Designers Muse – Rose Campbell

At Design Insider we get enormous pleasure from finding out about the designers behind the new products which we are privileged to be able to showcase.  Today we bring you our conversation with Rose Campbell, Head of Product and Creative Development at Newmor Wallcoverings.

Find our more about Newmor Wallcoverings

How did you get into Design?

I have loved all things arty since I was a young child. I’d always be painting, drawing or crafting and pestering my mum for washing-up liquid bottles for the next Blue Peter make!

It’s a bit cheesy – but my interest in design was first sparked after watching the 1987 romcom Mannequin. As a young teenager I decided that I wanted to be a professional window dresser and even secured some work experience at Habitat. I soon discovered it wasn’t what I’d envisaged and there was no creative freedom, especially working for a large national. Even after that short lived career choice, I still knew my vocation was in design – it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.                

Why did you choose Wallcovering design specifically?

I decided to do a degree in textile design as it was the most diverse, crossing both fashion and interiors. My final project, which included a wallcovering collection was displayed at New Designers and I was delighted to be offered 3 job interviews as a result.

One of the studio’s that interviewed me felt my design style would appeal to Graham and Brown Wallcoverings and they kindly made the introduction. I was grateful to be offered my first job as a designer and was there for over 10 years.

After working with several high end wallcovering and wall art brands, I joined Newmor almost 4 years ago. Time has flown by, and I have really enjoyed developing a host of new contract specification collections for the different sectors we operate in.

I feel very privileged that I’ve managed to make a career as a designer as it truly is my passion and I love what I do!

Where do you find your inspiration?

Everywhere! Obviously, I go to all the trade shows and research what the latest trends are in different sectors, but my main inspiration comes from life and the things I see around me. My camera reel is full of photographs I have taken – I love finding the hidden details in nature, buildings, shop windows, or on social media, the list of places I find inspiration is pretty endless. Colour is something I’m particularly passionate about and I love to see new and unexpected colour and pattern combinations!

I collate everything I have seen through the year and it all feeds into the new year trends I produce at Newmor. One of the trends this year was Spectrum, inspired by Rainbows this joyous colour palette can’t help but make you smile. I always link trends back to products within our collection, and this autumn we also launched a collaboration with Lois O’Hara which is a real celebration of colour and design.

Who do you admire?

As a London student, I would spend many happy hours at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour and on the Kings Road. The standout interior designer for me is Tricia Guild, I admire her bold choices, how she curates colour and pattern and presents interiors in an experiential way. I feel this approach has given her designs longevity, because although trends change her approach to design has been a constant. It’s clear she loves what she does, and in the process, she has made good interior design accessible to many people, and I truly admire her for that.                                              

What are the bits of product development you most enjoy?

My favourite part of product development is most definitely the sampling stage. It’s great seeing all the key elements – pattern, colour and texture coming together and bouncing ideas off each other. As a designer, one of the greatest benefits I have is working in a company that has its own manufacturing facility – it gives me the creative freedom to develop new concepts and experiment with effects by changing the emboss, design and colours, to create beautiful finished products. I get to work with a great team of people and I really value the hands-on time I have in the studio.

Are any unexpected consideration or aspect of designing wallpaper that people outside the sector might not know?

Scale and repeat are an important consideration on our standard designs. Thinking of end use, for example in a corridor I will consider the size of doors and whether the scale or repeat would create an awkward design. When producing bespoke digitally printed designs where there are no restrictions on scale or repeat we would still take into account doorways and furniture placement in our wallplans to achieve the best finished product and not to hide key elements of the design as we are reimaging our clients’ vision.

Do you have a favourite collection?

I do, and it’s one of the new designs we’ve launched this autumn. Not because its new, but because it’s the one I’ve wanted to produce for a while and has taken a considerable amount of development.

Anyone who knows me, will tell you how much I love leather and cowhide – so I’m thrilled to have created this effect in a contract vinyl wallcovering. Peloso, has a luxurious cowhide/leather texture and comes in 12 sumptuous colours. This subtle design comes to life when the light catches the metallic and mica pigments. Developing the intricate emboss was both challenging and rewarding, I had to ensure we got the flow right, so the design looked random and natural but most importantly it has an amazing tactility about it that just makes you want to stroke it! It has been really well received so far.

What’s coming up?

I’ll be at the HIX show in November, so stop by stand 53 and I will take you through our four new collections. We’re constantly innovating and will be showcasing two new vinyl collections, Batik and Marquetry in a unique matt finish – a trend that I see growing.

I am also working on my 2022 Trends which will be released in January followed by new collections in Spring 2022. Lots happening as always – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Contact Newmor Wallcoverings through BCFA Product Finder

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