From Surfaces to Spaces: A New Studio and a New Direction
Returning to a material-led practice
It has been a while since I last wrote here.
Over the past months I’ve been quieter than usual, largely because I’ve been stepping back to rethink the direction of my practice, restructure my studio, and make space for a new phase of research and making. This post is an update on what has been happening behind the scenes and where the work is heading next.
A thread that goes back further than my recent work
For the past eight years, Cassandra Sabo Designs has been centred around handwoven textiles for interiors — cushions, throws and bespoke pieces created slowly on the loom.
For some time, though, I’ve been thinking about my graduate collection of fibre-optic textiles and the more experimental, material-driven approach that shaped that work. Alongside this, I’ve been increasingly interested in pushing my wool roving designs beyond their role as soft furnishings and exploring how they might function at a larger, more spatial scale.
This curiosity led me to deliberately up-skill in new techniques — including basket weaving and rug tufting — to see whether learning unfamiliar processes might offer new ways of thinking about my existing work and materials.
Through this exploration, it became clear how both my earlier work and these newly developed skills were working together to push me to think about my materials in new ways, reinforcing the ideas that have always underpinned my practice: structure, material behaviour and the relationship between textiles and space.
Textiles as materials for interior architecture
This shift has led me to a new question:
How can woven textiles function as materials within interior architecture, rather than simply objects placed within a room?
Looking at my work through this lens, I began to recognise how the materials and processes I use could extend beyond surface-based textiles. Wire and other materials that create structure can support the soft wool, dense woven constructions and layered textures I work with today — helping to elevate them from two-dimensional surfaces into three-dimensional forms that move into space.
This way of thinking has been strongly influenced by design and architectural practices that approach materials through experimentation and problem-solving. Studios such as Heatherwick Studio often begin with the behaviour of materials and explore how they can be pushed, combined and reimagined to shape the experience of space. Seeing my work through this perspective helped connect the structured, engineered materials of my earlier fibre-optic textiles with the softer, tactile materials I work with now.
Acoustics has emerged as the thread that connects these ideas — bringing together material research, spatial thinking and problem-solving in a way that feels both new and deeply rooted in my practice.
From soft furnishings to spatial textiles
My recent work has focused on developing woven structures that move beyond domestic objects and toward larger interior applications.
Current areas of research include:
- dense doublecloth constructions
- layered woven structures and wool roving
- sculptural woven forms and basket structures
- rug tufting and textile surfaces
- textiles designed to absorb and soften sound
This work is leading toward the development of handwoven acoustic panels, room dividers and textile installations for architectural spaces.
Rather than a departure from my previous work, this feels like an expansion of the same material language — applied at a different scale.
A smaller studio and a shift in focus
As part of this transition, I’ve moved into a smaller studio and stepped back slightly from teaching and The Oxford Weaving Studio to create more space for research and experimentation.
This change allows me to dedicate more time to developing new work, testing ideas and exploring how woven textiles can function within architectural contexts.
A practice working across scales
Cushions, throws and smaller woven pieces will continue to be part of my broader collections, offering interior designers and private clients a way to work with me on a domestic scale. Small-batch production is being replaced with commission-only work, with occasional one-off pieces released online.
Alongside this, I’m expanding the practice to include sculptural textile objects and larger woven panels designed for architectural spaces and commissions. You will begin to see these in future exhibitions and open studio events.
My focus now is on developing textiles that soften sound and shape interior spaces — continuing to work with private clients and design professionals while expanding into larger acoustic panels and installations.
Practical updates
Alongside this shift in direction, there are a few practical updates worth sharing.
The new studio will be ready in the Spring and open for visits by appointment. I’m looking forward to welcoming clients, collaborators and designers into the space as new work develops, with commissions resuming as the studio settles into a more predictable rhythm.
While I’ve stepped back slightly from teaching, a limited number of workshops will still be available through The Oxford Weaving Studio, and The Oxford Frame Loom will continue to be offered, whilst the yarn range is gradually streamlined. At the same time, I’m reducing product ranges across both The Oxford Weaving Studio and Cassandra Sabo Designs, with sales currently running on both websites to clear older stock and make space for this next phase of work.
For those interested in seeing work firsthand, I’ll be exhibiting in May (Oxford) and June (London), with more details to follow soon.
Looking ahead
If you’d like to follow the process as it unfolds, you can sign up to my newsletter. I’ll also be sharing more works in progress, experiments and material explorations on Instagram at @csabodesigns.
Thank you for continuing to follow and support the evolution of my practice!