Meet this Co Cavan textile designer creating gorgeous fabrics and wallpapers
With a background in textile design and fashion, Siobhan Elizabeth creates patterns inspired by childhood nostalgia and the landscape around her.
Based in Co Cavan, designer Siobhan Elizabeth creates unique patterns for her range of fabrics and wallpapers, with a distinctively Irish mood. St Brigid’s crosses, farmhouse crockery and Irish bogs all pop up in her designs. Her most recent work is a woven tapestry.
Initially studying textile design at NCAD, Siobhan worked for Irish designer Manley for four years, before going into the fine art world, working at Hang Tough for six years before its closure in 2023.
“I decided to try and give things a go out on my own,” she says, “and since then have been working towards building my own brand focusing on creating patterns for fabrics, wallpapers and home decor. Over the years working in both art and design related fields I realised that rather than flip flopping between the two worlds trying to figure out which one I wanted to be in, I could actually go back to my textile roots and embrace both disciplines, combining my love for painting and drawing and applying it to products.”
She describes her days as “painting and designing, hopefully something beautiful that can bring a bit of colour and flair to someone’s life,” and explains that her inspiration can come from almost anywhere.
“The physical and cultural landscapes around me are what I’m most often drawn to, though. I’m quite a nostalgic person and so a lot of my designs stem from childhood memories of visiting family in Cavan, where we eventually moved to and where I’m still based. My memories are strongly rooted in the textiles and design associated with those times. The curtains, wallpaper, trinkets and ceramics of my godmother’s house particularly stick out in my mind. My appreciation for aesthetic design was born in rural 1990s Ireland and is still heavily influenced by the past.”
Each of her designs has an aspect of storytelling to it. “Coming up with a narrative for each design or collection and trying to tell a tale through visuals. I paint pictures and hope they can spark something in someone, whether it’s a memory that might make them smile, or a design that can make their house feel a bit more like a home.”
Although until now her designs have been for wallpaper and fabric, Siobhan’s latest project, a woven tapestry, was a new venture. “One thing that has always weighed on me about wanting to be in the design industry,” she explains, “was the sheer amount of waste that can come with that and whether or not I could avoid being a part of that ‘fast’ design process. Thankfully, nowadays because of print on demand businesses, I can create designs that can be made to order, which means I can produce to demand and not before it.
“I came across FiberArt, through another textile designer I follow, who are a weave on demand company based in the USA. I got in touch and before I knew it I had my tapestry. It’s so nice to collaborate with people who are experts in their field, it makes you feel like a part of a community rather than a one woman band. As for the design itself I wanted to create something that could complement my fabric and wallpaper collection. I am also inspired a lot by storytelling traditions and language and this design was inspired by the phrases ‘cock and bull story’ and ‘bull in a china shop’ which are so familiar and which conjure such striking visual imagery. I wanted to create a design that had a traditional still life feel and combine it with the ancient Greek storytelling method of depicting myths and legends on pottery.”
As to what her plans are next, she says that she’s working on producing art prints. “My hope is that every collection I create will have a signature tapestry and artwork to accompany it. I’m really inspired by designers such as Emma J Shipley and brands including House of Hackney and Liberty, which I am absolutely nowhere near emulating but it’s always good to have a goal to chase.
“I would also love to collaborate with interior designers and create bespoke designs that are unique to specific settings and which can make these spaces a bit more special to people. Although it feels like I’m hurtling towards middle age at an ever increasing rate, I still feel very much like a baby in this industry and am really just excited to see my work in peoples lives and homes and to embrace different opportunities.”
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