In honour of International Women's Day, we have spoken to three women who are running highly successful interiors businesses as a result of following their passions for creativity.
The first is Eva Sonaike, who set up her West African-inspired interior design company as a side hustle and now her collections are sold all around the world via evasonaike.com. She lives in Finchley, north London, with her husband and two teenage children.
The story behind Eva Sonaike: West African-inspired interior design company
"I was born in Germany to Nigerian parents, and grew up surrounded by amazing West African fabrics and bold colours. I remember making cushions for my doll’s house from scraps of material," Eva recalls. "I didn’t realise interior design could be a viable career, so I pursued my love of writing instead."
"In 1998, I moved to London and did an MA in fashion journalism, going on to work for glossy magazines. In 2007, pregnant with my first child, my passion for interiors resurfaced. I decided to redesign my flat – only to discover there was nothing that reflected my West African heritage in a vibrant, authentic and high-quality way. I had to create my own decor and went into labour stitching cushions together!"
What happened next...
I began designing my own textiles, using fabrics I’d sourced in London and West Africa. In 2008, I enrolled on a part-time diploma in interior design. I found factories in the UK that could turn my designs into cushions, and the business launched in 2010. At first, I ran it as a side hustle, while juggling two small children and my career. It wasn’t until my husband sat me down and asked, ‘What do you want to do?’ that I admitted, ‘I want to run a West African-inspired textiles company.’ His response was, ‘Do it!’
- Breakthrough moment: "In 2010, a buyer spotted my cushions and then introduced my brand to Selfridges," Eva explains. "Getting into such a high-profile store showed me there was a viable market for my work. That year, my cushions were also sold in Liberty and Fenwick of Bond Street. In 2011, I left my day job."
- Steepest learning curve: "Building the right team, and learning to lead them as well as to be led by them. I have three staff members. I’m like the puppet master, providing creative vision. As I’m self-funded, I’ve also had to learn to stay on top of cash flow."
Now I sell directly to the customer through my website. Almost all my products are manufactured in the UK, and I work with interior design firms, showrooms and stockists around the world. I have three showrooms in the US and one in Canada to reach bigger clients. I also have a number of high-profile clients, although I can’t name names.
Just start it. Sometimes people overthink, but just do your research and put it out there.
Eva Sonaike
In 2024, I released a luxury collaboration with the iconic furniture designer, Robert Langford, which was awarded the Livingetc Style Award for Best Furniture Collaboration 2025.
Eva Sonaike is still a petite brand – I love my values and my ethos. Once a year, I travel to West Africa. It’s where I feel the most connection with myself, and it feeds me culturally and personally.
Business breakdown: ✢ Start-up costs: £0. The business was entirely self-funded and produced only to meet demand in the early years. And I used materials that I already had. ✢ Annual turnover: £300k evasonaike.com
A tale of two friends who set up Driftwood Designs
"Lizzie and I both went to school in Aberystwyth. We left in 1996, and while Lizzie stayed in Wales to study fine art and scenography, I studied television technology and production in Birmingham, before setting up my own agency in Manchester, organising TV crews," says Becky. "But we remained in touch. When my daughter Daisy was born in 2007, I returned home to Wales. My second daughter, Jasmine, was born in 2010 and a couple of years later, we moved again.
What was the idea behind the business? "As a housewarming gift, Lizzie gave us a piece of driftwood art, featuring my girls’ names. It got me thinking! I had always seen the potential in Lizzie’s work; could I use the skills I’d developed to be an artist’s agent? Lizzie and I met, and I asked how she would feel about me taking her on. Thankfully, she was happy for me to proceed. From the outset, we agreed on the direction, ethos and qualities we wanted for Driftwood Designs, and the business was officially launched later that year."
Believe in your product. Love it and be sure other people will love it too. Then it’s not a hard sell.
Becky Barratt
What happened next...
Lizzie recalls, "In the early days, we had little ones at home, so we would grab small amounts of time to find suppliers, develop products, and pack and post orders. We started selling at farmers’ markets and local events, alongside building an online community."
"We started on my kitchen table, then moved to a cabin in my garden," adds Becky. "Everything we made, we ploughed back in for the first five years. When our children started school, we had more time to work and turnover grew. In 2017, we opened our first shop in Aberystwyth and, three years later, we moved to a bigger space, which allowed us to fulfil our trade and online orders under the same roof as the shop."
- Breakthrough moment: "A four-day festival in Cardiff in 2014, where we ran out of almost everything on the first day," says Lizzie. "Plus winning the Best Online Presence Award in the 2015 Local Business Awards."
- Steepest learning curve: "Learning to pace myself and allow myself time to be still," says Lizzie. "I think there’s a self-imposed pressure on artists to be productive that can be wearing. When I do stop and take a breath, my work is better for it." While Becky adds, "Realising that nothing will happen overnight. It takes time to build a business."
"We now have three shops and 17 staff, six of whom are full-time," Becky explains. "They help with the retail, wholesale and online side of things. Lizzie and I are both doing what we love. I genuinely love steering the business, looking after the shops, staff and online customers, as well as looking for new opportunities. I always say selling Lizzie’s work is the easiest job in the world.
"I feel lucky to spend my days painting, illustrating and designing, with a team of strong women," says Lizzie. "The natural world is at the heart of most of my work. A lot of my ideas come to me while I’m out walking Stanley, my terrier, in all weathers. Becky’s business-minded approach is just what is needed to complement my creative energy."
✢ Start-up costs: £0. It was hand-to-mouth when we started. We used materials we already had and ploughed all our initial earnings back into the business. It suited us, as we were debt-free and our children were still little, so we couldn’t commit to it fully. ✢ Annual turnover: £870k driftwooddesigns.co.uk
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