Margo Selby’s bold new collection for Habitat is filled with retro fun and joyous colour
Habitat has outdone itself with its incredible 60th-anniversary collection. It has crammed archive style, furniture design classics and a lot of fun into the stellar new range. If you're a fan of a bold living room colour scheme and the current 70s home decor trend you're going to be obsessed with textile designer Margo Selby’s collection for the 60th anniversary drop.
Each piece is a riot of joyous colour, and we caught up with her to find out a little more about her inspiration and her favourite pieces from the collection.
DESCRIBE YOUR NEW COLLECTION...
It features bold, playful designs for accessories and so furnishings, inspired by both my archives and those at Habitat. The collection celebrates 60 years of Habitat but it also comes at a notable time for my own studio, which commemorated 20 years in 2023.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION?
The collection draws from Habitat’s graphic, primary aesthetic of the 1970s and ’80s. When I visited the archive last year, I felt that the images and catalogues from these eras resonated with my ongoing fascination with typography and its potential in pattern design.
The collection also references fragments of hand-drawn geometric patterns, which I developed and combined with key elements of my own style. I show how patterns can be simplified in pure blocks of colour to create something joyful and uplifting.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE?
The Sixty cushion design is one of my favourites. It incorporates the number 60 into the design which is a nod to Habitat’s anniversary, while keeping the overall effect abstract and playful.
Habitat 60 Levi Embroidered Cushion by Margo Selby
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO DESIGN HABITAT?
Habitat was one of the first companies that I worked with when I started my business, with some of the designs enduring to this day. The company has been very generous with access to its archive and in sharing its expertise, especially when I was designing products that are less familiar to me, such as lighting.
Habitat has also been open to my interpretation of the brief, which has allowed the collection to feel part of both its design aesthetic and my own.
YOUR TRADEMARK AS A DESIGNER IS YOUR FANTASTIC USE OF COLOUR AND PATTERN. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE COMBINATIONS?
Colour has always been an instinctive thing for me. I am a maximalist with colour and using an abundance of it while designing and weaving can uplift the spirit. Putting colours together can bring joy as they resonate and create harmony.
AND WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR USING COLOUR AND PATTERN IN THE HOME?
Bringing in colourful accessories is a great way to instantly transform your space. Don’t be afraid to combine different colours and patterns. Choosing what you love without worrying too much about it matching will result in a colourful and characterful interior.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU’D LIKE TO DESIGN BUT YOU HAVEN’T YET?
I’m working more and more on using textiles beyond the domestic space and have a particular interest in public art installations. Pattern and colour in this context creates a joyful experience for everyone.
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Habitat 60 Klee Ceramic Table Lamp by Margo Selby
Habitat 60 Levi Wool Rug by Margo Selby
Habitat 60 Ronda Circles Bath Sheet by Margo Selby
Playful and fun home decor will always be on trend, and we predict these bold designs will stand the test of time.
