DESIGN & TELL with Emma Hayes

What inspired you to start your brand?

It was actually accidental! I added a custom wallpaper as a backdrop to an exhibition presentation of silk cushions and throws and fell in love with the medium. I found it was a mix of so many things I love – print, paper quality, surface finish, art, interiors, pattern and texture. From there, it took on a life of its own, and I’m so proud to have now developed a range of wallpaper designs found in many residential and commercial projects around the world.

How would you describe your brand's identity in three words?

Beautiful, quiet decoration

How did your relationship with George Spencer Designs begin?

My family was on a life/work adventure living in Europe for a year, which gave me the opportunity to spend some time in the UK and visit GSD. I was immediately welcomed by the team, and we felt a synergy in product and people

What makes your brand a good fit for the George Spencer Designs portfolio?

I believe our brands share a genuine appreciation for thoughtful design and craftsmanship. Those values have always been central to the way I approach my work. It was important for me to partner with a showroom that values that same level of care and attention to detail. 

Where do you draw inspiration from for your collections?

The New Zealand landscape is one of my primary inspirations, which wasn’t initially intentional but came through subconsciously and is now an important cornerstone of our designs. 

Like many, I spend time in green spaces to recharge. I also have triplet boys, so we keep active - often at the beach, biking or walking in the forest. For me, this is a great time to ‘drink’ in all this inspiration. We are surrounded by water and inspiring colour palettes here in New Zealand, and these influences help differentiate my work in a global market.

I also like being in touch with my art-school roots - mark-making, artisan makers, inspirational artists and the conceptual side of my art practice.

Can you talk us through the process of creating one of your signature designs and ow important is craftsmanship and material quality to your brand?

All my designs start by hand and I find working in the studio is a very meditative time. I work with a variety of mediums - watercolours, inks, paints and dyes - letting them do their own thing to create varying intensities of tone and movement. I like creating tension between light and dark, busy to dispersed, and I enjoy experimenting with scale to create immersive designs. As our body of work has grown, I find each work begins to evolve more smoothly into the next. 

I do a lot of smaller mark marking experimentation and sketching before working at scale. I often create multiple tests and cover every surface in the studio (I’m not the tidiest - it's somewhat frustrating for my team!). We have documented some of the working sketches on our instagram reels.

Once complete, all works are digitised which allows us to prepare them for production.

A big consideration is the types of papers and textures we work with, enhancing and imbuing our painterly designs with a tactile nature which is best experienced in real life.

How does sustainability factor into your design and production process and are there any specific ethical or environmental goals your brand is working toward?

It’s important to us and we are gradually progressing our ESG programme. We work with FSC certified papers, PVC free papers for our commercial offering, along with water-based inks. We are also developing a number of natural fibres. All our papers are Low VOC. We manufacture locally to our customer bases  as much as possible to reduce our shipping miles. The longer we are a part of the industry the more work we have discovered there is to do, but also the more opportunities! 

We are also really proud of our acoustic collection, created in collaboration with Autex Acoustics, it is carbon neutral, zero waste manufacturing, declare red list free and a variety of other environmental certifications.

Have there been any standout projects or collaborations in recent years?
We have been proud to collaborate with Autex Acoustics (as mentioned above) combining beautiful design with high performance acoustic solutions - utlising the best attributes of both brands. We have been long inspired by Autex, their innovation in product development and creating sustainable and ethical acoustic solutions.

What does a typical day look like for you?
My days tend to start early, either with a gym session or early morning calls with colleagues and partners in different time zones. After that it’s straight into the morning routine at home, making lunchboxes and getting our boys organised and out the door. Once I arrive at the studio, I usually begin the day with a cup of tea before settling into work. Mornings are when I am most focused on detail, so I try to use that time for more concentrated tasks, leaving meetings for the afternoon. I am quite disciplined about carving out time for creative work during the week, and Fridays are particularly special because I am often in the studio on my own, which gives me uninterrupted time to think, paint and develop new ideas.

What’s the most challenging part of running your business?
The biggest challenge is often finding enough hours in the day to bring all the ideas to life. Running a creative business means constantly balancing multiple areas at once, from design and production through to sales, marketing and relationships with showrooms around the world. Keeping all those parts resourced, running smoothly and continuing to grow can be a real juggle. One thing I have become increasingly aware of is the importance of protecting time for painting and creating, which requires real discipline as the business grows. Looking after my own wellbeing is also essential. I know that staying healthy and energised is what allows everything else to keep moving.

What’s the most rewarding part?
One of the most rewarding aspects is seeing the many and varied installations of our work by talented designers around the world. Each project brings a new perspective and context for the designs, and that often becomes a source of inspiration for future collections. I also really value the relationships that have grown around the brand. Over time we have built a wonderful global network of designers, showrooms and collaborators, and I genuinely enjoy meeting people, sharing ideas and supporting each other within the creative community.

Are there any exciting product launches or initiatives coming up?

We have several exciting things on the horizon. Our new wallpaper collection, Atmosphere, will be released in May 2026. The collection explores the subtle forces that shape our experience of place, from light shifting through cloud to colour suspended in air and landforms softened by distance. It reflects those quiet moments where the natural world feels both expansive and intimate.  Alongside this, we are also working on a new collection with Autex scheduled for release in 2026, which is an exciting collaboration that continues to explore the relationship between art, sound, material and interior space.