As any Interior Designer knows, a good design begins with inspiration. This goes not only for interiors, but for the fabrics in a room setting as well. Did you know that the intricate weave of your sofa upholstery was based on a tangled web of vines spotted on an afternoon walk? Or that the rich indigo in the pillows that became your favorite accent in your living room was pulled from the saturated color of a Van Gogh hanging in the Museum of Modern Art?

We thought it would be fun to give the At Home in Arkansas readers a peek into the mind of a fabric designer. Interior Designer Eileen Kathryn Boyd just completed her first fabric collection with the Duralee Design Studio, and we’re happy to provide some insight into the inspiration behind a few of Eileen’s fabric designs!

(Eileen’s inspiration sketch)

What woman doesn’t love a fine piece of jewelry? Inspired by a favorite ring from her personal collection, Eileen and the Duralee Design Studio created their own interpretation of the geometric design in ink and watercolor. Senior Duralee Stylist Lauren Pelusio explains, “By using a multi-weft construction, which allows for various yarns and colors to be woven into the fabric, it gave us a lot of opportunity for color options while keeping the design graphic and bold.” The result is pattern 15385, shown above.

(photo credit: Balenciaga)

Fashion and Interior Design go hand-in-hand. Today’s hot home colors and patterns are often pulled directly from the runways. Eileen is known for linking her designs to the top fashion houses, and this happens to be the case with pattern 15399 (Lawrence Hill Stripe).

Lauren says, “We thought the wider bold stripes and varying widths of this Balenciaga dress made for a unique design, but we chose to re-create the look in a plush chenille that creates a cut velvet look and combined it with an ottoman weave for some variation in texture.”

(Eileen’s inspiration sketch)

Art is the driving force behind many of Eileen’s interiors, so it’s no surprise that pattern 15376 (Hemingway) was developed from a pencil sketch.  “We loved the line drawing quality and the packed design of this artwork,” Lauren explains, “but we decided to add an extra color in the center of the design to provide some visual depth and a touch of fun.  It’s our modern take on a paisley.”

Want to see more of Eileen’s fabrics?  Her collection, Eileen Kathryn Boyd Exclusively for Duralee, is available to view online at Duralee.com and can be purchased through the trade.