She is a young Bulgarian and the creator of Nuagehome, a small brand for handcrafted home products, based in Sofia. All her products are proudly handcrafted, trendy, pure and timeless. We needed to know more about and meet Jenny, the friendly owner.
Jenny received me in her workshop in the city center of the Bulgarian capital a Monday morning. I had just taken a fine in the bus (long story because, yes, I had paid my ticket but it was apparently not valid anymore…), and I was a little bit disgusted (in private : enraged, enervated.. no word enough strong to tell you about). Fortunately, Jenny greeted me with her calm, her usual smile grin and her sparkling eyes. I immediately forgot my misadventure. Jenny is a very discrete girl who prefers to be behind the photo lens than to be the model. So there is no picture of her in this article. Fortunately, we still have her Instagram..
©Nuagehome Instagram
I discovered a very nice creative studio with an atmosphere filled with handmade products. Her products are divided into two lines. Kids collection where she plays with minimalism and screen printing, and home textile products for interiors in which we can feel nature presence.
@Madamebulgaria
Let’s go for the interview.
Jenny, tell us more about you ? Where are you from in Bulgaria ? How were you when you were a child ?
I am a co-owner and designer at Nuagehome, a small brand for homewares. I spent the first years of my life in a small very beautiful Bulgarian town in the Eastern Rhodopes, which is now conservation Park. My memories of this period of my life are the river, the mountain, meadows full with blackberries and haw, fireflies, and a lot of stars in the sky. So the nature and the connection with it is an integral part of my life from an early age.
So, you are the founder of the Brand Nuagehome. Your pictures on instagram make us want to buy everything you sell. Tell us how it all happened, your dream job when you were younger, how/when did you start to create crafts things, to launch your own brand ?
My mother is a woman with style and a lot of dresses and shoes, (which of course were my dream ). She loved listening Vivaldi at home and there were always flowers on the table and big red tomatoes in the garden. I guess in this atmosphere it is not surprising that I did not become a doctor. One of my favourite things was to reorganize my room every week and every time in a different style. I just like to compose space. I think I always wanted to have my own brand, because at this time I also made my own t-shirts and i was so proud when girls asked me where they can buy them. I always loved to create things with my own hands.
@Madamebulgaria
As a craft, what does inspire you when creating your products ? Tell us more about your products ? How do you imagine them ?
My inspiration comes from nature. And I think nature (and by nature I also mean the geography and fruits that it gave birth) is directly related to the manners and the cultures of one country. For example, when Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule, they find protection and peace in the big and stately, mountain. Bulgarian folklore chants mountains and forest in many ways. And that is why the colors in bulgarian crafts are into the this mountain brown range of colors. Unfortunately my temperament doesn’t fit with this mood. At first, Nuage was a small shop for bed linens and homewares and my first inspiration for it were Provеnce. This region for me, have very specific cosiness which I was inspired from. Bread, cheese, flowers and romantic cotton lace and linen were in my head at his time.
@Nuagehome Instagram
At some point I just had enough and was tired of flowers and lace and I wanted something more simple. As I said my inspiration is always nature. So one day i was reading about the different interiors styles and I found a very simple and at the same time vivid definition of Morocco, which just blew my mind : « Vibrant colors of red and rich orange inspired by African sunsets, green and blue found in the shimmering Mediterranean, tones of gold, light brown, yellow and silver from the surrounding desert create a tropical atmosphere by bringing each element into the interior style ».
One of the most beautiful things I have ever read in my life. So at this moment this kind of beauty is my inspiration in inexplicable ways.
Many cute baskets, are you a fan ?
Yes, I am a big fan of baskets, but Nuagehome is not just the baskets. We have also linen throws, which you can use like a tablecloth, like a beach towel or for a picnic . The design of the patterns is also mine. I use block or silkscreen print for it. A small kids collection is also a nice part of Nuagehome. It consist of a big toys bag, little bags for all kind of stuff or travelling, and kids backpacks.
@Madamebulgaria
You create many things from agave rope. Why ? What are the materials you like to work on ?
When Nuagehome was a shop for bed linen I used materials and fabric purchased from the big stocks in Sofia, which you can see in others artists products too, and it was just not so professional and not the way I wanted Nuagehome to look. Now i use materials from small Bulgarian boutique factories. The linen I use are from possibly the last textile factory here in Bulgaria, in Samokov. Very beautiful linen textiles with a very raw and natural texture. The rope for my baskets I buy from a small family factory based in North Bulgaria but with a shop here in Sofia. They themselves braid the ropes, even the agave one, the materials for which they get from Mexico.
@Madamebulgaria.
How would you describe your products in general ?
I would like my products to look like a piece of nature but in other dimension.
We’ve seen that you use to sell in the USA. Anywhere else ?
We ship worldwide.
What are your plans for the future ?
My next dream is rugs… Finally we found a weaver with whom I am hoping to work in the future.
You’ve always lived in Bulgaria ? How do you feel here ? Your whole family lives in Bulgaria ?
Yes, I’ve always lived here. I’m feeling goof ! My mother lives with her husband in Greece and my brothers are living in Germany.
Would you say that Bulgaria is a good country to undertake ? What can you tell us about this ? What would be your advice to those who want to launch their business here ? What is your opinion about Bulgaria in general ?
Yes, definitely, Bulgaria is a very nice country with many undiscovered opportunities for people who are motivated and passionated by a project. Lot of things and new projects are created and launched every day in Bulgaria without no lot of money needed to start. MB : So thank you Jenny for this little friendly interview.We hope the best for you and your brand Nuagehome.
More : Follow Nuagehome on Facebook and Instagram / www.nuagehome.com / Contact Jenny : jenny.iv@mail.bg
All pictures by @Madamebulgaria.
