Meet one of our very talented World Class Designers, Barbra!  We are thrilled to have her on the team and are in love with her incredible patterns here on Alluminare.  Barbra has a fabulous, unique style and we are excited to offer three of her patterns in various colorways.  From an edgy damask to whimsical flowers, we think you will fall for them all  like we have.  I had the opportunity to meet with Barbra to see what inspires her and makes her tick.  I enjoyed  learning more about her and I think you will too…

 

Where do you look for inspiration?

Travel. And I plan to do lots of it in the near future! The experience of travel makes you learn a lot about the world and yourself and I find that really rewarding. It also makes you appreciate home so much more.

Music. Clears my mind and creates visions and sets a mood.

Dance. I’m a hoop dance fanatic! There’s something about how it brings together music, coordination to do amazing tricks, expressive dance and that whole circus freakshow aspect. Soon, I’ll be launching a business related to hooping. Can’t wait to announce that on my website soon!

Blogs. I visit so many design blogs, but sometimes that almost makes me overwhelmed and bogged down with too many possibilities. I like to keep my rate of input low so my output is higher; however the internet is great if you can keep your searching simple. I do follow all the blogs of the Alluminare World Class Designers tho.

What design trends are you excited about? Which trends would you like to see disappear?

I’ve been enjoying the Neo Folk Art trend a lot – influence which shows up in my “Folk Heart“. Something about the trend is so heart-warming, simple and yet cheeky. “Folk Heart” was developed with that in mind, but with a twist. It’s an overwhelming expression of folk artiness. An almost disgusting amount of hearts in a very detailed, but organized, explosion. It’s a little cheeky + sarcastic in that regard.

As far as trends that need to go, the Ed Hardy tattoo-look has gone too far. When you see the style on labels for sub-par wine or enshrouding mini curling irons, it needs to go. It’s just not even relevant anymore because it’s become so disgustingly overdone. I have to say tho, I’m no snob. I actually own an Ed Hardy hoodie.  That I still wear. At home only.

Where do you imagine your designs seen here on Alluminare, residing in the future? On what kind of products in what kinds of spaces?  

My designs tend to have that young, edgy attitude.  They can be cute, sarcastic, and/or rebellious. “Sakura” and “Folk Heart” I can see on pillows or on fabric as quilts in the bedrooms of sassy ladies and young girls alike. They even work as wall hangings in place of wallpaper, if you want something less permanent but to give attitude to a space.

Most of my patterns seem to translate the best on pillows and fabric, because they have a sense of amusement or novelty to them. “Rock & Roll Damask” I can see on pillows in the bedroom of a future Rockstar or in a rock club venue in LA… in the VIP section, of course.

I think my designs can compliment each other if unified with a palette.

(pillows in a unified glamour/rockstar palette – deep plum, light plum, margaritaville, croissant, sage, rosemary, sand dollar + light spring grass)

What is your favorite color to design with right now?

I don’t really have any one color I’m attracted to, but there are palettes that I gravitate towards for sure. I really am loving a glamour palette of deep purples, dark money greens, and burnished golds. The combo of light dirty aqua, bright coral and pale sandy ivory I’m very much into right now (and is the palette used on my website right now – www.ifneedb.com). In addition, the young rocker girl in me still loves the combo of black, white and hot pink. It just depends on my mood, I suppose.

What is your most treasured belonging?

Materialistically speaking, I love pretty printed scarves. They’re so versatile. I have an amazing silk scarf with a puzzle-piece look with a bunch of different coordinating patterns on it. I think it’s so luxurious and I would not leave home without it – a must for travel. So functional because it keeps me warm, is beautiful, and I feel it definitely shows that I love fun pattern.  I like that combo of practical, luxurious and whimsical – it completely defines me.

What is your idea of a perfect day where you live?

Living in Milwaukee, we have loooong winters here, so esp at this time of year when Spring pushes Winter out the way it’s precious to have a sunny, temperate day. I’d wake up on this sunny day, make French press coffee, then dash off to hoop dance on the beach at Lake Michigan with my friend Anna and sister Rachel, then get some lunch together.  In the afternoon, I’d go home, design with my cat Foo who always likes to snuggle up to me whilst working  on some new designs. Then Mike (my husband) would come home, we’d cook up a lovely dinner together of mussels with bacon + shallot wine sauce and share it with our family + friends.

Where did you take your last trip? 

I just visited San Francisco with my husband who was there for the Game Developers Conference – he’s a Game Developer and a computer wizard. We did visit with a few friends that transplanted to SF, which was lovely. I designed from the hotel, which was great – I had an awesome view of the city.

What is the feature or favorite part of your home?

Our kitchen. We just remodeled it (ourselves) and are proud of that – nothing in our home had been updated when we purchased it, so it was great to go from the original farmhouse sink + no counters to all modern amenities, cabinets + counterspace. We are foodies, so we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I’d love to get some pendants or get some fabric for new wall hangings. I think Sakura would fit in well in a bright red theme. Red’s my favorite color in the kitchen. With black and white.

What is on your “got to have” / wish list?

Since I work at home, I’ve realized I crave more external interaction, so I’d have to say travel + education are at the top of my wish list. These experiences keep me connected and broaden who I am as a designer.

One of my resolutions this year is to go on a trip a month, whether far or near. So far I’ve kept solid on that. I’m really looking forward to meeting most of the Alluminare designers at Surtex in May! I traveled to Colorado last month and met Libby (Unwin) which was so much fun! We had so much to chat about! I just really love making those connections. I’d also love to go on a hoop camp excursion to a tropical location!

I attend design + business seminars frequently via the AIGA local chapter and I’m also involved in a local mentorship program, OnRamp, which introduces minority students to the world of design. It’s rewarding to see these kids develop and I actually find that I’m learning a lot, which is surprising and delightful. Building community is so important to me.

What famous designer would you love to have lunch with?

There are so many it’s hard to choose! Florence Broadhurst was a very enigmatic personality that I would have liked to have met. Her layered, flamboyant, secret lives gave way to an amazingly prolific range of designs for interiors. I like that eccentric sort of person. Her work is the perfect balance of indulgence, color, + novelty, which seems to somehow be classic.  I hope to achieve the same things with my work! Being boring is scary.

We think you will.  Thank you so much for hanging out with us Barbra!