"beautifully wild wallpapers & fabric, with a dash of eclectic eccentricity".

 

April Mawhinney Illustration offers wallpapers and fabric for people who love Wild Places, Bright Colours and Layering Pattern!

 

 Hi, I'm April, and I believe:

1. Colour is Happiness

2. Life is too short not to be surrounded by things that bring you joy.

3. Banish the beige; be brave with colour and pattern.

 

About April

I'm an Irish-British illustrator. Over the last 20 years, I've worked both in-house and as a freelance textile designer; creating textile designs for kitchen textiles and home decor clients.

Since having my second child in 2018, I took the leap away from working as an anonymous designer for other brands, and have nurtured my own client projects and grown my range of products.

It's all about You!

Although working for other brands was exciting and challenging, the main thing I really missed was customer interactions. As an anonymous behind-the-scenes designer, I never got to know or speak to the people who bought my designs. 

This was one of the main reasons I set up my own studio. I'm Northern Irish, I love to chat and I love getting to know my customers.

I enjoy helping customers to order, getting excited by their interior projects and then bursting with joy when they send me photos of their finished projects. I'm both like a proud parent and silly kid (doing a silly dance).

Combine this with my passion for supporting British manufacturing and a geek-level understanding of techy-computer-aided-design stuff; there's much I can do to help you make the most of your interior spaces. 

I'm Here to Help.

I completely understand that buying wallpaper or home decor fabric is an investment. So please do check the repeat sizes, make sure you order samples and please reach out if you have any questions. As you can tell, I'm happy (really happy) to help.

 

Let's jump off the maximalist cliff together, hold hands and scream all the way down into a place that is patterned, colourful and, importantly, yours!

 

What the Studio Stands For:

• Artisan: Knowing that every piece in the collection has been beautifully designed by me, and made in the U.K.

• Intention: Giving you permission to fill your home with things that express your interests and bring you joy. Your personality isn't 'beige', so why should your home be?

• Colour: The belief that Colour is Happiness!

Techniques

I mainly work in pen and ink, drawing and illustrating the designs by hand. Colours and textures are then added digitally in my iPad using brushes and drawing tools that replicate coloured pencils and charcoals. The illustrations are then transferred into Adobe Photoshop, where they are put into repeat or finished ready for the client, or production.

 

Eco Promise

I only work with production companies who use responsibly sourced materials and ecological inks. My range of greetings cards support The Woodland Trust in maintaining our native wooded spaces.

 

Want to work with April?

Read the 'Working with Me' page and drop me a line!

Illustration clients and designs sold to:

University of California, Berkeley

Graham & Brown Wallpaper Company (for B&Q)

Tesco

Primark

Matalan

Target Australia.