About
Mairi Helena is an Edinburgh designer, offering a contemporary Scottish inspired fabric and wallpaper range for interiors. Her Scottish surface designs are created through taking elements of her photographic portfolio of Scotland’s flora and fauna to produce abstract surface prints, the collections include cushions, throws, lampshades, fabrics, wallpapers, paints and tableware.
The Story
The Story
Brought up in the Scottish Borders and with both parents being Scottish textile designers,
“I was brought up with an appreciation of design. Although I studied to be a vet, it was inevitable that eventually I came back to my roots and my passion for colour and print!”
A Design Journey Shaped by Scotland
Scotland’s landscapes, colours and wildlife continuously provide further inspiration and ideas for surface design.
“I love drawing textures from coastlines and hues from the landscapes. Sometimes it’s a silhouette of a tree which initiates a design or the shape of a thistle framed against a blue sky.”
The Collections: Inspiration in Context
From the vibrant, earthy colours of the Scottish Borders, the rustic and weathered coastal fringe of Fife and the bustling, pulsating Edinburgh sensations, Mairi finds inspiration all over Scotland.
Scottish Flora
Inspired by the iconic thistles, sea holly and teasel heads, with a subtle play on tartan. Scottish Flora debuted at London Design Week in 2016 and quickly caught the eye of the design world, celebrating Scotland’s natural forms through bold and delicate pattern.
Homelands
A collection inspired by travels along Scotland’s West Coast as well as the Trossachs. From Loch Voil's patterned valley sides, to iconic distilleries on the Isle of Islay and the windswept beaches along Isle of Iona. “My heart is in the Hebrides….”
The Explorer
A collection inspired by adventures through Glen Coe on route to the Isle of Skye. From Scotland’s peaks, valleys and lochs emerging through the clouds, to the Cuillin Ridge and Loch Coruisk, capturing the charm of the country’s diverse and dramatic landscape.
Back to Nature
A collection of designs inspired by time spent in lockdown and the changing seasons. From the wildflower borders at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, to gorse at Beecraigs Park and sunrise at Cramond beach, with new releases continuing over time.
“I love seeing my fabrics and wallpapers being incorporated into customers homes, from modern new builds to period properties. From creating a statement feature wall to effectively layering colour and pattern with lampshades, cushions and throws. My designs are often described to help ‘uplift’ the atmosphere, add ‘artwork to the wall’ and ‘add something a little unique.”
Craftsmanship & Creative Philosophy
Mairi Helena is proud to be printing in the UK and supporting fellow British makers who champion quality craftsmanship.
All her fabric and wallpapers are printed in the UK, and in fact supporting the same fabric and wallpaper printers that she first set out with her very first print collection almost 10 years ago.
“Quality, sustainability and providing premium products are at the heart of what we do. We largely print to order. An alternative to mass market production.”
Personal Touch & Design-Led Experience
All Mairi Helena fabrics and wallpaper designs are available to sample in order to visualise the colours in context with the customers own home interior.
In addition to this, one to one appointments are available at her Edinburgh studio (Broughton Street) providing an opportunity to see the collections in context across a showroom environment, view fabrics on larger scale, see examples of upholstered furniture as well as ideas on applying wallpaper.
“Whether you’re selecting wallpapers, fabrics or homewares, we hope to be able to guide you through textures, colours and pairing suggestions to help you find the perfect accessories for your home”.
A Living Scottish Design Story
The Mairi Helena collections are forever evolving. “It’s lovely to always have the perfect excuse to travel Scotland for continued inspiration. I very much enjoy exploring new ideas and pursuing exciting collaborations. It is wonderful to be able to contribute to and be committed to Scottish design heritage.”