Colorful Home Studio of a Dyed-in-the-Wool Textile Artist
An Australian rug maker dyes her own yarn and makes hand-tufted rugs in her cottage-style backyard space
Welcome to the home studio of textile artist Bec Andersen. Perched in the back garden of her quaint Tamborine Mountain property in Australia’s lush Gold Coast hinterland, her delightfully rustic studio is the perfect place to make, do and mend, Andersen says. It’s here she designs and creates her hand-tufted rugs, made from wool she dyes with naturally derived pigments.
Andersen has been making rugs for 25 years, a skill she originally learned in Germany. Her creative talents are varied, however, as she also trained as an industrial designer. “I worked in a whole lot of creative places, from furniture manufacturers, design firms, architectural model making, as a mosaic artisan and even a visual merchandiser,” she says.
On the eastern end of the veranda, Andersen stores large drums where all of the wool and dyes are immersed in boiling water to soak and stew. This dusty pink wool has been dyed with just 30 grams of carmine, a pigment extracted from the female cochineal insect.
On entering the studio, the most notable feature is the huge vertical frame that Andersen uses to create her pieces. The afternoon light from the west filters softly through the mesh screen, creating a warm and friendly ambience throughout the space.
The west-facing end of the studio is where the rug-making magic takes place. “When I get to the actual making of a piece, it’s like coloring in with wool,” Andersen says. “I wear ear protection and put my music on and hide away from the world.” Here you can see the artist at work with her trusty tufting gun.
Numerous spools of dyed wool decorate the wall in an orderly and functional fashion, alongside one of Andersen’s rugs.
The studio is filled with Andersen’s large collection of natural dyes, wool and books, every corner brimming with color and inspiration. “I keep my space tidy and I don’t hold on to things if they are not beautiful and useful,” she says.
Large baskets and hanging rods are used to store and display dyed wool and some smaller textile creations.
The “wishing chair,” as Andersen calls it, seen here beneath some of the storage rods, is another of her creations. She upholstered it in wool, and phrases such as Make a wish and Forget Facebook were written in wool around the front and sides of the seat.
The “wishing chair,” as Andersen calls it, seen here beneath some of the storage rods, is another of her creations. She upholstered it in wool, and phrases such as Make a wish and Forget Facebook were written in wool around the front and sides of the seat.
When she’s not sitting in the wishing chair, Andersen can often be found at the dining table, picked up at a garage sale in Brisbane 13 years ago. It provides a workspace as well as a great spot to gather with like-minded creatives.
Andersen regularly shares her passion for making via a series of community workshops and social gatherings. “This is where I host my Happy Hookers group,” she says. “We drink tea and make things once a month.”
The artist recently led a series of workshops to create a colorful community installation featuring rag-rug and paper bead curtains. It was unveiled at The Center in nearby Beaudesert as part of the cultural events program for the commemoration of 100 years of Australian war stories.
Andersen regularly shares her passion for making via a series of community workshops and social gatherings. “This is where I host my Happy Hookers group,” she says. “We drink tea and make things once a month.”
The artist recently led a series of workshops to create a colorful community installation featuring rag-rug and paper bead curtains. It was unveiled at The Center in nearby Beaudesert as part of the cultural events program for the commemoration of 100 years of Australian war stories.
This counter runs along the east-facing side of the studio and looks out onto the garden. The wooden device at the end is an electric wool winder, used to turn skeins of wool into balls of wool.
When Andersen bought the property, the studio had no plumbing or other amenities. She added a sink in the studio, necessary for mixing dye and general cleanup.
This bunny figurine on the dining table is one of Andersen’s most treasured items in the studio. “His name is Calm,” she says. “My mum gave him to me when I was a bit stressed out about something.”
Another favorite item is this chair, referred to as the “make, do, mend chair.” It was reupholstered during one of Andersen’s workshop gatherings, covered in a patchwork of denim cut from various items of clothing.
Andersen finds the front veranda a lovely spot to sit and ponder, which she does often. It looks out onto her well-loved and -tended garden.
For those still on the lookout for the perfect space to let their creativity run wild, Andersen’s studio life provides plenty of inspiration. She sums up her special space in the mountains in three words: “Inspiring. Busy. Functional.”
Tell us: Do you have a creative space at home? Share it by posting a picture in the Comments.
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Tell us: Do you have a creative space at home? Share it by posting a picture in the Comments.
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Who lives here: Bec Andersen, textile and community artist
Location: Tamborine Mountain, Queensland state, Australia
What’s made here: Hand-tufted rugs of 100 percent naturally dyed wool
Bec Andersen, originally from Brisbane, Australia, moved to Tamborine Mountain from Vancouver, where she had lived with her Canadian husband, Thor. “I was very pregnant at the time with our daughter Eve-Ruby, who is about to turn 13,” Andersen says.
The rustic aesthetic of the cottage studio was one of the first things that drew Andersen to the property, and it’s one of the most charming aspects of the space. Wide and inviting wooden steps lead up to three sets of barn doors, which stretch across the front veranda and give the studio a farmhouse appeal.
When asked what she loves most about her studio, Andersen is quick to credit the lovely energy of the building. “It is also near to home with everything in it that I need to produce my work,” she says.