How Canberra's Oat Studio weaves architecture into in-demand textiles

When it comes to textiles, architecture may not immediately come to mind, yet for Canberra designer Sarah Annand, the two worlds collide beautifully.

“My whole life, I’ve been drawn to architecture and painting, especially the brutalist movement and the Renaissance period’s use of light,” she says.

“My passion is also linen, and I love to see how it evolves when influenced by both art forms.”

When Annand and her husband relocated their young family to Canberra for his work, she was surprised to discover the capital was a source of inspiration. 

“Canberra has a wealth of brutalist buildings, and I love photography and painting,” she says. “When we moved here, I would walk its streets taking photos of the architecture, which also inspired me to paint.

“Eventually, the three combined and my artworks and imagery evolved into textiles.” 

With a strong background in art and photography study and practice, and after working for several international textile distributors for over a decade, Annand opened Oat Studio, a design practice specialising in natural base cloths printed and manufactured in Australia and New Zealand.

Today, interior designers and architects across Australia, the United States, Canada, and New Zealand clamour to use her designs for their residential and commercial projects. 

“Every design is my own, and I love the process of bringing together a new collection, which always begins with a photograph,” Annand says.

“I focus on bright light and capturing the contrasts, so it’s not just about a building’s form but the shapes the light and shadows create.”

For her Rooftop collection, Annand reimagined elements of the student residences at the University of Canberra designed by acclaimed architect John Andrews in 1973.

She is also inspired by Enrico Taglietti, the late Milanese-born Australian architect who brought a strong Italian style to the capital. 

Annand paints and transfers her photographed shapes to Photoshop, where she plays with their colour palettes.

“I’m self-taught when it comes to technology, which leads to exploration and unexpected patterns and designs, so it’s always very experimental,” she says. “Sometimes I am surprised by what I create!” 

Annand has a new collection where she identifies a series of cohesive designs.

“There are always stripes and checks in there because in architecture, they are ever present, and I am drawn to them,” she says.

“Once my finalised designs are sent to the printer, we do a test run on various weighted linens. There is lots of back-and-forth between us until I am happy with the result.” 

The designer then pinboards her favourites and determines their applications, which span drapery, upholstery, wallpaper and textured grass cloth.

“I love working with American designer Raili Clasen, and a standout project was with [award-winning Melbourne design studio] Stella Collective on a beautiful commercial fit-out in Sydney, where they used one of my oatmeal linens for bolster seating and cushions,” Annand says.

The designer is currently working on a secret collaboration while she continues to curate her graphic collections.

“I work slowly and organically and can get lost for hours sitting at my computer,” she says. “But I love what I do, so I don’t mind a bit.”