Design edge makes splash

Catherine David's shower curtain has just won a magazine's design award. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Designer Catherine David's first run of black-and-white linens were made to furnish her own home and as a fresh graduate of architecture she thought she might sell a few extras to help cover costs.

Not only did she discover a market hungry for the cushions and bed linen handprinted with distinctive black fish, butterflies and astrological images but the range was archived in the Auckland Museum to mark a new style in soft furnishings.

Today, her popular lighting, bathroom, homeware and stationary ranges are stocked in 100 design stores in New Zealand and in about 60 more in Australia.

This month, one of her Splash! shower curtains won the bathroom category at the 2005 design awards of NZ Home and Entertaining magazine.

The judge commented: "It may only be vinyl and ink, but it is what has been one with these basic ingredients that creates a stand-out bathroom product. Fresh thinking and good graphics, along with sound execution and quality, are combined in this shower curtain design."

Shower curtains have been a growing section of the business after David connected with 20-year-old Auckland company Splash Out Plastics six years ago to produce a range for a Hong Kong department store.

She bought Splash Out 18 months ago and it now produces about 500 standard range and 300 custom-made shower curtains each month.

Her stationary and lamps are also popular, as are her "garden glows" - balls that can be hung or placed outside and absorb UV rays during the day and glow at night.

She describes her style as simple and practical. "My objects exist for purpose, not for litter in the name of decoration.

"Also it's not derivative. It's not like I see something and make a similar copy of it. It's all original. I've never been influenced by somebody else."

And it seems there's no formula to how an idea evolves. "Usually, it just comes. I try not to think too hard about it and then something happens. That's probably why I couldn't work for somebody else because if I had to work to a deadline, I don't think my designs would be very good."

She runs Catherine David Design from a studio in her Auckland home.

An aspiration to do the very thing she is doing now led her to study architecture at the University of Auckland where she graduated with honours in 1992.

Her first job in architectural drafting and model work confirmed she "wasn't cut out for architecture" but she says she chose the degree to get the best grounding she could in design.

Now designing is something she has to battle to make time for against the demands of a growing business.

All the manufacturing is outsourced locally, sales are looked after by three agents in New Zealand and two in Australia and she has the help of a part-time administrator.

David said trade fairs were the key to building up business in Australia.

Her work has been accepted for the Top Drawer design fair in London next February where she will rub shoulders with top international designers.

Securing an agent to represent her in Europe is one of her aims.

Future growth will come from acquiring new outlets, mainly overseas. David plans to expand the Australian market this year, and she also sees potential in Holland and Germany.

As the volume of exports increases, problems such as breakages when shipping from New Zealand may lead her to find manufacturers in the overseas countries in which she establishes markets.

Although reluctant to take this step, it is in the back of David's mind.

"Ideally, I will keep making here but if I have to [look at moving offshore] I will."