Inside the James Dunlop Studio

As a brand, James Dunlop looks to our Antipodean heritage, our local landscapes, and our lifestyle – asking how we live in this part of the world. These things shape our direction from an aesthetic and a functional perspective. We’re constantly exploring what fabrics can bring to a space, and how they impact the lives spent on and around our textiles.

Colour is central to my design process. I regard Mother Nature as the ultimate designer and my forever muse – particularly the transitional Autumnal shades – but I also find local talents like Arent & Pyke and Flack Studio really inspiring for their complex curation of materiality and emboldened use of colour.

We take our inspirations and begin creating Pinterest vision boards. These are a critical tool for keeping us focused throughout the development process and we’re constantly refining, resolving, and curating the key messages of the collection through these boards as our ideas evolve.

I’m particularly passionate about colour development and work closely with our supply chain to deliver custom palettes that are created exclusively for us, our natural light, and our lifestyle.

Colour can completely transform a space; it can be serene or statement making. In our experience, people choose textiles firstly on colour and those we gravitate to in Australasia differ from the brighter palette indicative of the Northern Hemisphere. So, we ensure our local markets are offered textiles that will be perfectly placed within our interior design.

I also love the collaborative process of working with our global supply chain, they are experts in their craft and through the continual sharing of IP we always get the best possible design outcome. James Dunlop Textiles have been in the industry for over one hundred years with supplier relationships spanning decades – even generations! And in many cases, they’ve become friends.

I am loving that we're in the midst of a return to warmth and 1970s nostalgia – warm furnishings and decadent tones paired with stainless steel, chrome, and high lacquered surfaces can create such complex yet cohesive interiors.

Terracotta, burnt umber, caramel, and sienna are all restorative natural colours that make you feel wrapped up and at ease. These richer shades layer so well with classic, adaptable neutral tones of oatmeal, ecru, and calico, which suit both warm and cool environments.

It is a satisfying challenge to build and develop accessible textiles that look and feel luxurious. Pushing our suppliers into new territory to deliver complex constructions in durable compositions, with premium finishing to create an exceptionally comfortable soft handle, nuanced custom colour palettes, and the practicality to withstand what life throws at us.

Prior to my current role, I was product developer for Mokum – working alongside Stephanie to colour and curate Mokum collections. I am excited to bring my knowledge of the high end and experience growing up in the family business and apply it to the James Dunlop brand, delivering accessible and practical qualities that look and feel high end. Because being on a budget doesn’t mean you don’t have taste or need to compromise on style, and people need practicality at all levels of the market, even the high end.

Celebrated for centuries, dragons are a perennial textile motif. We sought to design our own Australasian version, resulting in our Komodo Dragon print. Open to interpretation, it’s a dreamlike depiction of dragons gliding through space – perhaps floating amongst clouds or drifting across organic rock formations. It was important that our design honoured the traditional dragon but in a subtle, liveable way, made modern through colour.

I love the simplicity of Handblock. The design is beautifully imperfect, coming from an original handblock print it represents the concept of wabi sabi design. In Australasia, our homes have large windows connecting us to the surrounding landscape and therefore suit over-scaled, motifs balanced with negative space to allow the design to relax and simplify.  I love that Handblock feels bold and graphic, but at the same time organic and earthy – perfectly placed within Australian interior design.

I’m also obsessed with Kanji – our latest pure linen sheer. The tumbled finish provides a liquid drape whilst maintaining the rhythmic handle that we love premium linen fibre for. It’s been carefully custom coloured in a fresh and decorative but deliciously muted palette, providing very useable colour which softly diffuses as light passes through.

With an affinity for outdoor entertaining and a deep connection between our landscapes and our homes, developing new outdoor qualities is a priority for us. We’ve seen a distinct shift as people seek to create outdoor spaces that feel as inviting as their interiors. Our outdoor living spaces are now considered ‘rooms without rooves.’

Recognising how we like to live in Australasia and the harsh environmental conditions, has made building a comprehensive offering of outdoor textiles a top priority for James Dunlop. To create this range, it was essential to find an innovative supply chain who could offer high end yarns and constructions in a solution dyed palette that felt sophisticated.

Our Alfresco collection represents James Dunlop’s new outdoor direction, and I’ve just signed off our first outdoor pattern. It’s inspired by our Handblock design and I’m very excited to launch it early next year.