We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah-Jane & Giselle Liberty Newman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah-Jane & Giselle Liberty, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
There wasn’t a grand plan when we started, everything evolved very organically. In 2020, Sarah-Jane began refinishing furniture during the Covid lockdowns as a creative outlet. She discovered a love for decoupage and bold wallpapers, but struggled to find designs that were truly colourful, expressive, and unique, so she began creating her own. What started as a personal project quickly caught the attention of the furniture artist community, and with their encouragement, Liberty James Studio naturally grew into a wallpaper brand.

At that point, it was clear the passion project had become a business. Giselle, Sarah-Jane’s daughter, was leading a flagship store for a global car rental company but had always dreamed of running her own creative business. Combining Sarah-Jane’s design talent with Giselle’s business skills and creativity felt like the perfect partnership and the chance to build something meaningful together as a mother-daughter duo.

Creativity runs in our family, Sarah-Jane’s mum was a muralist in Florida, and both lived there for many years. The vibrant coastal landscapes and wildlife have always inspired us and continue to shape our aesthetic. Giselle also studied art, graphics, and photography at college, so this journey has brought all our shared passions together.

What began as something small has grown into so much more. We have just launched our designs on upholstery fabrics, including eco velvet and linen, and we are now developing a paint collection inspired by the signature colours that run through our work. It still feels like just the beginning for our brand.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
At Liberty James Studio, our art is all about boldness, beauty, and storytelling. We create expressive wallpapers and fabrics often inspired by the wildness of nature, the energy of coastal landscapes, and the colours of our memories.

What sets us apart is our fearless use of colour and our belief that interiors should feel personal, vibrant, and full of life. We are not interested in trends or playing it safe, our work is for those who want to make a statement, who aren’t afraid to show their personality through their homes. There’s a certain soul to our designs that comes from the fact that this business is rooted in family and shared passion. It’s not just about aesthetics, it’s about creating art that resonates emotionally.

Getting to where we are today hasn’t always been easy. Like many creative businesses, we’ve had to wear a lot of hats: designer, marketer, packer, photographer, problem-solver, all while learning as we go. In the early days, we spent long nights figuring out how to set up a website with no budget and unexpected costs we had not considered. We have faced supply chain delays, printer issues, moments of self-doubt but we have learned to lean into the challenges and trust that each hurdle is part of the process.

One of the biggest lessons has been the power of staying true to our vision. It’s tempting to dilute your creativity to fit into the mould of what you think people want, but the magic really happens when you create from the heart. That’s when people connect most deeply with your work.

What we want the world to know is this: Liberty James Studio is a celebration of colour, creativity, and connection. We are a mother-daughter team doing what we love, and we hope our designs bring others the same sense of joy and inspiration they bring us. Whether it’s a wallpaper that transforms a room, a cushion that brightens a sofa, or a future paint colour that ties it all together—our mission is to help people surround themselves with beauty that tells their story.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We are not based in Miami, but it is a place that’s deeply connected to our story. Sarah-Jane and her Mum (Giselle’s Nan) lived in Florida for many years, and we love to visit whenever we can. The colours, the coastline, the wildlife, it’s all been such a huge inspiration for our designs. So if our best friend were visiting Miami and we were planning the dream itinerary, here’s how we would show them the city through our eyes:

We would start the week with a stroll through the Wynwood Arts District to soak in the murals, street art, and vibrant creative energy. We would grab coffee and pastries at Zak the Baker, then pop into some of the local galleries and boutiques. For lunch, Mandolin Aegean Bistro in the Design District is a must.

We would dedicate one day to nature, maybe exploring the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden or heading out on an Everglades adventure to spot herons and alligators. One of our favourite family memories on our travels round Florida is kayaking in the J N ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island and later taking a tour with Little Toot Dolphin Adventure in Clearwater, seeing dolphins follow the boat at sunset was pure magic.

We love places with a story, so we would end the week at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens—it’s like stepping into another world, full of old-world charm and incredible design details.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who have played a part in our journey, but we would love to dedicate our shoutout to the incredibly supportive community of furniture artists who encouraged Sarah-Jane right at the beginning. Their kind words and enthusiasm gave her the confidence to keep designing, and without that early encouragement, Liberty James Studio might never have existed.

We also want to thank our amazing family, especially Sarah-Jane’s Mum, who was a muralist in Florida and has always been a creative inspiration to us both. Her love of bold colour, nature, and storytelling is something we carry through in our work to this day. And of course, we are so grateful to our customers and followers who support what we do and share in our love for joyful, expressive interiors.

Website: https://libertyjamesstudio.com

Instagram: @libertyjamesstudio

Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/liberty-james-studio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LibertyJamesStudio/

Other: Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/LibertyJamesStudio/

Image Credits
Images of Palé Hall Hotel, please credit: Emily Straw Creative & Palé Hall Hotel

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