The bold and the beautiful. That’s how you would sum up Kirath Ghundoo’s work. A surface pattern and wallpaper designer based in the United Kingdom, Ghundoo is known for her signature geometric wallpaper designs.
The designer was interested in design from a young age. “My specific career route exploring surface pattern design became apparent when studying for my degree. I adore interiors and love working on projects surrounding interiors; however, I’m influenced by numerous disciplines from fashion to architecture,” she says.
Ghundoo graduated from Leeds College of Art in 2006 with a First Class BA (Hons) in surface pattern and textile design, and went on to graduate from Huddersfield University with an MA in textiles. Her first wallpaper collection, ‘Mix ‘n’ Match 11’, was launched at 100% Design, London, in September 2011. Since then, she’s become “the queen of pretty geometrics”.
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How did she zero in on the specifics of surface pattern design? “The way I work with large-scale pattern/space and colour lends itself well to interiors. I have always had an eye for styling, doodling and drawing patterns. Surface pattern design is perfect for me as I can explore a variety of surfaces across disciplines,” she says.
While most designers find inspiration outside, Ghundoo looks inside, more specifically at daily encounters. It could be an eclectic look, a cocktail at her favourite bar, or a walk down the street — all work as fodder to help create the many colours and patterns. Ghundoo believes exploring mismatched colour palettes and pushing boundaries helps create designs that are a fusion of all things “her”!
“All our wallpapers are designed and printed in England. They are sustainable in design due to the non-repeat non-matched nature of the designs. A drop, paste, cut, and re-apply technique is followed, thereby limiting wastage of the roll,” she says.
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Ghundoo’s designs can be applied to a variety of surfaces and she often works on bespoke surface pattern design projects such as phone covers, lampshades, gift-wraps and tiles.
“Design is so subjective; to me, it means expressing the world around me in a colourful visual form. There are so many more possibilities when collaborating across fields; it’s a chance to share and explore new ideas and for me, as a designer, it challenges my skills, which in turn helps them develop. I love seeing my patterns work across disciplines from fashion fabrics to magazines to lampshades to iPhone covers — there is no limit, bring on your surface and let’s see what we can do,” she says.
Recent wallpaper collections include Kandy 14, 13, Mix ‘n’ Match 11 and MisMatch. In 2013, she introduced three new patterns, Jewel, Ash and Sombre. This year brought the India 14 collection that includes two new patterns, Taj and Pink City. The colours of the collection play with a striking rich traditional Indian red offset with pastel hues. “Being Indian, it was great to finally visit the country, and I am proud to be able to bring elements of my heritage and culture into my work,” she says.