Behind the design: Rosecliff bedding collection

Inspired by the relaxed elegance of French châteaus and the romantic charm of historic estates, Rosecliff is a collection rooted in timeless beauty and thoughtful design. In this behind-the-scenes interview, we speak with the designer behind the collection to explore how dreamy neutrals, rich textures, and intricate trims came together to create an ethereal, lived-in look. From layered velvets to embroidered florals, discover the creative process behind Rosecliff's elaborate trim applications.

Where do you find your inspiration while designing collections?

As an artist with a background in various creative fields, I find my inspiration from a lot of sources. Since we work in parallel with the interiors industry, I look at a lot of tours of different interior spaces: homes, restaurants, historical sites, etc. It helps me envision how a pillow or collection I design can be incorporated or worked into an actual space. Another important source of inspiration for me is set design, specifically in film & television. Some of the coolest spaces are fictional, and these are always inspiring to look at or pull ideas from. The best inspiration comes from what's already around us in the wild, so I always try to be as hyper-aware & observant of my surroundings as possible. I'll look at something & think about the best way to translate or interpret it onto a pillow or other soft furnishing design. 

What was the inspiration behind Rosecliff?

Rosecliff was heavily inspired by French chateaus & Provençal aesthetics: elegant & high-end, but very relaxed & rustic. We put an emphasis on materials that had a natural look & feel to them, but exuded classic tastes & would have longevity. Despite the very specific locale for its inspiration, the collection's namesake is actually from the Gilded Age mansion turned house museum in Newport, Rhode Island. But I think all grand houses—whether they're English country estates, Tuscan villas, or American mansions—evoke a sense of allure & charm no matter where they're located. They inspire the creation of art in various mediums, so it wasn't any different when it came to designing a bedding collection that would be fit for a space like the Rosecliff mansion.  

Do you imagine a space that the collection would end up in while designing it?

Always! This is actually a very important step for me in my process. If I can't envision something being in an actual space, then by that logic, the collection won't work. In addition to a space, I also try to imagine a person or character who would either embody the collection I'm working on or at least buy it for their own space. 

What were some of the first design choices you made for Rosecliff?

One of the first choices I made when designing Rosecliff was how to feature Promenade Stone, the main fabric in the collection, which is a Jacobean-inspired floral embroidery. Fabrics with large all-over patterns like this one can sometimes be very visually overwhelming. I decided that the fabric would look best in the back as the face of the euro shams. By having it towards the back, the pattern on Promenade Stone helps to anchor the rest of the bedding instead of making the collection feel heavy or too busy. If customers want more of the pattern, we included a bed scarf In Promenade Stone that customers can style at the foot of the bed. 

Trims play a big part in Rosecliff. How did you approach using trim in this collection?

Aside from Promenade Stone & Tigris Fog (the animal-patterned chenille), the rest of the fabrics in the collection are mostly solids or textures. I used trim applications in this collection as a way to add visual interest & additional dimension to the more basic fabrics in the collection. Layering trims is a fun yet very easy way to make some designs more dynamic, so that was done on a few of the pillows.

Rosecliff features such a rich mix of textures. Velvets, linen-like grounds, and embroidery. How do you approach layering materials like that?

We always try to keep in mind the different characteristics or properties of each fabric. Thicker fabrics like velvets work great as details or accents, such as flanges or welts, which is how we layered in Velda Smoke, the shiny velvet, into this collection. To keep Rosecliff relaxed & airy, I incorporated pleating using the lighter-weight fabrics in the group as another way to add dimension. The color palette of this collection is also mostly tonal, so when it came to layering or pairing certain fabrics together, I kept in mind contrast & how the different tones & subtleties of each fabric play off each other. 

When you're designing, how do you know a piece is “done”?

I know a piece is done when it more or less matches the vision I had in my mind. It's like putting together a good outfit: what can we add, what can we take away, but also take into consideration production labor, cost, etc. Once a lot of those questions are answered & I have a piece that looks really amazing, then I know I've done my job.  

Are there any details, such as trim applications or fabrics, that you want to highlight?

The bands on the standard & king shams are not a single border or trim—they're actually 3 separate, individual trim applications that are layered together to achieve this look. The other really cool trim in this group is Relic Greige Border, the open fretwork wide tape trim on the face of the duvet cover. It was sourced from one of our favorite mills in India and features an embroidered texture.