About April

April Mawhinney is an Irish-British designer whose work is inspired by a deep love of wild landscapes, folkloric tales, and expressive colour. She founded her studio in 2020 in West Sussex, UK, producing luxurious wallpapers and fabrics that draw from the eerie beauty of poisonous British flora and fauna. Her work has been featured in The Guardian and Fabric Magazine, and used by interior designers including Nicola Gill in projects such as the 18th-century Old Stout House in Rye, Sussex. Each collection exudes opulence and romance, infused with just a hint of peril.

  • April believes:

  • Colour is happiness - use colours that bring you joy!

  • Beige can be banished! Be bold with pattern and colour!

  • Where possible, decorate using planet-friendly materials!

Artisan, eco‑conscious & UK Made

With over 20 years of experience in home décor illustration and a strong connection to the Arts and Crafts movement, April shares William Morris's vision of resisting mass-production in favour of thoughtful, artisan craftsmanship.

Her wallpapers and fabrics are proudly manufactured in the UK on a small scale, using sustainable methods. Environmental responsibility is woven into every stage of production: non-woven wallpapers use eco-concious base papers, and fabrics include cotton sourced through the Better Cotton Initiative. Both are printed using water-based, eco-friendly inks that are non-toxic and low in VOCs.

Trusted by Leading Brands

Before launching her own studio, April spent over 20 years working in-house or freelance creating illustration and pattern work for major home and retail brands, including Graham & Brown Wallpaper Company (for B&Q), Tesco, Primark, Matalan, Target Australia, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Today, she currently licenses her designs to Bothy Threads and Lust Home

Here to Help

April completely understands that buying wallpaper or home decor fabric is an investment. So please do check the repeat sizes, make sure you order samples, and please reach out if you have any questions. As you can tell, April and her small team are happy (really happy) to help.

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Techniques

April draws and illustrates her designs by hand. Colours and textures are then added digitally via her iPad using brushes and drawing tools that replicate coloured pencils and charcoals. The illustrations are then transferred into Adobe Photoshop, where they are put into repeat or finished ready for the client, or production.

Illustration clients

Bothy Threads

University of California, Berkeley

Graham & Brown Wallpaper Company (for B&Q)

Tesco

Primark

Matalan

Target Australia

Want to work with April?

Read the 'How to Work with Me' page and drop April a line!