Inspired at an early age by her granny’s 1970’s toile de jouy curtains and the cushions in the family caravan, Kate Golding became obsessed with pattern design, interior design and the people who encompassed these design choices. Fascinated by the small details in daily life and the beauty of her natural surroundings, Kate unites the world as she sees it with her passion for interior decoration and surface pattern design. After graduating from the University of Northumbria with a bachelor of fine art degree, Kate moved from her native England to Canada and now lives by the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario.
I start every day with multiple cups of coffee and I like to read the news. Even if I have an appointment or commitment scheduled very early, I need to wake up earlier to allow myself this time. Working from home I find that it is integral for me to know what is going on in the world before going into my studio and a cocoon of creativity.
I like to take photographs, make notes and sketches and often make weird pencil scribbles when gathering ideas. I might document extra things which I experienced… something I heard, saw, smelled or felt… or maybe a beautiful colour palette.
I then make sketches and drawings and work on my light table on thin transparencies using fine line pens and brush and ink. All layers are then scanned into my computer where I add colour, create the motifs and repeat patterns. The process is labor intensive and time consuming but I love the organic hand drawn feel that is visible when working in an analog way.
For me, part of my intent when creating a design is to share with the viewer the joy I felt when I first experienced the inspiration. I hope to capture the essence of a place or a subject and translate my perception and emotion into the design itself. I believe that the end viewer of the work will have a much better chance of connecting with the design if the artwork is born from an authentic experience.
I think that inspiration can be found anywhere. My work has mainly been influenced by the natural world around me and man made landmarks. I’m working on some new designs which are influenced by objects and the little details which define a space. I’m excited to continue creating work with new points of inspiration, challenging myself to create designs which continue to be fresh and different.
I am really proud of my project with Balzac’s Coffee Roasters. I was approached by founder and CEO, Diana Olsen to create a custom wallpaper design for her newest coffee shop location. She was so thrilled with the result that wallpaper is now being installed in all her coffee shop locations and in addition, the design also clads Balzac’s coffee delivery trucks and a product line featuring the design is in the works too. It has been so wonderful to work with such an inspiring and innovative collaborator.
I feel like every day we wake up in the world we have another opportunity to do something good and make someone and ourselves happy. It is easy to get bogged down by the challenges and road blocks, we all face them. We might as well roll up our sleeves and just give it a go. Life is too short . If you just sit and wait for it to happen, it likely never will.
I think that peoples definition of success likely changes often throughout their life. As I reach the end of one decade and get ready to enter another, I have found myself naturally reassessing and asking questions. What you once maybe thought was the peak of all possible peaks now seems hollow and unfulfilling. Next year I will turn 40 and right now success to me means contentment, happiness and being paid to do what you love.
I would love to open a coffee shop. It would naturally be lined in wallpaper, have sparkley lighting and I would swing open the doors at 6am. As I get older I love embracing early mornings… people are out walking their dogs and the air feels fresh. It would be so great to help set the tone for peoples day and also get more involved in the local community.
Being authentic is paramount. Listen to all the professional advice you are given but remember to stay true to yourself. In a world which is oversaturated with visuals, art, creativity and design it is integral to remain original. If you try to be something you are not, your audience will never connect with you and your message will get lost.
I love to either go for a walk in the trails near our house or go for a canoe on the lake with my husband. There is nothing better than having a really productive day and then enjoying time outdoors in nature.
I really love Orla Kiely. For me, coming of age in the 1990’s the design aesthetic was pretty drab with lots of minimal design and grey everything. It was so wonderful when this vibrant Irish designer hit the world with contemporary but vintage inspired prints adorning handbags, followed by dresses and then home wares. Many years ago when I owned my first house in Toronto and dreamed of designing wallpaper myself I remember travelling back to the UK and spending most of my pay cheque on rolls of Orla Kiely wallpaper for the bedroom. I lugged the paper back to Canada in my suitcase and truly coveted it. There in front of me was the visual inspiration for me to follow my own dream. As her empire has grown she has remained authentic to herself and her collections are fresh, playful and relevant.
I have some professional goals which I am working towards. I like to keep a wish list of companies and designers I would like to collaborate with. It is great to keep this 'secret' list and when I look at it I feel inspired and driven to try to make some of these dream projects a reality. I really love what I do and I think constantly setting yourself new goals and challenges not only keeps you on your toes but also helps keep your work fresh. It is a great incentive to get up early and get motivated!
All photos by Johnny C.Y. Lam, with the exception of the Coffee Balzacs Van, which was photographed by Hannah Burne of Chad Roberts Design.
A big thanks to Monotype for supplying the typefaces for our website. Their consistent support of Canadian Women in Design underscores their commitment to the design community.
