Archival Designs

York’s treasure trove of original archival designs stretches back to the 1700s and – under the guidance of guru Ronald Redding – York’s gifted designers use this world-class collection to translate postage-stamp sized swatches into grand-scale designs, or make centuries-old motifs new again with metallic inks and eco-friendly papers.

• "Design is not an island unto itself," says Ronald Redding. "If, for example, we are creating small prints, we know which industries do that well and we’ll search the archives for those kinds of designs."
• When Ronald Redding discovered a late 1880s archival French wallpaper sample featuring a grand damask, it reminded him of the Golden Age of Charleston design. He distressed the design, added a range of sophisticated colors and named it Charleston Damask.
• A bold floral textile from the 1970s gets a serious makeover in Stacy Garcia Linework Floral.