Katherine Plumb
Fancy a Fika?
Stockholm-based designer invites us into her Södermalm home to talk all things Sweden, KJP, and what’s next for her.
WINTER 2025
WORDS Cecilia Smith
PHOTOGRAPHY Elisabeth Toll
It’s a snowy morning in Stockholm, Sweden, and the perfect weather for some fika—the sacred Swedish ritual of sitting down, enjoying coffee, and a sweet treat or two. On this particularly chilly morning, I find myself in Södermalm, a hip neighborhood, akin to Williamsburg or Silver Lake, full of thrift shops, cafés, parks, and bistros, to visit KJP founder and designer Katherine Plumb. Coffee and kanelbullar (Swedish cinnamon buns) in hand for us to share, I immediately feel at home in Katherine’s beautiful space, which she shares with her husband, Daniel, and their Swedish Vallhund, Benny (named after Benny Andersson of ABBA, of course).
Making a home for herself was a tall order—not just because she had an apartment to settle into, but an entire country. She moved from London to Stockholm with Daniel seven years ago, arriving in the depths of a Scandinavian winter. But after some adjustment, she’s found her place. The Swedish connection to nature and the slower pace of life have struck a chord, helping her integrate into the Nordic landscape.
As we talk about belonging, my attention simultaneously scans Katherine and Daniel’s space. Every inch is well thought out, from their trusty Mocha Master to the floor-length KJP kitchen curtains to the hidden cupboard behind their living room bookshelf.
“I enjoy making nice things to fill my home with, and it's a big bonus that other people want to do the same,” she tells me, floating about her apartment, showing me each room, impressing me more and more with each new door opened. Playing Eye Spy would be endlessly entertaining here—every color on the spectrum is present in one room alone, and a minute sitting on the plant-filled windowsill could cure any case of wintertime blues. It’s clear Katherine has designed her home to be purposefully playful and interactive—a built-in, livable line of defense against the drudgery of a long winter.
Katherine was born and raised in the UK and studied textile design at Central Saint Martins in London. There, she was introduced to pattern design and screen printing, which quickly became her passion. She originally screen printed by hand, a major influence on the current shape and feel of her digital work. From there, she started KJP and has been designing eye-catching textiles ever since.
Katherine has created some of the most iconic textile designs, like her Celeste pattern (even if you didn’t know what it was called, you know this pattern—a sweet and simple checkered design with flower icons in the negative spaces). To many, it’s a pattern that has visually defined the 2020s. I first became acquainted with her work in 2021, when she collaborated with cult-classic clothing company Lisa Says Gah. For better or worse, her designs have become so coveted thatthey’ve been plagiarized by major fast fashion companies—arguably the most frustrating side of her work.
“I felt like I couldn’t use those prints anymore because they were associated with this huge trend,” she says. “That whole experience definitely taught me not to rely on hero pieces.” For a while, this fact—along with the loss of her father, who was her biggest cheerleader—made it difficult for her to feel motivated to create. But now, she says, she finally has her creative spark back. “It feels really good to be excited about new things again.”
As discouraging as it can be for a designer in a world full of copycats and opportunists looking to turn a profit, Katherine has hit her stride. She loves cooking and hosting and has been putting much of her focus into her kitchen collection. This spring and summer, she will be launching new towels, blankets, pillows, and even an upcoming jewelry collection—an exciting new direction for KJP.
As someone who owns several pieces of clothing and homeware featuring her designs, I was curious to know more about what inspires Katherine’s work. She and Daniel are currently fixing up a home in the Swedish countryside, which has influenced her latest designs—many of the color combinations she’s been using lately are what she calls “old-classic-Swedish-countryside-esque,” an eclectic yet elegant mix of cozy textiles, quilts, and wood that bring folkloric elements into contemporary contexts.
“I just really like the idea that your homewares are like accessories, and they’re a way for you to express yourself,” she says. “Imagine seeing someone incredibly well-dressed with a huge sense of personal style, and then you go to their home and it’s... plain? I’m not saying colorful homes are for everyone, but I think it’s fun to make pieces that allow people to play around a little—whether it’s with a pop of color, pattern, texture, whatever. It’s boring when everyone has exactly the same stuff!”
Though her work will always nod to her screen-printing background, she has found designing digitally to be liberating. “I feel like there’s more freedom to design in the way I want to,” she says. “It’s not that the patterns have any greater meaning than what they are—I just enjoy making nice things to fill my home with, and it’s a big bonus that other people want to do the same.”
After a few cups of coffee and many kanelbullar later, our morning together comes to a close—though Benny is still busy finishing crumbs under the table. Meeting the person behind some of my favorite textiles from the past few years was such a treat, made even sweeter by the discovery that her kindhearted energy extends beyond just her designs. The hospitality and warmth Katherine showed me during my visit made me feel at ease in Stockholm, a place I had never been before. Despite being based in one of the coldest cities in Europe, her eye for designhas made homes all over the world feel warm—one could even say her work has the comforting warmth of fika: a sweet, cozy escape, even on the coldest, grayest days. ❤
STORY CREDITS
WORDS Cecilia Smith, PHOTOGRAPHY Elisabeth Toll, FEATURING Katherine Plumb
Pillows, blankets, tea towels, and curtains are all talent’s designs, KJP
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