Samarkand Design

01/09/2026

🍂 As the light softens and the garden gives way to the fire, our focus turns inward — this is the season for cosy corners and rooms that hold you close.

This little vignette says it all: our Priyanka Large Yellow Table Lamp, dressed in an Old Gold Silk Lampshade, glowing against the beautiful “Adam’s Eden” wallpaper in Taupe by Lewis & Wood — and one of our woollen throws waiting to be pulled over your knees on the first proper chilly evening.

Autumn is all about texture and warmth layered together — hand-painted botanicals on the walls, soft wool on the chair, warm light on the table. Simple ingredients, but they change the whole feel of a room.

Who else is starting to swap the garden chairs for the fireside ones? 🕯️

30/08/2026

It’s been a long time in the planning but we are having our house re thatched and I’m excited to watch the progress of these very skilled artisans at work. I can’t wait to see the finished job.

23/08/2026

This week I popped into see our friends BLANCHARD COLLECTIVE near Hungerford where we have quite a good selection of lampshades and decorative pieces and I thought it a great place to choose my Picks of the week. So here goes:
1. Stunning vintage batik silk sari lampshade in browns and gold.
2. This glorious Chinese lacquer wedding cabinet - the perfect place to store your treasures
3. This Kuba cloth framed without glass would make a striking statement on your wall
4. And lastly - this is definitely one of the most beautiful Nakshi Kanthas I’ve ever found - with lovely animals and birds sewn into it.
DM me if you’re interested in anything here. I would love to hear from you
🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

19/08/2026

I was so thrilled to catch Karuncollection talking about his amazing collection of simply stunning embroidered pieces from Afghanistan SOAS Gallery exhibitions .

My two main takeaways were His approach to collecting - simply motivated by beauty - not age or technique or even rarity.

And secondly, literally connecting the threads as one is able to trace the same patterns and motifs through so many other textiles: Ribari from the Kutch, Ikat from Uzbekistan , embroideries from Pakistan. This reminds us of what connects us rather than divides us and seems helpful at this time.

Do go if you can - and he has a few other exhibitions going on at various National Trust houses until early November.

16/08/2026

This Week’s Top Picks 🧡

A trio that brings texture, colour and craft together beautifully:

🖼️ Suzani Panel — hand-embroidered and stretched on a frame (no glass, so all that texture stays tactile) — statement wall art that works as the anchor for any room.

💡 Raffi Woven Jute Lamp Base — named after Hilly’s grandson, shown here in ochre yellow, one of a number of colours and designs in the collection. This week we’ve paired it two ways: with our grey and ochre Kalamkari cotton lampshade — finely block-printed cotton, softly gathered, with calm, layered tones and a traditional pattern that give it a confident yet understated presence — or with our Yellow Brick lampshade, part of our repeatable range, whose cheerful cotton print brings a bolder, more confident pop of colour.

🛋️ Turkish Kilim Cushion — flatwoven pattern and rich colour to pull the whole look together.

Ochre, texture, craft — this is what layering a room properly looks like. Shop the edit now. Link in bio 👆

13/08/2026

Spot the shade 👀 — interior designer Scarlett Brooksbank Interior Designer Oxfordshire and London recognised one of our bespoke lampshades at The Pig at Combe and had to stop for a photo under it. We love that (and honestly, same).

Every bespoke Samarkand Design lampshade starts life as something else entirely: a vintage textile with its own history, reworked by hand into something one-of-a-kind for the space it’s going into. No two are ever quite the same — which is rather the point.

We’ve been lucky enough to dot our lampshades throughout The Pig Hotels The Pig Hotel so if you’re staying at one, keep your eyes peeled above the bar, in a cosy snug, or over a favourite reading chair. 🐷✨

📸 Spotted one of ours? Snap a photo and tag us (or send it our way!) — we’d love to see where they turn up.

Fancy something bespoke for your own space? Get in touch — link in bio.

13/08/2026

09/08/2026

This week’s Top Picks are a masterclass in colour. 💙❤️

A Kantha quilt in vivid blue and pink — just as happy doubling up as a picnic blanket on a sunny afternoon as it is draped over a sofa. A cobalt blue bobbin lamp base, paired with a Kalamkari cotton shade in matching red and blue tones. And finishing the look, a Kashmiri crewel cushion, chosen specifically to tie the whole palette together.

Not sure what would work in your space? Hilly has a genuine eye for colour and pattern — whether you’re pulling together a whole room or just want one special piece for a particular occasion, drop us a message and she’ll help you find the right fit. 🧡

05/08/2026

Welcome to Samarkand Design! 👋

If you’re new here — hello, we’re so glad you’ve found us. A little bit about how this all began: it started with a lightbulb moment. A desire to work directly with artisans around the world, to celebrate the techniques and stories woven into their textiles, rather than let them go unseen.

That spark became Samarkand Design — and this barn is where it all lives now. Lampshades made from vintage saris, cushions bursting with pattern, textiles collected from journeys across continents. Every piece has a story, and every story deserves a little colour in someone’s home.

And if you’re nearby — come and see it all in person. On the first Friday of every month, we throw open the barn doors for Friday Fling: browse, bring a friend, no pressure to buy, just come and say hello. 🎉

We can’t wait to share it all with you. Take a look around — and tell us, which piece catches your eye first? 👇