Photography by Alex Jeffries Photography Group.
Interior designer, Leigh-Ann Steele, launches her own bespoke high quality handmade linen collection, Butterscotch Baby, for babies and children in Dubai. Leigh-Ann moved here to Dubai in 2010 from London where she worked as an interior designer for many years. Although her move to the land of sunshine had its initial challenges, she still describes it as her best one yet. She worked for Hacker Kitchens as a Senior Designer before leaving after 6-years with them to launch her own design consultancy collaborating with other designers and to focus on Butterscotch Baby, a family-based business in South Africa. Leigh-Ann has kindly created a bespoke linen collection for all my children, and it is just utterly divine with top quality linens with the highest thread count She tells us more about Butterscotch Baby and how she designed each concept for the children. It was perfect timing as we are transitioning as a family out of the baby phase now, and wanted something a little more sophisticated for the children. However, for expectant mums, Leigh-Ann can also create the most magical nursery too.
#Can you describe how the whole concept of Butterscotch Baby Linens was created?
Butterscotch is a bespoke baby and kids linen brand. It was started by my family in South Africa 8 years ago. It was still a relatively new concept which has steadily grown worldwide.
It isn’t always possible to find the exact design that you have created in your mind’s eye and that’s where our designers come in to guide and support. Alternatively, some of our clients don’t really know what they want but they do know that they want it to be unique!
I have worked in the interior design industry for many years. As such I always admired the beautiful linens that were being created by my Cousin and Aunt in their very successful business based in Johannesburg.
I had mentioned to countless friends that it would be a great idea to bring this product to the UAE…. And then one day it dawned on me that this was going to be my next career. And so Butterscotch finally arrived in the UAE. It has taken a lot of time and hard work but worth every minute!
#What makes the linens so unique and where are they actually manufactured?
All our products are manufactured at our studio in Johannesburg. This ensures that each item is meticulously made, and quality checked before being shipped.
We have just completed a project for a very creative mum, who wanted her own hand drawn images and her little girls name in her individual handwriting on her linen. It came out beautifully and is totally unique to her.
We only use 100% cotton and 300 thread percale linen. It washes very well and lasts a long time.
We can do any fabric combination from a range of 100s of different designs in our range. If we don’t have it, we will find it. We also collaborate with a very talented artist from time to time. We can create a bespoke fabric design which we print to order if the client wanted something completely different.
With the UAE being such a melting pot. We have clients from all four corners of the globe. This means different furniture and linen sizes. We can create practically anything in terms of the design, size and specification.
Some people don’t really know what they want at the outset, so we take them through the design process and create really beautiful linens for them. From clean and contemporary mono chrome to whimsical and bright.
#For mums wanting to order a linen collection, what is the full process of ordering a bespoke collection?
It is a very easy process.
#1 Contact
Send us an email, call us or request a call back.
#2 Design
If you know exactly what you would like we can supply a quote immediately.
If not, we are happy for one of our designers to visit you at home to look at fabric swatches and put together a combination and range if items to suit the nursery or kids room.
#3 Order
When the order is agreed with the client, we will do a fabric swatch mood board and sketch to confirm that everything is correct. We then send it off to our Studio in South Africa to go into production.
#4 Production & Shipping
Once it has been produced and gone through a rigorous quality check we ship it to Dubai.
#5 Delivery
It is then delivered directly to you either in person by your designer or via courier.
It really is a simple process!
#How long, on average, will it take to receive the linens in Dubai once the collection has been designed?
Our lead times vary between 4-8 weeks depending on the order and time of year. This may seem a long time compared to walking into a retail outlet and buying off the shelf, but it is important to note that this is a fully bespoke item and made to order on an individual basis. You won’t find your bespoken linen in a shop.
We find that most of our expectant mums start planning the nursery very early on. In some instances, we get the call just after their 12-week scan and big announcement to friends and family. So, this leaves more than enough time to plan and deliver their beautiful linen.
They can also add items along the way. We keep a record of all our designs for each client so in a years’ time if they wanted to add to the scheme we can easily do that with very little fuss.
#Does Butter Scotch only cater for bespoke collections or do you hold a small collection of items here?
Our current offering is completely bespoke and made to order for each client. We are however in the process of creating individual ranges for a few Baby boutiques and retail outlets. These will still have their own unique theme, but you won’t be able to personalise them with things like your baby’s name or a quote etc…
We are very excited about these collaborations as there are lots of clients looking for a last-minute gift or mums closer to their due date. This is an excellent option for occasions like baby showers that are still unique and beautifully made.
#Apart from linens, what other items can people choose? I understand that you have a new collection of sleep pods too?
Our sleep pods are amazing and come in a range of suggested colour combinations. We can also personalise them in all our fabrics to match the nursery design. They come in 2 sizes. Small- birth to 6 months and large- 6 to 18 months.
Our Elly feeding pillow is so popular and can also be customised accordingly.
We do a range of bath time accessories including towels, face cloths and mini bathrobes, as well as, changing matts with removable covers and nappy bags.
We can easily incorporate soft furnishings to compliment the theme. Lampshades, bunting and curtains tend to be the most popular to bring it all together.
We also do beautiful mosquito nets in any length depending on the room ceiling height.
#For my daughter and son Leonardo who share a room, how did you blend their colours together so beautifully?
Their room was an absolute delight to plan. We used a blue and aqua colour palette for Leonardo. For Sofia we did the same blue & aqua and added pinks in the same fabric design to her linen.
Mixing the same pattern in alternative colours really brought the room design together, still being individual and brining out their personalities. It became apparent very early on that Sofia likes girly things but not everything needed to be pink!
#Sofia loves the drapes, such a clever concept. How do you suggest co-ordinating the styles and colours of drapes for children’s four poster beds?
We used a muslin voile for the curtain drops and added ties to the top of them in all of the fabrics used throughout the room. We also made them slightly longer to give a more luxurious feel to the way they hang. I’m really pleased with the way they turned out. We did them on all four corners so if she decides to hide away from her brothers for a few minutes this is her own special place!
#Luca and Lorenzo share a room, and love their nautical concept, how did you make each design personal to them?
For the boys you already had great furniture, so we just added to the nautical theme. We used the same linen combination for the duvet covers and pillow cases. With red and blue embroidered details on the main pillow cases in different designs. Each of your boys has their “favourite thing”. This in mind, we added planes to one and cars to the other. We did a small embroidery on the back of one of each of their scatter cushions to differentiate. We called it their secret! Each scatter cushion was done in a different combination, allowing them to be reversed to show a different pattern every day.
#Are you able to cater to a wide range of budgets?
Yes, we can cater to a range of budgets. Within our fabric ranges we have different price points which does affect the final cost.
My opinion on the design process is that we should explore every option to begin with and create something fabulous. If we need to economise we will. There are various ways of achieving the same look and feel on a lower budget with different fabrics and combinations. It is important to get the design right first. We don’t exclude ideas because of budget constraints at the outset.
In terms of cost- We are on par with most good quality off the shelf products at the higher end of the market. However, it is important to remember that our product is fully bespoke and made to order. Each piece is handmade & quality checked before leaving the production stage. Our clients appreciate that our linens wash well and stand the test of time. If you look at this over the lifespan of your linen it will more than make up for the difference if any.
#Are you able to also assist in the design of the entire nursery or children’s room as a professional interior designer as well as designing bespoke linens?
We offer a room design service which we charge a set cost for depending on the scope of works. This will include introductions to other suppliers for furniture and accessories. The client can then decide how much or how little they would like to invest in the project.
We introduce contractors to undertake decoration work and carpentry if required. As well as a full room design and build option. This means we will work with you from start to finish to achieve the final product. POA.
Our introductory offer includes a in home consultation with one of our designers. If the client decides to purchase linen we will do a free room design including paint colours, furniture, and accessories. They will receive a mood board and buying details for each item and can implement it all themselves.
For more information email hello@butterscotch.ae or call +971 50 2813577