Sabrina Ramkhelawan is the owner and artist behind Yorkville Studio, a New Jersey–based surface design brand specializing in wallpaper, textiles, and stationery. Her hand-drawn patterns reflect a deeply personal journey — from the fast-paced precision of environmental consulting in Manhattan to the grounded, creative freedom she found on the West Coast. Named after Yorkville, the Manhattan neighborhood where Sabrina first put down roots, the studio embodies her belief that new beginnings don’t erase the past; they build on it. Each design balances the structure and energy of her New York origins with the calm, organic textures inspired by California’s natural landscapes. Through her work, Sabrina seeks to create spaces that evoke stillness, belonging, and quiet beauty. Every line, curve, and shade tells a story — of movement and memory, discipline and discovery. Whether capturing the dappled light of an olive grove or the rhythm of a city skyline, her patterns invite reflection on the layered nature of our own journeys. Learn more about Sabrina and her textiles in today’s Maker Monday.
Andrew Joseph: Can you describe your design philosophy in three words?
Sabrina Ramkhelawan: Refined, story-driven, nostalgic.
AJ: What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on, and how did you overcome it?
SR: The most challenging project was creating my Canyon Grove collection for the TWOPAGES Curtains Design Competition. I designed 18 coordinating prints inspired by Southern California, all in just four days before the submission deadline.
As a designer, perfectionism can be limiting. I almost didn’t submit because I didn’t think I had enough time to create a masterpiece collection. But I forced myself to let that go and trust my instincts. I started by pulling together my strongest recent work, pieces I loved both compositionally and technically, and asked myself: how can I make this more interesting, more unique, more cohesive? How does each piece work together? Then I adapted, reinvented, and created new motifs that evolved into the collection that won first place.
The tight timeline forced me to design from intuition rather than overthinking, which made the collection more authentic. I created what I wanted to see, not what some conceptual audience might want.
AJ: What is your favorite design tool to use?
SR: Affinity Designer. I’ve been using it for about two years now. I sketch my initial concepts in Procreate, then vectorize using Adobe Capture and build the pattern in Affinity Designer. Working in this format gives me endless flexibility to size and scale designs for various product applications and experiment with different colorways easily.
AJ: Can you tell us about a design trend you are excited about?
SR: I’m most excited about the resurgence of bold pattern mixing in interiors. We’re moving away from the safe, neutral-everything approach and returning to spaces that feel personal and curated.
What I love is that it’s strategic layering. You’re combining prints with different scales, mixing vintage-inspired motifs with contemporary geometrics, and thinking about how patterns interact across multiple surfaces. A botanical on curtains, a stripe on pillows, a geometric on upholstery, all working together in the same room.
This shift requires surface designers like myself to think in complete collections rather than individual designs. My goal when I design is to make it easier for interior designers and people decorating their own spaces to create a cohesive look with variation and interest. Design is becoming playful and personal again, which is exactly where it should be.
AJ: Style (or design) icon and why?
SR: Nancy Meyers, without question. The homes in her films feel lived-in, warm, and effortlessly elegant. There’s always this beautiful layering of patterns, textures, and personal touches in her work. Her aesthetic captures that balance between sophistication and comfort, which is exactly what I’m trying to achieve as a surface designer.
I’m also deeply inspired by contemporary designers like Laura Hodges of Laura Hodges Studio, Hema Persad of Sagrada Studio, and Candace Griffin of Candace Mary Interiors. They each have such distinct voices in interior design, and I love how they all curate spaces in fresh, modern, and bold ways.
AJ: Can you tell us about a specific moment in your career that made you feel accomplished?
SR: Definitely winning the TWOPAGES Curtains Design Competition. Surface design is full of talented artists with similar dreams. This past year, I’ve pushed myself to make my designs stand out, and winning validated that effort.
What made it particularly meaningful was the partnership that followed. TWOPAGES licensed six designs from my Canyon Grove collection. I was able to install my designs in my own home, which was a milestone moment for me as a surface designer.
For emerging designers, opportunities like this are transformative. It’s about working with a company that values originality and invests in your voice. That validation, especially early in your career, gives you confidence to keep pushing forward.
AJ: How do you keep up with the latest design trends?
SR: I’m not really chasing trends, but I do keep an eye on them to understand where the design world is going to ensure my work stays relevant and fresh. I try to view trends critically and identify which ones are lasting and signify a deeper shift in how people want to feel in their spaces. I follow interior designers on Instagram, and always watch what popular retailers like Rejuvenation, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Anthropologie are featuring.
I study historical pattern techniques from a range of periods. I’m inspired by pottery, textiles, and architectural details, like the Art Nouveau iris motifs I discovered walking through the streets of Brunate, Italy. My goal is to create work that feels nostalgic and classic while appealing to today’s design aesthetics.
Travel and experiences are essential to my process. Weekend getaways to the Poconos, summers in the Adirondacks, and my recent trip to Lake Como that inspired my entire Brunate Collection. Those immersive experiences give you inspiration you can’t find scrolling online.
AJ: Best advice you’d give your teenage self?
SR: Don’t let others’ opinions influence your path. All you need is faith in yourself and your ability to figure things out. Making mistakes isn’t just okay, it’s vital. Don’t wait until you feel ready. You can’t ‘prepare’ or ‘plan’ your way to success. You just have to do it. Learn to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, the inconvenient, and the uncertain, because those are the moments when you grow.
All that said, I wouldn’t change my own path. My six years in corporate consulting — work I once thought was a detour—gave me the project management skills and business foundation to build Yorkville Studio into a thriving licensing business. Those ‘detours’ taught me that delegation is key to scaling and that no one succeeds alone.
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