Balancing Business and Motherhood- Jessica Brickenden on Creating Sustainable Success with Taylor & Gray, an Irish Homewares Brand.
This interview was originally published in the living section of Image.ie.
Founder and designer Jessica Brickenden's Irish interiors brand Taylor & Gray has grown from a Covid dream of creating hand-crafted, sustainable, timeless and transparently sourced pieces to launching in Avoca. She shares the business lessons she's learned along the way and how the business remains sustainable, both for the planet and for herself as a mother.
The idea for Taylor & Gray was born in 2021 when a few key moments came together. My mum was starting a renovation of a beautiful old building on Achill Island, and we were on the hunt for unique furniture and homewares. With Covid, Brexit, and the Suez Canal crisis, supplies were hard to come by. We quickly realised how much the industry depends on cheap, fast production from the Far East, and finding European-made pieces that matched our vision was surprisingly difficult. At the same time, I had just inherited a few heirloom pieces from my grandfather, furniture he had treasured for over 50 years. It really struck me how valuable quality, long-lasting design can be, and I wanted to create a brand that brought that same sense of timeless craftsmanship into people’s homes.
When you’re passionate about something, you just go for it. Of course, I decided to take this leap while juggling life with a newborn—my second child, Hugo! Taylor & Gray is my way of offering beautiful, sustainable homewares that you can be proud to own and pass down, knowing they’re made to last and made with care.
My mission is to create timeless collections of homewares and furniture made from natural materials, inspired by organic textures and crafted exclusively in Europe. By partnering with carefully selected, certified suppliers, we ensure that every piece reflects our unwavering commitment to sustainability and superior craftsmanship. Our products enhance homes with natural beauty, enduring quality, and thoughtful design, offering a connection to nature and a sense of ethical responsibility. We are dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint and positively impacting the homewares industry, creating a better future for both our customers and the planet.
While I always had a creative streak in school, I didn’t really get the chance to explore it fully in primary and secondary school. I remember telling someone I wanted to be an interior designer in fourth year, but they dismissed it, saying the industry was too saturated. As a teenager, I took that advice to heart and chose a different path. This person had no knowledge or experience in the industry, but it shows how a throwaway comment can have a huge impact on a teenager!
In college, I studied The History of Art and Architecture with Italian at Trinity. I fell into a job in commercial operations for a clothing company and worked there for over eight years before starting the journey to setting up my business.
Design has always been in my family. My mum has a great eye for furniture, and her mother, my grandmother, ran an antique and jewellery shop in Powerscourt Town Centre. My grandmother was a true adventurer, travelling solo to places like India, Iran, and Borneo into her 70s and 80s until she had a stroke. She always had gorgeous jewellery, furniture and textiles from her travels, which I grew up around.
On my other side, my grandmother was part of Ireland’s first outbound trade mission to the U.S. It was with Córas Tráchtála (now Enterprise Ireland) with Jack Lynch and hosted by President John F Kennedy in 1962 – she already had two kids at this stage with a third on the way! She crafted handmade sheep’s wool rugs with raw wool from local Wicklow sheep farmers. She got a big order from Macy’s after this, and flew home occupied with figuring out how she was going to get them all made!
There’s a lot happening behind the scenes at Taylor & Gray. While I’m excited about the growth, I’m also pacing myself to ensure the business remains sustainable—both for the planet and for me as a mum to two young kids. I’m working on expanding our range of exclusive products, and I’m thrilled to be launching a new candle scent and cup this month, inspired by my time in Italy. I have to say, it’s absolutely divine!
Money and funding were a concern starting out and it never stops being a concern when owning a business! I think cash flow and finances are one of the hardest parts of running a business, particularly for start-ups.
One of the best pieces of advice I got was “perfection is the enemy of progress”. There are many variations of this quote, but for start-ups, if you wait for everything to be perfect, you’ll never launch! Just start, and you can progress from there. If a friend hadn’t said this to me, I would still be sitting in my office working on my website and my collections, and would never have launched!
Be selective of who you take advice from. So many people will try to give you their unwanted opinions and advice – unless they have demonstrated success or experience in their field, don’t take it to heart. It can be very damaging when trying to grow your business or brand!
I have always adored fine jewellery thanks to my grandmother. I worked in Weir & Sons during college and my love for it deepened. I love following Nigel O’Reilly. He is incredibly talented, I just love the absolute precision of his work, and the quality of the stones and materials used.
I try to buy as minimally as possible and to buy quality pieces that will last. My Louis Vuitton Neverfull has been a staple in my wardrobe and one of only a few handbags that I own, for more than 15 years! My husband and I reckon it’s had nearly 2000 wears, a definite investment piece.
There is a wonderful space at the moment for Irish brands that are producing within Ireland and Europe and I’m here for it! Inish Living and Amurelle are two in the homewares space that I love. Kindred of Ireland is a gorgeous clothing brand that uses Irish linen.
It’s the little things that make me the proudest. Seeing my first product feature in IMAGE and showing my kids was so wonderful. There have been lots of little wins that I make sure to soak up along the way! Seeing my lamps in Avoca was another pinch-me moment!
When I set up the business it was also to set up a business that made a difference, from where products were made to who made them and how they were made. I would like the brand to be remembered for making that difference and being the antithesis of fast interiors and fast furniture.
If I had to choose one person to own my designs, it would be Kate Middleton!