Student Design Competition: Interior Decoration Winner

Description: 
Working to the topic of building shelter, the brief was to design a sustainable collection of knitted textiles for interiors that have a sense of fluidity and surprise. ‘Awaken your spirit to adventure; Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk’ – John O’Donohue. This theme was interpreted as the search for the hidden, secret places discovered within nature and the human desire for escape and adventure. Designed with particular attention to how individuals deal with the balance of safety and risk, keen to push this spirit of experimentation within the design process.

Finding inspiration from a recent relocation from Edinburgh to the remote north west of Scotland, the initial drawings reflected the textures found within the wild, playing with the micro and macro, generating a range of fluid mark making and shapes. This was balanced with the integration of urban influences, inspired by the juxtaposing landscapes, structures, movement and the noise of city life. The contrast of colours and textures found in the wild, and the interruption of human activity therefore inspired this project. Drawing upon nature’s greens, blues and greys, and on closer observation, the jewels of heather and gorse, variations of seaweed and rusted metal. The interaction of humanity brings the need for signposts and warnings, not to mention the washed-up debris, providing tiny but intense highlights of colour.

Supporting the UK textile industry was a vital part of the ethos behind this collection, using 100% Super Fine Geelong Lamb’s Wool which was spun and dyed in Scotland. Experimenting with elastic brought a level of spontaneity, risk and sense of ‘adventure’ to the project due to the randomness and unpredictability of the effect. The result of this experimentation led to textiles where the front and back were often dramatically different, offering more design opportunities, and for customers, more for their money.