any tips for young creatives starting out or thinking of studying for a creative degree course like the BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design degree you studied? And any advice about how to get into a creative career?

My tips for young creatives who are thinking about studying a creative degree like Textiles is to really get stuck in, explore lots of ideas – see what works for you and where you want to focus. Then push this, don’t be afraid to reach out to suppliers or people in the industry for advice and, if the possibility for an internship comes up, take it. My internship at Timorous Beasties in Glasgow fuelled my love for textiles and interiors further. Your confidence will grow the more you put yourself out there. LinkedIn is a great platform for putting out your professional work as well as Instagram. It’s great for networking and showcasing your talents.

• What are your fondest memories of studying at the School?

One of my fondest memories is meeting my best friends there at the college level campus in Middlesbrough. Coming from secondary school, where I wasn’t academic and didn’t feel like I truly ‘fitted in’, it was an amazing experience surrounding yourself with other creative people who just understand each other. I then carried these friends onto my degree programme and met more new, lovely people. I grew in confidence massively and the textiles degree course allowed me to try so many new processes and techniques with wonderful teachers who made learning it all fun – I wish I could come back to study!

You can take a look at examples of Rhianon’s styling on her Instagram feed @_rv_creates, the Barker & Stonehouse website here and on the following social media channels:

• Instagram: @barkerandstonehouse
• Tiktok: @barkerandstonehouse
• X: @isyourhouse 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barkerandstonehouse
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/barker-and-stonehouse/

The Northern School of Art’s exciting and innovative degree BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design degree offers students exceptional studios, workshops and resources. Find out more HERE