Rooted in a passion for textiles and a quest to find unique fabrics for her interior design projects, Caitlin Wilson’s journey began unexpectedly on the other side of the globe. “The story really goes back to 2009 when I was living in Dubai and designing for local clientele,” Wilson says. “I’ve always been drawn to textiles and patterns in a space, but finding great fabrics for my projects was proving difficult.”
When her husband’s job brought them to Hong Kong, the light bulb went off — why not design her own fabrics? “It was an exciting venture,” she says. “Within the six months we lived there, I was able to design 14 patterns and have them printed.”
Upon returning to the states, she launched Caitlin Wilson Textiles out of a spare bedroom in their Philadelphia home. “I spent countless hours cutting swatches and creating the website in those early days,” Wilson says. “With the help of a few interns, I was able to operate this small business relatively efficiently, and after just a few short months, I realized this might be something much bigger than I had planned.”
Juggling business and raising her young children, Wilson's designs quickly gained traction, thanks in part to her growing Instagram following. From textiles, she expanded into rugs in 2014 and wallpaper in 2015, each new line a testament to her love of vibrant colors and intricate patterns. “I’ve always tried to weave color stories throughout every project so there’s a cohesive feel while still having a lot of personality — textiles and patterns are the perfect tools to do that,” she says.
After moving around a bit more, Wilson and her husband decided to settle somewhere they wanted to stay — Highland Park. Here, she found a community that embraced her passion for classy, timeless design. “It’s so refreshing to see both young and older customers embracing the traditional and ‘returning to pretty,’” she says.
A nod to her recent coffee table book, Return to Pretty, which showcases how to give new life to traditional styles, Wilson’s love of old-world decoration and classical design is greatly inspired by her travels, specifically to England and France. This attraction to vintage style is manifested in Wilson’s new antique venture, Collected, in which she collaborated with an English brand to create new textiles with archival prints featured on pillows and reupholstered antiques.
“I’m interested in making a more eco-friendly process for clientele who are interested in antiques, but are unsure how to incorporate them or purchase quality pieces,” she says. “Collected takes a lot of the legwork out and creates a vetting process for those investment pieces that can be especially impactful in a space and stand the test of time.”
While her creative process is admittedly a bit scatterbrained, Wilson’s blend of spontaneity and strategic vision often lead to her best ideas, such as her best-selling Persian rugs, featuring traditional designs reinterpreted in her signature colorways. Another key influence on Wilson’s design process comes from her fashion sensibilities.
“I often design for clients with patterns or palettes they dress in or the colors that complement them best,” she says. “I design products in a similar way — creating patterns and pieces that will enrich a space. Just like adding jewelry or a great belt to an outfit — the addition of a unique pillow or the color of a fabulous rug can be transformative in the way you feel in a space.”
For Wilson, design isn't just about creating beautiful spaces — it's about infusing homes with warmth, elegance and personality. With each new pattern or product, she invites us to embrace color, celebrate timeless beauty and make every space a reflection of our own unique style. Catch a glimpse of Wilson’s biggest holiday collection yet in the Armstrong Bradfield Preschool Association Holiday Tour, where she’ll be featuring her home and latest products.