The Silk Gallery was established in 1989 and is a leading UK based design house for furnishing fabrics. Kathryn Thompson originated the business when as a leading interior designer she was determined to create a collection of fabrics in the specific colours which her projects then required but were generally unavailable. Kathryn designs and sources her own fabrics and in doing so was from the outset determined to ensure that all manufacture is undertaken under her supervision in the United Kingdom. The Silk Gallery remains a very British company in the sense that (uniquely in today’s industry for a company of its size and influence) its entire range of fabrics is either woven or hand printed in the UK.
Timeless classical themes have always been the inspiration for The Silk Gallery's innovative designs. The creativity of the designs is also evident in the production process itself. The core fabric used is silk, but through years of experience and testing, the company has developed yarn combinations that enhance both durability and the naturaly characteristics of silk. New and distinctive textures, totally unique to The Silk Gallery have been created by teaming silk with linen, cotton, wool and polyester offering fabrics in a combination of qualities and weights in a wide variety of uses.
A major part of the work undertaken by The Silk Gallery is on bespoke commissions, working closely with customers or their interior designers creating custom coloured fabrics. More recently the company has introduced a complementary range of ornate trimmings, including fringes, gimps and tiebacks, some of which include glamorous Swarovski crystal. The new trimming ranges may also be custom coloured to suit the designer's specific schemes.