The Story
With 14 years in the design industry as a surface pattern designer I am now venturing into the world of interior design/decorator which is something new and very exciting for me! I have a passion for colour, texture, pattern and trends. If you are looking for something bespoke I.e wallpaper, fabric, I can paint, draw and create repeat patterns so if you’re looking for anything a bit different for your home then I would love to help!
A little bit about me :) I am 36 years old and have 2 cheeky children who love to get creative too. I live in Oakham and have some lovely friends and family around me.
I get my creative skills from my dad, he loves to paint botanical florals and birds and is also a painter and decorator. My brother has a unique fashion business so we are a very creative family! My mum also loves to do crafty bits with the kids so I don’t have to deal with the mess!
My style at home is quite simple and Scandinavian and I love to add a splash colour into my rooms with cushions and key pieces like vases or fun quirky items. I do love colour and I love a bit of clashing when it comes to patterns and I am not afraid to fill small spaces with bright colour or bold wallpaper.
Professional Resume
Previous work
Lead Home Textile Designer
August 2019- September 2023
As the only Home Textiles Designer for Wilko, I produced commercial designs & ranges across bedding, cushions, throws, & towels.
Hand painting & creating vector patterns are a crucial part of my role as well as supporting with everyday product & colour carriers so that there is a cohesive offering across the store.
Creating & presenting seasonal trend packs for SS & AW is also a big part of my role- diluting the high end trends & creating our own ‘Wilko’ trends in order to be relevant in the retail market. We also focus on supporting our customers needs & desires by giving them products they want and need based on different taste styles.
I work closely with buyers, quality, merchandising, UK & Far East suppliers ensuring we create a good balance of trend led & commercial everyday ranges which hit the correct price points for our customers.
I also supported on wallpaper & paint ensuring we are offering our customers a range of wallpapers & paint colours to suit each of our customer styles.
Up until recently I worked on the stationery fashion category for 2 years, designing & developing adults & children’s ranges which was great fun & I now have the knowledge of paper & textile goods.
We work closely with our teams in Asia to ensure we are developing strong affordable ranges.
I was the champion of new designers & work experience. Wilko support new designers every year & I provide the work placement for them. I explain the process from design to production, also setting them projects to do to with my full support & guidance.
Freelancer Pattern Designer
May 2017- Aug 2019
Pattern designer for a tabletop company, designing and developing ceramic ranges for high street retailers and high end brands not only in the UK but world wide.
Hand painting, drawing, slogan design and placement prints were a large part of the role as well as building ranges and collections.
Trend analysis and meetings with clients were also a big part of this role.
Brand Designer
May 2013- May 2017
As the only brand designer in the team, I was responsible for creating innovative, commercial ranges inspired by Heritage UK Brands such as National Trust, V&A Museum & Kew Gardens. I worked closely with these brands & their ambassadors to create commercial designs for retailers across the UK.
My job was to renovate old existing archives prints, & create new fresh designs to use across tabletop ceramics. A large part of my job was hand painting & creating new designs inspired by The National Trust houses. This was a varied role working with table top ceramics, kitchen textiles & glassware. Retailers such as John Lewis, Waitrose, Sainsburys & export companies were our main customers, as well as garden centres & independent companies. I worked closely along side the Brand Manager & packaging to deliver the end products.
I travelled to Hong Kong & Canton Fair, with communication with factories in China & India daily. I created trend moodboards & analysis for customers, working to very tight deadlines.
I had meetings with the licensor &customers on a monthly basis keeping them updated on product launches & ideas that we proposed to take forward into retail.