I am a Welsh surface pattern designer based in Amsterdam. My aim is to create luxurious, rich and tactile products for you to wear or use in your home.

Ami Powles Designs was born of over ten years of textile experience and a desire to create beautiful things. I hold a degree in surface pattern design from Swansea Metropolitan University in Wales and worked as an interior design consultant for four years at a prestigious fabric and wallpaper showroom in London before setting out on my own and setting up shop in Amsterdam.

The story behind my work

Much of the imagery created in my work stems from childhood memories. Holidays with family and friends in Sweden, berry picking in the forests and fishing in the beautiful lakes. I take inspiration from the colours of the Welsh landscape; purple heather of the mountains, the blues and greens of the sea and the black of washed-up seaweed. Long walks along the cliffs of Wales has given me a great appreciation of the countryside, but I'm just as easily drawn into the bright lights of a bustling city.

My grandmother lived in a small Victorian house built by her father. I was always fascinated by the patterns in the engraved wood furniture. The house was modest but there was a special atmosphere created by the mix of different eras of furniture and light fixtures, floral wallpaper in small nooks and secret doors, all of which made an impression on the way I design and create today. It has given me an appreciation for the richness that pattern and texture can bring to an environment.

My designs start as black and white line drawings. The process of drawing is very therapeutic but the real buzz of excitement comes when I can scan a drawing in to the computer and start playing with composition, manipulating the drawing into layers of pattern. I also love being able to instantly choose and use the colours I have in my mind —working digitally is a dream for my fascination with colour.

The final step of developing my designs into products is where my work really takes shape. Seeing my fabric draped around the neck of a stranger or placed on the couch of someone's home breathes a new life into my work, giving it a new context and depth previously lacking. Please take a look around and get in touch with inquiries or requests.