In the ever-evolving world of home décor, New Zealand company Patersonrose has carved out a distinctive place for itself in family bed linen, with a philosophy of fun, colourful, fresh style. We catch up with owner Lisa Rose as she celebrates 20 years of business.

In 2005, friends Lisa Rose and Sally Paterson found themselves at a loss finding bedding products for their children. Seeing a gap in the market they decided to combine Lisa’s background in export marketing and Sally’s design skills; establishing Patersonrose.

While Sally made the decision to exit the business 10 years ago, Lisa has continued with the brand and relishes the special place it holds for many. ‘We have been around for long enough now that the children who slept in some of our first collections, are now buying for their children.’ A tangible testament to the quality and longevity of the bedlinen. And Patersonrose has evolved. Originally specialising in 100% natural cotton children’s bedding and interiors, adult duvet covers and sheeting are now the key focus.

From the outset, Lisa and her team have embraced retailer and customer design input. ‘What’s really important to us is that we only produce bedding designs the team all love and that our collections can be matched and mixed,’ she explains. ‘We want people to create individual combinations for their personal tastes and home styles.’ This means customers can keep building on their existing Patersonrose bedding over time. ‘There is no need for a complete overhaul every season – often just changing out the duvet cover or adding a new pillowcase will give your bedroom a fresh feel.’

Each design is passionately hand crafted by Lisa. ‘We don’t grow cotton in New Zealand so we do have to source our cotton offshore but we have always worked very closely with our supplier to ensure sustainability and high quality. Safe bedding, that has been ethically made is so important to our philosophy.’

Living on a vineyard in Blenheim and surrounded by her beloved garden, it is no surprise that Lisa’s biggest inspiration for her designs is nature; with bursts of colour interwoven. ‘Be it bright bolds or soft hues, we are always drawn to fabulous colour,’ she enthuses.

For Lisa and her close-knit team it is always a delight to hear what colours and patterns customers are being drawn to. ‘As trend cycles come and go, we avoid any patterns that are too age specific. Instead we are create fabrics that are adult focused or kids bedding that will lend itself to tots and teens.

‘Gingham as a duvet and sheeting pattern has been repeatedly loved by our customers, with stripes and florals also hot favourites.’

While the quality and passion hasn’t changed over the past twenty years, Lisa reflects on the changing routes to market and the challenges she has faced. ‘We started off solely supplying retailers,’ she explains. ‘Then we added to the mix our own store in Christchurch, which closed 10 years ago. Covid dramatically changed the way customers shopped, with many physical stores sadly closing and a bigger focus on online shopping.’ Alongside this, there has been the rise of social media. No small feats to adapt to. ‘Now, our focus is back re-building our retailer base.’

Beyond the business, Lisa brings her passion for creativity into every aspect of her life. ‘I really love cooking and being in our garden – they are a huge part of who I am and what I love to do,’ she enthuses. ‘In the kitchen or outside in the garden or feeding the chickens, these are my way of switching off from work to relax.’

From its roots in children’s bedrooms to becoming a household favourite for all ages, Patersonrose’s story is one of adaptability and passion. There is no doubt Lisa is building a lasting sense of joy, one beautiful bedroom at a time.

Lisa Rose’s Guide to bedroom design

Shop local! In-store at a locally owned shop or online with a NZ owned brand. These are family owned businesses who give back to your community.

Choose your duvet cover first. There are a zillion paint colours but may only be a handful of duvet cover options you love. Once your duvet is selected,  then choose a paint colour that tones with your duvet.

If you love overhang or sleep with someone who ‘hogs’ the duvet, upsize your duvet. For example, for a queen bed, get a King duvet cover.

Choose only natural fabrics. We are in our beds for eight hours plus every day, so it makes sense to wrap ourselves and our families in natural bedding. This is why we only use 100% natural cotton in our products. We also love Lora & Flok NZ natural wool duvet inners and pillows.

Pillowcases! Pillowcases! Pillowcases! You can never have too many and they are such an easy way to change out your décor. They also make the perfect prezzie!