Blog
Updated 5 November 2020
Native botanicals are having a moment in the world of interiors, so the timing is perfect for new Sydney wallpaper and textile brand Native Swinson, one of the featured makers in our T&W Australian Art Showcase.
Kate Swinson is the creative force behind new wallpaper and textile brand Native Swinson, which took flight in her Bondi studio just a few months ago after a year spent working on concepts and designs. Here she introduces us to her beautiful prints inspired by native flora and fauna.
Who or what inspires your work? The memory of my rural childhood and the freedom to roam through the landscape. My children trigger these memories as they climb trees, and as we all float down rivers and spend time exploring the Australian bush as a family.
Explain a little about your creative process? I come from both a homewares design and a fine art background, and I specialise in drawing. I begin with gathering source material, leaves, flowers, flotsam, jetsam, and taking many, many photos. Then I hand-draw the designs with biro, which are then turned into screens so they are able to be hand screen printed onto fabric and wallpaper. The hand of the maker remains present in the final design, as it is in the original biro drawing. This brings a layer of character and warmth into the pattern.
How would you describe your signature style? In the detailed line work of our hand screen-printing, and how we honestly portray the natural environment surrounding us as a place of beauty based on personal experience. Our different designs mix together effortlessly, bringing beautiful elements of the outdoors to an interior space.
What's your favourite element in the collection showcased on T&W? I love the overall colour palette, which has grown outside of fashion and trend. The inks we use to create our colours are eco-friendly too. I’m also really proud of our wallpaper, which forms an environment like a gorgeous artwork, blending fine art into the comfort of a home environment and also working well in a formal setting.
How do you like to see people incorporate your work into their homes? There has been a resurgence in Australian decorative interiors. I like to see people express their individual creativity with our products, using them as an extension of their family lifestyle.
Your proudest career moment? Unfurling our first roll of wallpaper, and seeing that same design now hanging in the exhibition At Home: Modern Australian Design, curated by David Clark at Old Government House in Sydney's Parramatta.
What's on the horizon in 2017? Some really exciting projects – a collaboration that will involve the development of a flatware collection, something that I’ve long wanted to do, and of course we are adding new designs to our wallpaper and fabric collections.
Shop the Australian Art Showcase, or browse all affordable art at Temple Webster.
Meet the maker: Native Swinson textiles
A selection of Native Swinson wallpaper and cushion styles from our Australian Art Showcase.
Styling – Jonathan Fleming & Allira Bell. Photography – Denise Braki.
Native botanicals are having a moment in the world of interiors, so the timing is perfect for new Sydney wallpaper and textile brand Native Swinson, one of the featured makers in our T&W Australian Art Showcase.
Kate Swinson is the creative force behind new wallpaper and textile brand Native Swinson, which took flight in her Bondi studio just a few months ago after a year spent working on concepts and designs. Here she introduces us to her beautiful prints inspired by native flora and fauna.
Who or what inspires your work? The memory of my rural childhood and the freedom to roam through the landscape. My children trigger these memories as they climb trees, and as we all float down rivers and spend time exploring the Australian bush as a family.
Explain a little about your creative process? I come from both a homewares design and a fine art background, and I specialise in drawing. I begin with gathering source material, leaves, flowers, flotsam, jetsam, and taking many, many photos. Then I hand-draw the designs with biro, which are then turned into screens so they are able to be hand screen printed onto fabric and wallpaper. The hand of the maker remains present in the final design, as it is in the original biro drawing. This brings a layer of character and warmth into the pattern.
How would you describe your signature style? In the detailed line work of our hand screen-printing, and how we honestly portray the natural environment surrounding us as a place of beauty based on personal experience. Our different designs mix together effortlessly, bringing beautiful elements of the outdoors to an interior space.
What's your favourite element in the collection showcased on T&W? I love the overall colour palette, which has grown outside of fashion and trend. The inks we use to create our colours are eco-friendly too. I’m also really proud of our wallpaper, which forms an environment like a gorgeous artwork, blending fine art into the comfort of a home environment and also working well in a formal setting.
How do you like to see people incorporate your work into their homes? There has been a resurgence in Australian decorative interiors. I like to see people express their individual creativity with our products, using them as an extension of their family lifestyle.
Your proudest career moment? Unfurling our first roll of wallpaper, and seeing that same design now hanging in the exhibition At Home: Modern Australian Design, curated by David Clark at Old Government House in Sydney's Parramatta.
What's on the horizon in 2017? Some really exciting projects – a collaboration that will involve the development of a flatware collection, something that I’ve long wanted to do, and of course we are adding new designs to our wallpaper and fabric collections.
Shop the Australian Art Showcase, or browse all affordable art at Temple Webster.
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