Just as the woods and fields undergo a transformation as the weather turns, my thoughts also turn to transformation. Autumn is a busy time for implementing and launching new design ideas and this season draws on my love of wildlife.
Mother-daughter collaboration
This October also marks the launch of our Maja wallpaper in Deep Rose. This design was inspired by my daughter, who has been yearning for a bold, warm patterned paper for her living room.
We went through a dozen different runs together, in an attempt to get the colour right. Now that it is finally up on the walls, we are both delighted with the results!
Hare-brained schemes...
Our new Hare designs first emerged earlier this year, as a series of hand-drawn sketches in the back of my notepad. Since then, they have been brought to life by our skilled artisans, hand-painted onto mugs and embroidered as appliqué onto our fabrics.
Birds of a feather
Following on from the success of our Guinea-fowl range, the male pheasant is a my most recent source of inspiration, on account of his impressive plumage. I am guilty of having taken these birds somewhat for granted, as they are to be seen everywhere at this time of year. However, the design process always opens my eyes and, in this case, encouraged renewed appreciation for the sheer extravagance of colour found in their feathers, from copper-reds to iridescent greens and blues. The hand-embroidery of these birds onto linen is extremely involved, each cushion requiring at least ten different shades of silken thread. Well worth the effort, I think. Certainly it was a valuable reminder for me, whenever I am casting around for new design ideas, that beauty is often right underneath my nose.
