Creativity runs deep in Carla Bentele’s world.“I’ve loved art since I was little. I even found in my ‘All About Me’ school book that when I was seven, I dreamt of becoming a fashion designer”, she recalls. As a designer, illustrator, and all-around creative, she has built a life that blends artistry with intention. Together with her partner Woody—her university love and a fellow creative—and their two children, Carla lives in a whitewashed 1600s barn, nestled beneath a canopy of trees overlooking the green hills of Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

After earning a degree in Fashion and Textiles, Carla spent over a decade designing childrenswear for high-street retailers, honing her expertise in color, fabric, and trends while working in Liverpool, Manchester, and London. But when the pandemic cost her a fashion job in London, she and Woody embraced a new chapter—returning north in search of space, adventure, and a deeper connection to nature.

Their dream was a home studio, and their centuries-old barn had just the spot. What was once a piggery is now a vibrant creative hub, complete with screen printing, Giclée printing, and Risograph—all set against breathtaking views. It was here that All About Me was born—a brand infused with Carla’s love of artistry, storytelling, and thoughtful design. Carla’s partner also runs his business, Studio Method, separately from this space.

When was All About Me founded, and how did you come up with the idea?

All About Me was founded in 2021 under a different name and concept, but it evolved over time and officially launched as what it is today in 2024. The idea had been growing since my first maternity leave in 2018, when the thought of returning to three-hour commutes, work travel, and time away from my baby made me rethink my career path.

I started scribbling down business ideas, around a lifestyle brand combining parent & baby classes, creativity and product, talking to anyone who would listen and made vision boards of my new flexible future, but it felt scary and I loved my job so I went back to what I knew after maternity.

Six months later covid hit, and I was made redundant. This gave me the opportunity to make my vision board come to life. I initially retrained in baby massage and yoga, wanting to create a fun, colourful community for parents that focused on their well-being, not just the babys. I wanted to bring something fresh, and full of personality to the baby class scene.

Alongside that, I dreamed of clothing that gave off the same energy, and embodied positive, meaningful messaging like Grow with the Flow and No One Is You.

The brand was built on the messaging of a Positive, Mindful Attitude, a mantra that started as a bit of a joke when I was mopesing about gutted by the reality of losing my dream job and having to what felt like starting all over again, but this time with kids in tow. It became my way of reminding myself that I had got to a dream before and I could do it again!

After taking time out and slowing down, my mission became clear, to sprinkle fun and positivity into the chaos of everyday life. At the heart of it all, it’s about embracing self-expression, enjoying the little things, and not taking life too seriously.

After having my second baby in 2021, I decided to stop teaching my classes and focus fully on fashion and illustration, things that had always been part of me. And here we are!

What are your hero products and why?

The Positive Behavior Sweatshirt is my best-selling garment. I reckon that's because it’s fun with a relatable message, a bit of a tongue-in-cheek and who doesn't want to try and be positive.

I offer it in both adult and kids sizes, giving customers the opportunity to match with their minis. It always starts conversations whenever I wear it or when one of my kids has it on, and seems to make people laugh.

The sustainably sourced cotton sweatshirt comes in hand dyed lilac tie dye or black and white, and everything is hand screen-printed by me using eco-friendly water-based ink from my studio.

My best-selling prints are the vibrant, colourful fine art Giclée birth flowers in vases. They’re fun and bright, but also have intentional meaning behind them. They've become a favourite because they not only add a pop of colour, but some customers buy them to represent their family members' birthdays, which honestly makes me tear up.

Each print comes with a QR code in the corner. When you scan it, the flower from the print blooms in augmented reality right in your space, and you can listen to me read the poem I’ve written about its unique qualities, set to the sound of birdsong, a little mindful moment right in your home. I guess this is kind of my USP, Augmented Reality (AR) art, bringing the print to life in a whole new way and something I want to do a lot more of.

What inspires you, and what goes into designing a new print and/or fashion piece?

I’m inspired by the little everyday moments and my own feelings. My Sunshine in Sicily Wall art collection was based on a rare child-free holiday, just me and my partner celebrating our big joint birthdays last year.

I documented it through paintings of small, special moments, like the zingy taste of a Sicilian lemon or the Buongiorno Caffè print. Think warm, rustic Italian colours and the smell of fresh coffee as you enjoy a pistachio filled croissant in a romantic piazza, surrounded by medieval palazzi.

I’m currently working on a collection of affirmation style prints, partly because I need words of affirmation myself, and I imagined a gallery wall filled with self-talk inspiration.

I’m terrible at journaling, but I can really articulate my thoughts through poetry, so my next collection features illustrations and hand-drawn slogans paired with poetry to motivate and inspire.

I visualise someone or me starting their day by scanning the little barcode on the artworks, for example one has an illustration of the sun, which pops up in their space, and they hear me reading the poem I have written, all about how today is going to be ace. A little morning ritual to set the tone for the day.

My fashion pieces also carry strong, meaningful messages designed to celebrate individuality, like Own Your Weird or Work in Progress t-shirts. It’s fun, bold messaging that reflects the way I want to raise my kids and the community I want to empower.

Part of your mission is to celebrate individuality and to add positivity into the chaos of everyday life —and this is definitely something we focus on here at heiter, too. Why do you think it is so important to be authentic and to maintain a positive outlook, especially in the times we are in?

Life is messy, extremely unpredictable, and full of highs and lows. I think I’ve learned that embracing who you are and trying to have a laugh along the way makes all the difference.

I’ve personally struggled with self-doubt and the pressure to have everything figured out, especially after big life changes like relocating, starting my own business, and juggling motherhood. Adding in my dyslexic brain, which can slow me down, often makes life feel wild!

It's important to me to share my journey authentically, especially in a world where social media often portrays life as always peachy, when in reality, it's not.

I want people to know that a positive outlook definitely isn’t about pretending everything is perfect, but it’s about finding those little moments of happiness, humour, and creativity even in the chaos.

This year it is all about "Homecoming" here at heiter. What would you recommend to the heiter readers and community so that they can feel more at home, no matter where they are?

Ooh, well, I don’t have a specific place that feels like home, but wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always made it my own by filling it with all the treasures I’ve collected over the years, each with meaning and a story to tell, especially posters, art, plants and upcycled bits and bobs. I call it my magpie mentality :).

I also burn incense or aromatherapy oils, and friends always comment that my house has a distinct scent, it’s like a signature smell. It’s such a simple way to create a sense of home, no matter where you are.

I’m inspired by colour, texture, words, and typography to motivate, so I’d recommend starting to collect things that have a story from your journey. Fill your home with feel good art and colours that truly resonate with you. It’s actually been proven that colour can have a real impact on our mood.

The theory suggests that surrounding yourself with uplifting colours, and even wearing them, can give you a boost of dopamine, the hormone that makes us feel good and helps us carry ourselves with confidence.

So this is your sign to fill your walls and wardrobes with All About Me creations to make your home a better place :). Enter the code HEITER15 at checkout on my website for 15% off, just for your readers. Enjoy! www.all-about-me.co

You once mentioned that All About Me blends self-expression, creativity, and mindfulness while navigating the highs and lows of indie business. Tell us a bit more about what that looks like.

All About Me is about embracing all the silly little things life throws at us and finding growth or a lesson learnt whether it's good or bad.

It’s about creating something that reflects who I am and what matters most to me, even when things aren't always clear as I'm a massive overthinker! I had an astrology birth reading recently that blew my mind as it was so accurate. It is literally a manual for me, reaffirming why I think the way I do, what I value, and the journey I'm on. It was a powerful reminder to trust my instincts and that actually everything is already written in the stars, like magic!

Through my designs, I blend self-expression, creativity, and mindfulness. Whether it’s an affirmation print or a meaningful statement on a piece of clothing, or a poem everything I create is intentional and hopefully relatable. My goal is to inspire positivity, help people feel good about themselves, and celebrate their individuality.

Since moving out of London our life feels more wholesome. Still rather stressful with the whole economical climate of cost of living but that's another story! The mindfulness for me is in the simple, everyday moments like walking the kids to school through a sheep field, past waterfalls, and being woken by the owl. It's growing veggies, living on a hill with beautiful green views, and working surrounded by nature and fresh air. These moments ground me and inspire my creative work.

Running an indie business is a mix of creativity and the not-so-glamorous side of small business, which can be overwhelming at times. But even with the challenges, I try to focus on what matters and my reason for creating this journey and how bloody lucky I am that I get to follow my passion.

Ultimately, I want to show my children that they can build a life around what they love. If I were to look back now, I wouldn’t have any regrets other than worrying too much. My career journey hasn’t gone quite as expected, but the love and time I share with my family are what truly matter.

What are things that make you feel heiter (which is German for cheerful/joyful)?

Really living in the seasons which feels so much more noticeable now that we’re in the country. In the summer, we love blackberries picking down our lane, and in the autumn collecting apples and making crumbles.

In Winter there are so many nice walks and sometimes sledging, and then in spring, we have a few ducks that come back every year that nest in a bush right outside our door. When the ducklings hatch they become part of our family and hang out with us in the garden. They peck on the cat flap as they know the kids will give them seeds or fat balls. It is so funny. Oh and the baby lambs are next level cute! I always get a bit of a buzz that we can create these fun, lovely memories that cost absolutely nothing.

On a Saturday we love to get our sour dough from Tod Market, make a picnic then go on a family walk. I say that laughing because we still have a double buggy! My kids are 6 and 3 but if we do the Todmorden to Hebden walk down the canal, they will have a nap, which means we get a sacred 40 mins peace to chat. They always wake up by the pub stop, then it's a picnic, park and sometimes ice cream, which means we all get our own happy fix!

I really appreciate being only 20 mins on the train to the city, where we can get a culture fix. The Factory Avivia Studios in Manchester is one of my favourite places to visit. The architecture is stunning, and the entire interior fills my heart with joy, and we have been to loads of interesting exhibitions and events there. I feel super lucky to have a balance of peaceful country life, with the buzz of the city not too far away.

Interview by Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter

Images provided by All About Me

Java Bere is a writer, artist, table and home stylist. Together with her partner Jon, their two boys, and a cat called Nutmeg, she lives in a gorgeous Hebden Bridge (West Yorkshire) family home that is full of character and filled with stories. The stories told through that home represent and are inspired by their life together but also Java’s upbringing: She grew up between London, Scotland, France, and Spain, finally ending up in Manchester for fifteen years, where she worked as an actress and later as a theatre agent. All those glorious places shaped her as a person as well as her current work and aesthetic. In this interview she talks about the importance and magic of storytelling in one’s own four walls—and she shares more details on her upcoming two-week workshop “Tell the Story of Your Home.”

What does home mean to you?

Home to me is somewhere I can feel at peace, safe and inspired to create. I have made a home everywhere I have lived, whether it be the little attic I lived in a five story Victorian house, a scruffy ex-council house in Manchester and an old chicken shed in the depths of the Languedoc, France.

What are 3 of the most important pieces in your home and why?

The first one is a large painting of Javanese cows. My mum painted it when she was pregnant with me and had just returned from Java in Indonesia. It has pride of place on the wall in my work room and is a reminder of her creativity both as a mother and an artist.

The second important piece in our house is my desk where I sit and work most days. We were in a charity shop when I was pregnant with our first child and I found a collection of bluey/green pieces of wood and drawers that appeared to make up a desk. I bought it for £8, took it home and rebuilt it with my partner Jon. When we lost our daughter a few months later, the desk was a huge source of comfort for me.

Last but not least, a 1960's blue cabinet in the kitchen where we store all the kid's art materials. I found it on the kerbside in Manchester when my partner Jon and I had not long been seeing each other. I ran back home and asked him to carry it home with me, the first of many a time I would do this. It has since travelled to France, Spain, Wales and now Yorkshire with us. I love that it reminds me of the early days of our relationship, of every home we have lived in, and now, seeing the boys opening the doors to create drawings and paintings each day.

The Javanese cow painting by Java’s mum and Java’s blue desk

Why do you feel that telling a story through your home is important?

I find that telling your story through your environment can help open up every aspect of your life: your relationship with yourself and others, creativity and hopes and dreams. It can be an anchor for making our inner self feel stronger, more grounded, inspired. Vastly beyond what we may think it could be. I see it as expressing ourselves in a visually poetic, without barriers, external expectations or pretences, which is incredibly grounding and empowering.

It can be so easy to lose ourselves in our day to day lives, and what we sometimes think we should or should not be doing. Where we sleep, eat, love, work, socialise and relax is an important core to keep coming back to: it represents our emotions, hopes and dreams. The foundations of who we are.

Java and Jon’s bedroom in their Hebden Bridge home

How did your journey of "home styling" begin?

As a child I would endlessly create little homes for imaginary mice friends, or Borrowers, who I was convinced were real. My Barbies also had an entire block of flats made out of cardboard boxes, styled in different themes.

My mum worked as an interior designer for many years, in commercial spaces as well as private homes, so conversations around light, space and texture were a daily thing in our house. I was very aware of my environment and naturally styled whichever space I found myself in. I spent my childhood on jobs with her, and then, as I grew older, I became her assistant.

I started to realise that what I found easy and instinctive (styling a space), wasn't the same case with everyone.

Seven years ago we moved to Yorkshire and renovated our 'first' house. I began to share the journey on Instagram and quickly gained an audience. I shared our ideas, our progress, corners of our home that changed with the seasons, and people started asking for styling tips and ideas. I have since hosted styling workshops, styled tablescapes for retreats, workshops and weddings and worked with private clients on how to tell the story of their home with a deep dive into their loves, life story and tastes.

You recently launched your online workshop "Tell the Story of Your Home". What was the inspiration for it? When does it start, what's the format you've chosen for it, and what can people learn and take away from it?

A lot of the illustration, photography and writing I do is around ritual, kitchen life and celebrating the every day. The core of it all is the story. Plain 'styling' has never been particularly interesting to me. Don't get me wrong, I deeply appreciate a harmoniously styled space, but I find it even more interesting and beautiful if I can see a story woven through it for me to follow.

People often ask me, how do you create the magic in your home? So I decided to write a workshop where I could help guide others in finding their own magic, creating the space that reflects their inner worlds and loves.

The workshop is running between the 13th and 26th of January, perfect for refreshing your energy and focus when it comes to the home. Each person will have a 30 minute 1-2-1 zoom consultation with me at the beginning and at the end of the workshop. This will help clarify vision and objectives and identify any particular sticking points. There will then be Monday - Friday emails with creative prompts, inspiration and workbook material. There will also be a private facebook group for members to share their progress, thoughts and challenges.

What you will come away with:

A guide of straightforward and effective styling techniques to make your style flourish.
A fresh perspective on your space and how to use it.
The confidence to experiment and be playful in your home.
A clarity to identify the SPARK that triggers the creativity and light in your life.
A refreshed energy for your home in the new year.
A deeper sense of self.
A method for mining your own stories and life, to tell the story of your home.
A new community of like minded people. Passionate about making their home into a multi-layered, creative, joyous place to be.
Two thirty minute one-to-one zoom consultations with me
A fun, creative experience that will encourage you to delve into everything that you love.

How can people connect with you?

You can find me on instagram @javabere and on Substack as Java Ceridwen Bere (@javacbere) where I post on my publication A Kitchen Notebook. You can also find my website javabere.co.uk or email me at hello@javabere.co.uk

What are 3 things that make you feel heiter?

1. My morning walks through the forest and fields around our Yorskhire town after dropping my two sons off at school.

2. Laying a table with linens, candles and well worn crockery before my partner serves up a meal (he cooks the food, while I eat it, draw it and write about it).

3. Curling up in between clean sheets on a dark winter night, with a perilously high stack of booksand a steaming mug of redbush tea next to me.

Interview by Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter

Images by Java Bere – the images of Java’s home were first published in Homecoming, heiter 2, that is available now.

All About Me: an inspiring, heartfelt and honest conversation with designer and brand founder Carla Bentele

How telling your story through your home helps you reconnect with yourself: in conversation with artist and home stylist Java Bere