British textile designer Jessica Osborne creates beautifully crafted wallpapers and fabrics defined by striking colour combinations, timeless geometric patterns and exceptional British craftsmanship. She tells Jessica Jonzen more
'MONTY' LINEN FABRIC BY JESSICA OSBORNE IN OLIVE AND LIGHT BLUE
From heritage craftsmanship to joyful colour, designer Jessica Osborne is bringing a fresh perspective to British textiles with her eponymous brand. With wallpapers and woven fabrics made entirely in England, her collections marry timeless pattern with contemporary style. She tells us more about her collections, the importance of craftsmanship, colour confidence and why decorating should always begin with what you love.
What is the ethos behind your brand?
I want to design wallpapers and fabrics that people will love for years, not just a short time. Colour is at the heart of everything I do, but I always try to balance boldness with simplicity so the designs feel timeless and easy to live with.
Alongside that, it's incredibly important to me that every product is beautifully crafted, using the highest quality materials and British manufacturing expertise.
Above all, I want to give people the confidence to create homes that reflect their own personality. If my designs help someone love walking through their front door every day, then I've achieved exactly what I set out to do.
Your latest woven collection is inspired by antique darning samplers and hand-drawn geometric patterns. Where do you find inspiration?
Inspiration can come from almost anywhere, but colour is always my starting point. I'm naturally drawn to simple, timeless design and geometric patterns, which appear throughout my collections.
The 'Xantha' fabric was inspired by an eighteenth-century darning sampler I came across. I loved its simple geometric quality and wanted to reinterpret it in a contemporary way. Rather than creating an embroidered textile, we developed a woven fabric that gives the illusion of embroidery through different weave formations. It's probably my favourite fabric in the collection because it perfectly combines traditional craftsmanship with a modern aesthetic.
It was also one of the most challenging designs to create. We spent a long time refining the colour palette to make sure it worked beautifully with the different weave structures. It's those details that make all the difference, and seeing the finished fabric made all that time worthwhile.
'XANTHA' FABRIC IN PATCHWORK BY JESSICA OSBORN. IMAGE: SARAH FRANCES KELLEY
You champion British manufacturing, with all your wallpapers and fabrics made in England. Tell us more about the craftsmanship behind the collections.
Supporting British manufacturing has always been incredibly important to me. We hear so often about factories closing, and highly highly skilled people losing professions that have been passed down through generations. Preserving those skills matters.
When I was searching for manufacturers, I wanted to work with people who cared about quality and craftsmanship as much as I do. My latest woven collection is produced in a 300-year-old mill that is now in its tenth generation of family ownership. There's something really special about knowing that each fabric has been created by people with centuries of knowledge and expertise behind them.
My wallpapers are also printed in the north of England, in a town with a rich textile heritage. Manufacturing here not only means the quality is exceptional but it also allows me to build close relationships with the people making my products. For me, it's about creating beautiful designs while supporting British craftsmanship and celebrating the incredible heritage of our textile industry.
You began your career as an interior stylist. What made you decide to launch your own design studio?
I actually began my career in the fashion and still-life photography world, working as a stylist's agent and producer. We worked on everything from The X Factor to advertising campaigns, magazine editorials and still-life shoots. It was an amazing experience and I learnt so much, although like many other jobs in fashion, the pay wasn't great and it was a very intense job. It was a slightly unexpected route because I'd studied Textile Design at university and had always imagined I'd become a fabric and wallpaper designer. But when I saw the job advertised, I knew it would teach me invaluable skills, so I took it.
After two years of working for the agency, I took the plunge and became freelance working in the interior styling world. I absolutely loved it because no two days were ever the same. Every project was different and I gained so much experience working in beautiful houses and on set. Alongside that, I was also using the production and organisational skills I'd developed in my previous role.
When the pandemic hit and photoshoots came to a standstill, I knew it was the right moment to stop all that and properly go for it with the textiles and wallpaper.
JESSICA OSBORNE WITH SAMPLES OF HER FABRICS, ALL MADE IN ENGLAND
Are there any lessons from your styling career that still influence the way you design?
Not so much in the way I design, but it definitely shaped my eye for interiors and how I want things to look. Photography taught me that presentation is everything, and I still think about how a space or a product will look through the lens.
Colour has always been my greatest love and my styling career gave me a real understanding of how different colours work together to create a mood or feeling. I was always drawn to the bolder shoots where colour was the hero, and that has definitely stayed with me.
I also realised that I love simplicity. I'm not a fan of lots of fuss or unnecessary detail; I prefer designs where the colour and pattern do the talking.
What drew you to designing wallpapers and fabrics?
I've always loved textiles. I studied Textile Design at university, and before that, Art Textiles was my favourite subject at school, so it's something I've been passionate about for as long as I can remember. My parents always joke that I spent my childhood cutting and glueing things.
What I love most about wallpaper and fabric is their ability to completely transform a space. They can change not only how a room looks, but also how it feels. Whether it's through colour, pattern or texture, they have the power to create atmosphere and make a space feel truly personal. I think that's what drew me to specialise in them – they're such an integral part of how we experience our homes.
HEADBOARD UPHOLSTERED IN 'ALBIE' FABRIC IN DENIM, WITH A ROMAN BLIND MADE FROM 'CHEQUER' FABRIC IN BLUE, BOTH BY JESSICA OSBORNE. IMAGE: SARAH FRANCES KELLEY
As a former interior stylist, how would you recommend people use your latest collections at home?
My biggest piece of advice is to decorate with what you genuinely love rather than worrying about trends. Choose colours and patterns that make you happy every time you walk into a room.
Some of my designs are bold and colourful, but I don't think that should put anyone off using them in a confident way. A striking wallpaper or fabric can s can completely transform a space and give it real personality. If you love it, be brave with it.
At the end of the day, our homes should reflect who we are. Whether you use one statement pattern or mix several together, the most important thing is that your home feels personal, joyful and somewhere you love spending time.
What would you say to someone who's a little nervous about introducing colour and pattern?
Start small. You don't need to redecorate an entire room overnight. Try adding a couple of cushions, upholster an ottoman, or introduce a patterned blind or lampshade and see how it makes the space feel.
I actually think the best interiors evolve over time rather than being completed all at once. Building a room gradually gives you the confidence to experiment and discover what you really love. Once you've lived with a little bit of pattern or colour, you'll often find you're much braver about introducing more.
Before you know it, that cushion might lead to the whole room including the ceiling being wallpapered. The most important thing is to create a home that feels timeless, rather than rushing to achieve a finished look and for it to look staged.
JESSICA OSBORNE WITH A SELECTION OF HER PRINTED FABRIC DESIGNS
How do you use your own wallpapers and fabrics at home?
I always joke that my house has become a bit of a shrine to my own designs! It's difficult not to surround yourself with the things you've created and genuinely love, but I probably need to branch out a bit!
That said, I've recently moved house, so it's an exciting opportunity to start again. I think that's one of the joys of being a designer; your home is always evolving. I'm constantly trying new ideas, moving things around and living with my designs to see how they work in everyday life. It's the best way to understand how people will experience them in their own homes.
What's next for Jessica Osborne?
It's been a full-on year so far in many ways both personally and professionally but there's lots to look forward to. We'll be launching a new woven collection in September, which I'm incredibly excited about. It's been a real labour of love, and I can't wait to share it and see what people think.
Shortly afterwards, we'll also be unveiling a really exciting collaboration with a rug company, which feels like a natural extension of the brand. I can't say too much just yet, but I can't wait for everyone to see it.
We're just about to join new showrooms in London and New York, and last month we joined one in Atlanta. Seeing the brand continue to grow both here in the UK and internationally has been incredibly rewarding and exhausting in equal measure. So there is a lot on the horizon!
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