Over the past few months, I've been immersed in creating a series of detailed Storybook Collections - such as Under the Sea, Sail Away and Woodland Whimsy - filled with illustrated motifs, storybook characters, cute vignettes, coordinating patterns, and lots of tiny details. My iPad has certainly been very busy!
But one of my older designs has quietly been doing something rather unexpected in the background...
My Soft Pastel Buttermilk Yellow & Warm Cream Vertical Stripes Linen Texture has become by far my best-selling design on Spoonflower!
Of all the patterns in my portfolio, it's one of the simplest. No detailed motifs. No elaborate repeats. Just a soft stripe in warm, versatile colours…
And yet, it clearly resonates with people. And it made me stop and consider why.
Reviewing the stats, 93.6% of the commission earned by this design has come from wallpaper sales. As designers, it's easy to assume that the most detailed, motif-rich designs are the ones we should spend our time creating and promoting. But sometimes a simple design solves a problem that homeowners, decorators, and makers are actively looking for.
This particular stripe isn't competing with statement florals or elaborate scenic patterns. Instead, it fills a different need. It's a versatile backdrop, an easy coordinate, and a design that works seamlessly across a range of decorating styles. For someone renovating a nursery, refreshing a coastal home, styling a cottage-inspired bedroom, or creating a soft, timeless living space, a simple stripe can be exactly what they're searching for.
The numbers are a useful reminder that successful surface pattern design isn't always about complexity. Often, it's about understanding how people actually use pattern in their homes. A carefully considered stripe, gingham, texture, or solid can become the finishing touch that ties an entire room together, and customers are often willing to invest in wallpaper when they find the right one.
For me, this has reinforced the value of creating designs that balance creativity with practicality. Detailed hero patterns will always have a place in my portfolio, but simple, versatile designs can sometimes become the quiet achievers that generate the most meaningful results.
This little stripe encouraged me to create a series of minimalist, textured designs specifically with wallpaper in mind…
Introducing my New Designs
Double Spiral & Fine Line Stripe
My first foray into deliberately creating a design solely with wallpaper in mind is the Double Spiral & Fine Line Stripe.
Using Affinity Designer 2, I created a simple double spiral motif, before arranging it between fine vertical lines. The spirals add movement and personality whilst the stripes assist in retaining the clean, minimalist feel that I was aiming for. I particularly like how the overall effect changes depending on the viewing distance. From across the room it reads almost as a delicate stripe, whilst up close the individual spirals reveal themselves and add an organic, stylized, geometric quality. The burlap textured background softens the design, making it feel warm and approachable.
The Double Spiral & Fine Line Stripe is a design that can sit comfortably in a wide range of interiors, from modern farmhouse and cottage homes through to coastal, Hamptons, Scandinavian, and contemporary spaces.
Small Gingko-Inspired Fan & Fine Stripe
This design took inspiration from the beautiful fan-shaped leaves of the ginkgo tree. Rather than creating a detailed botanical motif, I simplified the leaves into simple solid symmetrical shapes. These shapes, together with fine lines, allows the design to feel elegant, modern, and understated.
With the added burlap texture,
I can easily imagine this design being used for so many applications, including as a feature wall in a bedroom, study, or coastal-inspired living space for example.
Cockle Shell Rosette & Cockle Shell Mandala
Inspired by one of my favourite coastal finds, these two designs began with a simple line-art cockle shell motif. As I experimented with scale and repetition, the shell gradually transformed into something that feels almost floral or mandala-like. It wasn't the direction I'd originally planned, but it's a result I really like.
The large-scale layouts give both designs a soft, contemporary feel, while remaining calm and understated. I love how they sit somewhere between coastal, botanical, and modern minimalist styles, proving that inspiration can sometimes take you somewhere completely unexpected!
Art Deco Scallop
This design was heavily influenced by Art Deco geometry, but interpreted through a softer, more contemporary lens. The repeating fan motif creates rhythm and movement across the wall. The addition of a burlap-textured overlay has resulted in a wallpaper that feels timeless rather than trend-driven, combining classic elegance with a fresh palette and a softer, more relaxed aesthetic.
A Growing Collection
Although these designs vary considerably in style, they all stem from the same idea: creating wallpaper patterns that enhance a space through texture, shape, and thoughtful repetition rather than complex illustration.
From coastal-inspired shell motifs and minimalist stripes to Art Deco scallops and elegant botanical-inspired forms, I've enjoyed exploring how much visual interest can be created with relatively simple elements.
And perhaps that's the lesson my little buttermilk stripe has taught me. Sometimes the most successful designs aren't necessarily the most detailed. Sometimes they're the ones that quietly settle into a space and make it feel like home… 🏡
