Josephine Munsey | Pattern and Colour

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Josephine began her design journey during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. Having gained experience working for various design houses, and by acquiring knowledge in numerous fabric and wallpaper printing methods, she decided it was the opportune moment to start her own venture, creating wallpaper, fabric and paint, alongside her husband, Greg.

Her designs are a vibrant and intricate collection of flora, fauna and architectural motifs, interwoven with her own personal history and experience.

Throughout our March Fine Interiors catalogue, you will find several lots of works of art, silver, ceramics and sculpture photographed with the beautiful patterns designed by Josephine, which we feel gives our catalogue a brightness and vitality, perfectly timed with the freshness and hopefulness of spring.

^{British School (19th century) A pair of portraits pencil, watercolour and ink on paper 11 x 9cm, each glazed and in a mahogany-veneered frame (2) £200-400}

What influences and inspirations shape your designs, and how do you incorporate them into your creative process?

My mother is a talented gardener. She collects ferns and snowdrops and generally her garden is an inspiration of botanical shapes, and if I ever need to name a plant or am lost for a shape, I tend to ask her. I like to look at the ceramic section of the V&A, as they always have incredible patterns and colours from all over the world. I discovered it recently when looking for the textiles section which is now closed.  I also like to trawl through second-hand bookshops. I recently found a book on Indian miniatures that has some beautiful images.

^{A Villeroy & Boch 'Miss Desiree' glass suite of recent manufacture, each with pressed glass laurel and panel decoration and raised on an hexagonal base (£400-600)}

How do the creative and production processes work? Walk us through from the first idea to the final design.

I keep sketchbooks which are constantly updated and I record all my photos and drawings in there. Some ideas are eight years old in my sketchbook, and I often go back and look through them and see if any of the old ideas are still relevant or I can merge them to create a new idea. I like to draw out the repeat as a small sketch to see how it would work. I will keep drawing until I think it's successful. I'll add a bit of colour to the small section which helps to start visualise it as a wallpaper or fabric. I'll then blow the design up and draw it to scale, always drawing in repeat and as one piece of artwork. I use paints, pen, or sometimes pencil. When I feel it is finished, I scan the artwork and put it into Photoshop. In Photoshop, I repeat the image and separate the colours, so I can produce a number of colourways easily. Once I have a number of colourways, I will send them to get printed by our fantastic suppliers. I then get the trials back and make a final selection, before printing the samples ready to send out.

^{A Charles II provincial silver Puritan spoon probably by James Emery II, Lewes 1668, the reverse of the shaped oval bowl with a rudimentary rat-tail, marked to the reverse of the stem 'E' within a heart and a fleur-de-lys, 6.2cm long, 0.89ozt (£600-800)}

In an ever-evolving industry, how do you stay informed about current design trends, and do you actively incorporate them into your work?

I try and make my designs as timeless as possible and tend to try not to actively look at short-term trends. I think design should stand the test of time as much as possible.

^{Josephine's favourite lots, 191 & 326}

With the growing emphasis on sustainability, how do you integrate eco-friendly practices and materials into your designs?

All of our products are made to order including wallpaper, fabric and paint. This means we are only producing what we need, and we have no stock sitting in warehouses that is unwanted. I am careful not to trial too many colourways and designs, more choosing the final designs, so I do not waste any paper. Any scraps or trials that don't make it, I use as wrapping paper.

Tuesday 19 & Wednesday 20 March | 10am

fineinteriors@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

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