Emily Burningham was born in 1978 and grew up in London. Much of her childhood was spent surrounded by the antiques collected by her parents. Visits to antique fairs, auction houses and reclamation yards searching for unique pieces exposed her to a range of design influences from a young age. She also accompanied her parents on their travels and was inspired by the colours and designs from around the world.

Having studied a degree in ceramic design at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design she went on to work as a surface designer applying her style to various projects such as fabric design, ceramic decoration, greeting cards, wrapping paper and interior design.

This led her desire to create and manufacture her own products, seeing through the design from the initial concept right through to completion. Her design business started in March 2005 and has gone from strength to strength with an ever-expanding product range and international distribution. She is dedicated to supporting UK manufacture and helping to protect the environment when possible.

Her passion for pattern and colour and attention to detail are at the forefront of the designs.

Emily attributes her style to a variety of influences:

''Japan with its fascinating culture and history has a strong influence on my designs. The boldness, simplicity and use of colour in Japanese textiles has inspired a great deal of my work.

Design of the 1920's and 1930's, also greatly influenced by Japan, is perhaps the other greatest resource for my patterns. The forceful colours of designs 'Fruit', 'Orangery', and 'Redcurrants' are reminiscent of the block colour once used in fashion and interior textiles from this period.

English and French textiles from the turn of the century, ceramics, furniture and design of the Arts and Crafts Movement have inspired 'Poppies', 'Trees and Pots' and many others.

The traditional flowers of an English Garden in summer with an abundance of Hollyhocks, Roses, Delphiniums, Lupins and Foxgloves and an array of visiting insects is a happy, comforting place for me to be.

There are so many rich and wonderful sources of visual information; the difficulty is finding the time to explore them all!''

go back