Could Your Artwork Be Our Next Kindly Woven Blanket?
Nov 03, 2026
We hear from artists all the time who would love to see their artwork on home decor products but aren't sure how to make those connections.
You can spend years developing your style, building a portfolio, and creating beautiful artwork without knowing which companies might be interested in licensing it. And even when you find a brand you'd love to work with, you may not know what they're looking for or how to approach them.
We understand that frustration, and it's one of the reasons we wanted to create opportunities for independent artists through Kindly Woven.
As we develop new collections, we're always interested in discovering designers who might be a good fit for our Design Team. So, we thought we'd share what we look for when reviewing portfolios, how our collaborations work, and the different paths to becoming part of our team.
Why We Work with Independent Artists
When we started Kindly Woven, we wanted to build a company that supported both American textile manufacturing and the independent artists whose work makes our products possible.
Many talented designers want to see their artwork on finished products, but manufacturing requires resources, industry relationships, and experience that most independent artists don't have. And not everyone wants to manage a product business of their own.
Our collaborations allow artists to focus on creating while we handle product development, manufacturing, sales, and marketing.
When their designs are selected and licensed, our artists receive royalties on sales. We also believe in giving artists recognition for their work, which is why we credit our designers on our website and product packaging. This gives us the opportunity to introduce their artwork, and the artists behind it, to retailers and customers who might not otherwise discover them.
It's a model we believe in and hope to continue expanding as Kindly Woven grows.
What We're Looking For in New Designs
When reviewing portfolios, one of the first things we consider is how the artwork would fit into the home furnishings market.
Designing for interiors is different from designing for stationery, apparel, quilting, or other product categories.
Trends matter in home decor. They influence the colors, patterns, textures, and materials consumers see in stores and choose for their homes. Furniture manufacturers, fabric companies, rug brands, and home accessories businesses are often responding to the same broader design directions. That doesn't mean everything in a room needs to match, but the pieces do need to work together.
When someone purchases a blanket, they're thinking about how it will look with their sofa, pillows, rug, and other furnishings. If those pieces reflect current interior trends, the blanket needs to feel like it belongs alongside them. That's why we pay close attention to what's happening throughout the home furnishings industry as we develop our collections.
But we don't want artists changing their style to chase a trend.
We work with independent artists because each brings a different perspective. We're interested in their individual style, not another version of something that's already everywhere in the marketplace.
Instead, we look for artwork that naturally connects with the directions we're seeing in interiors. That might be through color, scale, a particular motif, or the overall feeling of a design.
Sometimes a simple color adjustment can make an existing pattern more relevant to today's home furnishings market without changing what makes the artwork unique.
Understanding where the market is headed, and where your own work fits within it, is an important part of designing successfully for interiors.
You Don't Need Experience Designing for Weaving
You don't need experience designing woven textiles to work with Kindly Woven, but you do need an understanding of commercial design for home furnishings.
There are differences between designing for print and designing for weaving.
Our blankets are created by interlacing colored yarns rather than printing artwork onto fabric. Because many of them are reversible, we also have to consider how the pattern will appear on both sides.
Not every detail or color combination translates directly from the original artwork, and adjustments are often needed to achieve the best result.
With decades of textile experience behind our company, we understand the technical requirements of woven products and work with our manufacturing partners to adapt artwork for production.
How Our Designer Collaborations Work
Rather than holding open calls for individual designs, we work with a team of independent designers selected through our application process.
Throughout the year, we share design briefs with those who’ve made it onto our Design Team based on upcoming collections, trends in the interiors market, and opportunities we identify with our retail partners.
Each brief outlines what we're looking for, which might include a particular design direction, color palette, or pattern style.
Our designers decide which briefs interest them and submit artwork for the projects they want to be considered for. There's no expectation that everyone will participate in every opportunity.
From those submissions, we choose the designs we'd like to explore further. With the artist's permission, we begin development to see how the artwork translates into a woven blanket.
This step is important because a design that looks beautiful on a computer screen may look quite different once it's woven. Colors, details, and even the overall appearance of a pattern can change when it's created with yarns.
We work with our manufacturing partners to develop samples and make adjustments as needed. Some designs translate beautifully, while others may not work as expected. Once development is complete and we've chosen the final designs and colorways for production, we move forward with licensing agreements for those selections.
We then manage production, sales, and marketing through our wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels. Our licensed designers are credited for their work and receive royalties according to their agreements.
Being part of our Design Team provides opportunities to submit artwork throughout the year, although it doesn't guarantee that a design will be selected, licensed, or produced.
Two Paths to Joining Our Design Team
We welcome designers from different backgrounds, but we also recognize that working in the home furnishings industry requires an understanding of commercial design and manufacturing.
That's why we've created two paths for artists interested in joining our team.
Experienced Textile Designers
If you've worked professionally as a textile designer for a weaving mill, fabric manufacturer, home furnishings company, or another commercial design studio serving the interiors industry, you're welcome to apply directly.
We're interested in designers who understand industry standards, manufacturing considerations, and how artwork moves from concept to finished product.
You'll be asked to share your professional background and portfolio so we can evaluate whether your experience and design style align with our needs.
Emerging Designers
If you love surface pattern design but haven't worked commercially in the interiors industry, there's a path for you, too.
Our WOVEN Studio Intensive teaches designers about the textile and home furnishings industry, preparing artwork for commercial applications, and building relationships with manufacturers. Once you've completed the program, you're welcome to apply for consideration for our Design Team.
Completing WOVEN Studio Intensive doesn't guarantee acceptance into our Design Team, but the program is designed to open doors well beyond Kindly Woven. We teach several different paths into the home furnishings industry, giving you the knowledge and tools to pursue opportunities with other companies, develop your own products, or build a business around your artwork.
Whether you eventually work with us or choose to pursue opportunities on your own, our goal is to help you understand what's possible and how to get there.
How to Apply
Our designer application is available year-round.
If you meet the professional experience requirements or have completed WOVEN Studio Intensive, you can submit your portfolio along with information about your background and experience.
We review applications for design quality, commercial potential, and alignment with Kindly Woven's aesthetic and product needs. Approved designers are invited to join our Design Team, where they'll receive opportunities to participate in future design briefs.
While we're unable to provide individual portfolio feedback or respond to every application, we'll reach out if you're selected to join our team.
We'd Love to See Your Work
Finding the right opportunities for your artwork takes time, and we know how much work goes into developing a portfolio. As Kindly Woven grows, we hope to introduce more independent artists and continue creating opportunities for their designs to become American-made products.
Whether you're an experienced textile designer or an emerging designer developing your industry knowledge, we hope you'll consider becoming part of our creative community.