International Women’s Day 2025
This International Women’s Day, we’re taking inspiration from our latest collection of wallpapers, ‘Storybook Papers’, featuring eight whimsical designs to be enjoyed by children and grown-ups alike!
We asked four inspirational women to reminisce on their early years – from creative career ambitions to their childhood bedrooms…
Read the interviews, and find out which ‘Storybook Papers’ design our Creative Director, Ruth, would have picked when she was younger!
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Ruth: “As a child, I always wanted to have my own bakery when I was older. I loved the idea of spending every day creating my favourite sweet treats, from gingerbread men to delicious cream cakes and pastries!”
Tori: “A fashion designer. I didn't know I could make a career out of interiors until I was in my twenties and that's when the penny dropped...”
Alice: “I would say one of the most prominent ideas was to have my own sweetie shop! I can't quite remember at what age this started, but I think because we didn't have many growing up, I liked the thought of having unlimited access as an adult!”
Becky: “I always loved writing from a young age, so I was very keen on becoming an author or a travel journalist!”
About Ruth…
Ruth Mottershead is Creative Director of Little Greene. Her father, David, founded the business in 1996 and she has fond memories of handcrafting the very first Little Greene colour cards at their kitchen table!
Today, Ruth leads a small team designing Little Greene’s range of colours and wallpapers, from the initial concept, research and production, to the final launch. The latest collection, ‘Storybook Papers’, features eight wallpapers that have been inspired by historic artefacts and original artworks found at many different National Trust properties.
The Little Greene Design Studio have redrawn these charming objects to create whimsical wallpaper designs that capture all the character and spirit of the originals!
Do you remember what your favourite colour was?
Ruth: “I have a feeling my favourite colour has always been green. As long as I can remember, I have loved spending time in the outdoors, surrounded by nature. Greens of all shades and hues remind me of the beauty of nature, filling me with a sense of joy, positivity and calm.”
Tori: “I was kind of a girly girl growing up but then I absolutely went through a stage where I was into Doc Martens (cherry red!), Guns & Roses, lots of khaki and black... I still love all those three colours!”
Alice: “We moved house when I was eight and I was allowed to choose a new wallpaper, and I remember going for pink candy stripe. I was absolutely obsessed with it until the age of about 15, when I wanted to cover it all up with posters! From then on, I became more a blue/green girl, but I don't think I would have touched what I love now with a barge pole when I was younger – it’s amazing how our style changes...”
Becky: “Purple – I used to go around our back garden and pick flowers in all the shades of purple I could find (much to my mum’s amusement…)”
About Tori…
Tori Murphy is Founder of Tori Murphy Ltd, an English textile brand established in 2012, manufacturing beautiful, expertly crafted fabrics in her own timeless designs. With a dedication to the English textile industry, each fabric is woven in Lancashire, washed in the Yorkshire Dales and finished in Nottingham.
Since her first capsule collection exhibited in 2012, Tori has greatly expanded her collections, most notably with the launch of a ‘Made-to-Measure’ service in 2023. This is now accompanied by curtain poles which are available to order in a curated palette of Little Greene colours.
Do you have any advice for your younger self?
Tori: “You are absolutely right to head down a path that no one around you has already trodden. Trust the feeling you have in your gut and in the way you want to live your creative life.”
Alice: “I would have encouraged leaning into my strengths and loves, instead of feeling like they needed to be kept away from a professional career. I always adored interiors, and I would have saved quite a few years of chopping and changing jobs if I had just gone for it in the first place!”
Becky: “I would tell my younger self that it’s ok to get things wrong, as frustrating as it feels at the time, because every mistake is an opportunity to learn and to grow. Embrace the imperfect!”
About Alice…
Alice Gaskell is the founder of Bath-based interior design studio, Alice Grace Design Ltd. With a commitment to enduring design, she embraces a quintessentially English style to create interiors that combine luxury with a homely and inviting feel, often using paints and wallpapers from Little Greene.
Alongside the design studio, The Alice Grace Collection provides a range of quality, timeless homeware pieces, all designed and curated by Alice. Each piece has been made in England by local craftspeople, and encapsulates the brand’s timeless and elegant aesthetic.
Which of our ‘Storybook Papers’ designs would you have chosen for your childhood bedroom?
Ruth: “I would have gone for ‘Animal Kingdom’ in the Tea with Florence colourway, which I’m currently using to create a new playroom for my daughter, Ivy. This fun and quirky animal-print wallpaper will create a space filled with imagination, really inspiring her to embrace her love for wildlife and the great outdoors. I love a pink and green colour combination, so I’m pairing it with Light Peachblossom and Tea with Florence on the woodwork. I can’t wait to see the space come to life, and I’m sure I would have absolutely loved a bedroom just like it when I was younger!”
Tori: “Animal Kingdom in Confetti. I think I would have loved being surrounded by all those friendly characters, and drifting off to sleep with thoughts of kind elephants and polar bears!”
Alice: “Given I had a pink stripe, I know I would have been instantly drawn to Broad Stripe in Masquerade, and I would have paired it with Masquerade – Mid! To be honest I would absolutely love to do a bedroom in that pairing now, but I'm not sure it would wash with my boys. Potentially a suitable client project could come up for me to live this vicariously through!”
Becky: “Ooh that is a hard question as I love them all! But if I had to pick one, I’d go for Potter’s Woodland in Spring as I think it’s just the perfect scene, with so many gorgeous details for little ones to dream up stories about.”
About Becky…
Head of Brand Licensing at the National Trust, Becky Stanford is part of the team who works with Little Greene as we create beautiful paint and wallpaper collections. Our dedicated research team works with the National Trust behind the scenes to breathe life back into original paint colours and wallpapers from the past.
Our latest collection, ‘Storybook Papers’, features eight whimsical wallpapers inspired by a broad range of historic artefacts and original artworks, found in cherished historic houses conserved and cared for by the National Trust.
A contribution from the sale of every roll of Little Greene wallpaper is made in support of the National Trust’s important work caring for 500 places, including 780 miles of coastline, historic sites, 250,000 hectares of countryside and green spaces, ensuring that people and nature thrive – now and for ever.
