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DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT

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Support independent businesses and meet the creatives making waves in the interiors world. This month, we’re talking colourful graphic art prints to brighten your walls…and your day

NINA ROBINSON, NINA BOMBINA DESIGNS

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Clockwise from above Paradise House Kitchen; Dreamtown Festival; Paradise House Living room and Paradise House Chillout room, A4 prints from £15.99 Nothing transforms a room quicker than a fabulous piece of wall art. Easier, cheaper and quicker to put up than wallpaper – not to mention easy to swap when you fancy something different – graphic art prints in particular are a great way to inject instant colour and personality into your pad. Whether you rent or own your home, prints have the power to bring plain walls alive. And with a vast array of styles, colours and designs available from independent artists either directly or through platforms such as Etsy, shopping small for prints means you’re guaranteed to find something unusual, original and lovingly designed that speaks to you and reflects your personality. This month, we’re highlighting three of our favourite independent designers creating beautiful graphic art prints to jazz up every wall of your home – starting with Nina Robinson, whose digital collages are full of life and colour.

QCan you describe your business in a sentence?

AI design cheerful, bright digital graphic art prints for anyone who loves colourful interiors.

QHow did you get to the point of having your own business?

AI’ve always loved drawing and making things, right from a young age. I was working as a photographer when the pandemic hit and suddenly I had a lot more time and mental space to be creative. After noticing there was a lack of BAME people on greetings cards, I took a chance and sent in some digital collage designs to online card retailer Thortful.com. They loved them, and soon I was also working with Moonpig.com and Funkypigeon.com, which was amazing. The response to my cards made me decide to try my hand at designing art prints inspired by my love of interior design. When I opened my own shop on Etsy in September 2020, I was blown away by the interest, particularly as I don’t stick to a restricted palette. My prints are unashamedly colourful and maximalist, which is totally my style.

QWhat’s your favourite thing about what you do?

AI love having the creative freedom to let my imagination run wild. The actual process of designing makes me feel so happy and content. I still get a thrill every time someone buys one of

Dreamtown Piazza A3 art print, £25.99

my prints – that people actually want to put the things I’ve made on their walls. I’ll never get over that!

QWhat has been your proudest moment – or moments – so far?

ATalking to magazines is always exciting, and I was blown away when the people from Etsy came to film me and make a video for their digital and social media channels, showcasing my work. There are thousands of printmakers who sell through them, so it was an honour.

QIf you had to pick one, which would be your favourite print?

AThe very first print I designed, Chillout Room from my Paradise House collection, which is a series of prints depicting an imaginary dream home. It shows a purple woman playing a guitar, and I love the balance of the composition; the starry sky seen through the window, and the contrast of neutral colours with pops of bright and neon shades. It’s my most popular print, so it seems other people love it, too.

QAnything else we need to know?

AI’ve expanded into homewares and gifts, such as marbled candles in my trademark bright shades. I’d love to

Paradise House Bathroom A4 art print, £15.99

have a physical studio, shop and workspace one day, as I’m working from home. I’ve also recently completed a course in Risograph printing (a kind of digital photocopying), which means I can create prints with truly fluorescent colours. So a super-bright new range will be coming soon – watch this space!

Follow Nina @nina__bombina on Instagram. Shop her homewares and prints at Ninabombinaart.etsy.com

Prints charming

Meet two print designers who turn walls from drab to fab

ELEANOR MORRIS, ELEANOR ISOBELLE ART

@eleanorisobelleart ‘I create beautiful quality giclée prints for the home. I designed some to sell on Etsy as an experiment when I was furloughed from my job as creative lead for a marketing agency… and sold over 5,000 in the first few months! Since then, I’ve had pop-ups in John Lewis stores and collaborated with Look Fantastic to design one of their beauty boxes. Now Eleanor Isobelle Art is my business and my life. Sustainability’s important to me so I use giclée printing because the colours last. I’m inspired by almost everything – travel, restaurants, everyday objects and scenes. My new Fast Food designs feature cultural icons like a McDonald’s Happy Meal box and milkshake cup.’ Eleanorisobelleart.co.uk

LORENA SIMINOVICH, ROOMYTOWN

@Roomytown ‘My background is in graphic design, and several years ago I launched and ran a toy gift brand, Petit Collage. But wall art was my first love, so, last October, I started Roomytown. I create fine art prints for the family home, based on both modern graphic designs as well as vintage finds from libraries and antique bookstores, that we restore and update. At first, I assumed I was designing mainly for children’s spaces, but it became clear adults were buying prints for themselves - particularly when Liberty started stocking them – which was fantastic. I’d love to expand the brand globally. We went to a trade show in New York, recently, and the positive reactions we had to our prints made me so happy.’ Roomytown.com

Happy Meal print, from £12

Fleurs et Insectes Fine Art print, £15.95

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