All photos curtesy of The Huntington, San Marino.
In March 2024, Victoria Eggs was approached by The Huntington in San Marino, California, with an exciting bespoke project. Having discovered Victoria’s work at Harrods, London, the team at The Huntington fell in love with the distinctive style, hand-drawn illustrations, and storytelling found in her collections. They wanted to bring that same magic to life through a series of bespoke toile designs that would celebrate the beauty and heritage of The Huntington.
The Brief
The Huntington envisioned a collection of traditional one-colour toile repeat patterns, each offering a comprehensive view of the botanical and architectural elements found throughout their world-famous gardens: the Rose Garden, the Japanese Garden, and the Chinese Garden. These designs would be unified by their timeless aesthetic, yet unique in theme, colour and narrative, offering customers a beautifully curated collection that could sit harmoniously in their retail space.
Victoria began the project by building mood boards for each garden, using a detailed brief from The Huntington that included architectural features, artworks, flora, fauna and feelings that the gardens evoke.
Victoria's Mood-boards
The Rose Garden Toile
The Rose Garden design was to be romantic and elegant, drawing inspiration from:
• The Huntington Mansion
• Rose-covered Archways
• ‘Blue Boy’ and ‘Pinky’ (famous paintings from the museum)
• The Library Facade and Antique Books
• Fauna: butterflies, bunnies, birds and squirrels
• Garden Features: the French Tempietto and Faux Bois arbors
Victoria set to work illustrating each individual element, delicately capturing the charm of the garden in her signature hand-drawn style. These elements were then composed into a balanced toile repeat pattern in a blush rose colour-way to reflect the romantic tone of the garden.
The Asian Gardens Toile
The brief for the Asian Gardens called for a whimsical, enchanted storybook feel, with a dreamy yet refined design that included:
• Cherry Blossoms, Wisteria, Orchids and Water Lilies
• Chinese Pavilions, Bonsai, the Famous Moon Bridge, Shoya House, and the Cloud Wall
• Faux Bois garden structures
• Fauna: koi fish, egrets and dragonflies
The pattern was created in a rich dark navy blue, echoing the mysterious, serene atmosphere of the gardens. Every line in the design aimed to transport the viewer to the peaceful, reflective beauty of this space.
The Design Process
Once the individual elements were illustrated, Victoria brought them together into the repeat patterns, carefully crafting each layout to reflect the storytelling style The Huntington loved. The process was deeply collaborative. The Huntington team provided detailed, insightful feedback at every stage and were always quick to respond, making them a true dream client.
Colours from the initial mood boards; blush rose and deep navy were applied and shared for approval. With feedback swiftly incorporated, the final designs were sent to production for sampling.
The Packaging
Victoria also created packaging using The Huntington’s newly developed logo, which had not yet launched publicly at the time. Every detail was considered, from the product swing tickets to woven textile labels in gold-on-white, proudly stating “Handmade in the UK” and featuring The Huntington’s branding.
The Product Collection
The final bespoke collection focused on theRose Garden and Asian Gardens, with 13 products per design, including:
• Cup & Saucer
• Mug
• Bauble
• Teabag Tidy
• Set of Coasters
• Bookmark
• Soap
• Candle
• Tea Towel
• Cosmetic Bag
• Wash Bag
• Canvas Tote Bag
Fragrance Details
Soaps
• Rose Garden Soap featured a Carnation fragrance; a bright, floral scent with uplifting notes of rose and carnation, finished with a warm undertone of spicy clove.
• Asian Gardens Soap features marine and pine top notes, heart notes of magnolia, and a grounding base of sandalwood.
Candles
Both candles were crafted using 100% natural soy wax, offering clean, sustainable burns.
• Rose Garden Candle featured an Amber Rose fragrance; soft floral accords of red velvet and violet leaves blended with clove, praline, and vanilla, resting on a warm base of amber, caramel, musk, and woody notes.
• Asian Gardens Candle featured a Secret Glade fragrance, beginning with a refreshing burst of lemon, dewberry, and elderflower, enriched with fig leaf, and a delicate heart of rose, lavender, and eucalyptus, finishing with gentle sandalwood and amber undertones.
You can shop The Huntington Toile Collections online here.
A Proud Milestone
With a target delivery date of March 2025, the Victoria Eggs team successfully delivered all 26 bespoke products on time, the largest bespoke project Victoria has undertaken to date. Every item was proudly made in the UK, with the final designs representing a harmonious blend of British craftsmanship and Californian botanical inspiration.
This collection is a beautiful testament to the power of collaboration, storytelling, and nature’s beauty, and Victoria is thrilled to see it come to life in The Huntington’s store.
“It’s one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve ever worked on and something I’m incredibly proud of. I can’t wait to see the collection in-store and hear what customers think of it.” — Victoria Eggs
In Store
