A Space to Sew

A peek inside Elizabeth Howorth’s sewing space.

Written by Emily Welly | Photos by Joe Worthem

Elizabeth Howorth does her creative projects from a special space in her house that serves as both a practical location to sew and write and as inspiration for her projects.

“My secret empire,” Elizabeth laughed. “I call it my office. It’s certainly also my sewing room.”

The bright and cheery room, which has about 100 square feet of workspace, was previously a master bathroom (the Howorths added on a new master suite in the back of the house, leaving this space open for creativity).

The decor was completely done by Elizabeth. When she first started planning, she found a Farrow & Ball paint called “Setting Plaster” in a magazine, a soft and fleshy pink hue, and began building from there. 

While the room includes practical items — a dedicated sewing table, a computer for writing, a comfortable twin-size bed and a TV — there are so many more elements that bring personality, style and inspiration.

Elizabeth’s favorite item in the room is the drapes she made from very old, very fine

Brunschwig & Fils fabric that originally belonged to her great uncle who was a designer in Memphis in the 1950s. After he died, Elizabeth kept the fabric, knowing she would someday find a use for it.

“I had it forever,” she said. “And I made (the drapes). It warms my heart.”

Other elements and accessories throughout the room echo and complement the vibrant oranges, golds and yellows and the whimsical feeling found in those drapes.

“I need bright color to entertain my thoughts and vision and creativity,” Elizabeth said. “You can’t go in there and be in a bad mood.”

There are prints from Liberty London that she purchased while visiting one of her daughters in London; there’s a Japanese umbrella she picked up on a different trip; she made the fabric that covers both tables and the dust ruffle around the bed. There are bright and fun pictures of her daughters, colorful Liberty London pillows on the bed covered in gold chinoiserie fabric with teal detailing, and a “fabulous” palm tree floor lamp that was a lucky Home Goods find. There’s a beautiful painting of her daughters they had made for her after the family spent the pandemic months all living together. And a sewing mannequin or dress form that has its own fun personality with a hat and necklace completes the studio vibe of the space.

“It’s my spot to save every little thing about my life and my daughters’ lives and my travels and everything,” she said. “It’s a dream in terms of all my stuff combining. If you like fabric and color, you gravitate toward things that end up going together, you end up collecting them. It just came together.”