OU.'s that girl

Where did the idea for Sophie Cooney Runners first come from?

Frustration, really. Nine years ago I was looking for a stair runner and couldn’t believe how little choice there was. Everything was stripes and dull, yet the staircase is the first thing you see when you walk in your home. So I designed my own. That became the first contemporary flatweave stair runner, and the business grew from there.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs, colours and patterns? Who or what inspires you creatively at the moment?

Colour is my biggest inspiration, and I find it everywhere. These days, not enough of my time goes on designing. But when I can step away from the operational side and get out into nature, something switches back on, and I can’t wait to get back to the drawing board. Sometimes I have to rein myself in and stick to stair runners. It’s very tempting to start designing for every corner of the home.

You design your runners yourself and have them produced to a high standard. How important is craftsmanship and quality in what you do?

It’s everything. Stairs are one of the hardest-working areas of the home, so a runner has to be beautifully made and built to last. Our wool runners are woven in Turkey, where the weaving tradition is second to none, and our wool runners we installed back in 2016 are still looking beautiful today. That’s the standard I hold us to. There are a lot of cheap runners on the market now, and they can look great in pictures, especially with AI. But they don't last. We are now replacing a lot of cheaper runners.

You’re balancing motherhood with being a founder. What’s one lesson motherhood has taught you that also applies to business? How do you switch between your role as a mother and your role as a founder?

Motherhood has taught me to lead by example. My boys feed off my energy, so the mood I bring into the house really matters. A team is no different: if I show up calm, positive and focused, that’s what comes back to me.

Switching between the two roles isn’t always easy. I’m very strict with my boys when it comes to screens, yet they’ve often watched me flapping over my phone with work. Not a great example! Over time I’ve got much better at closing the laptop and putting the phone away so the two parts of my life are properly separate…most of the time.

You have a showroom in London. Do you feel more at home in the countryside or in the buzz of London?

I’m guilty of being bit of a tree hugger. If I can’t get enough fresh air and green space, I start to short-cicuit. But I’m very lucky to have a bit of London too, and I have to admit I thrive off the odd buzzy day there. Then I come home, get outside, and it feels like an essential detox from screens and work.

Your days must vary a lot depending on the projects you have going on. What does a perfect day off look like for you?

Laptop closed, for a start. Maybe cooking pancakes for the boys at breakfast, then rugby training with them (yes, I’m an official rugby coach, though mainly just in charge of the cones for some reason), or something else outdoors. After that, a pub Sunday lunch with friends, the Weekend newpaper by a warm fire, and an evening of doing sweet FA. Yum.