Patricia Braune Interview

We are thrilled to unveil the debut rug collection from Nelson Bay-based textile and surface designer Patricia Braune. This highly versatile collection is based on Patricia’s intricate hand illustrations, and reflects her keen eye for composition and the beauty of patterns found in nature.

The collection merges both coastal and floral inspirations in a soft and adaptable colour palette, translated into handmade 100% wool rugs. From shifting sands, to blooming waratahs, to coral reefs, these designs take the intricate details of the Australian environment and interpret them as effortless yet elegant floor coverings, ready for beautiful homes all over Australia and beyond.

We spoke to Patricia about her experiences creating this collection:

Tell us a little about who you are as a designer!

I’m a wanderer by nature and I have an inner need to travel and explore fresh ideas and experiences of places unknown. I’m always seeking out new global influences for my work, mostly drawn from the natural environment. Born in Brazil, I had a transient childhood and lived in Germany and South Africa, but the last decade and a half has been happily spent in Australia,  working from my studio in the beautiful coastal village of Nelson Bay in Port Stephens. From my roots in design and advertising, I realised I have a love for intricate hand illustration, a passion for interior textile and wallpaper design, and a strong eye for composition.

What is your design process like?

When creating my wallpaper and textile designs, I begin with pen on paper, capturing intricate details with fine line details to create my signature style. The drawing component is meditative and my favourite part of my creative process, though I also love seeing the pattern emerge as it comes together in the repeat. I have been fortunate to be able to apply my designs to various substrates and applications - from textiles and wallpapers to screens, blinds and tiles - and am absolutely thrilled to now be able to add rugs to my repertoire.

Your work to date has been in fabric and wallpapers, featuring fine detail and repeats – what is it like to see your work translated in such a large scale?

The large scale of the designs has moved me to tears of excitement. The perfect translation of each design is so impressive and creates a beautiful textural experience and hopefully a conversation piece!

What was it like working in the new medium of rugs, and how did your design process differ?

The  larger scale was certainly a new interpretation of my designs. As I made my design suggestions and considerations, it was exciting to be considering the scale impact - how the intricacy of my design style would translate into a rug and the possible applications of the rugs to a space. 

The collection draws a lot from nature, from both the coast and the bush – what is it about the natural world that you drawn to in your design?

I love to observe shapes, movement and textures in nature and objects. I like to capture these elements in my line-work and once illustrated I evolve the illustrations into a design. Each design carries different energy for me, perhaps that is the end result.

What kind of space do you see your rugs being at home in? What do you think these rugs bring to a space?

I envision my rugs in light filled homes and spaces, where the casual lifestyle meets sophisticated calm elegance. Homes where you walk barefoot, feel the wool rugs underfoot and experience the luxury and style that these pieces will add to the space.

Your collection can be custom sized and coloured – is there any particular customisations you’d love to see?

The customisation options makes the process of perfecting the rugs to a specific space so wonderful, I think that seeing the Mallee Buds design in a navy and cream would be a very striking design and colour combination. 

How did you find the collaborative process with Designer Rugs?

Collaborating with Designer Rugs has been such a fabulous process, from start to finish. The whole Designer Rugs team have been a joy to work with, they work so well together and know from years of experience what will work best. The process has been wonderful and I have learned so much with regards to rugs from this talented team.

The Patricia Braune Collection is on display in our showrooms, and can be custom shaped, sized and coloured to suit any residential or commercial space. Contact us to find out more!