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68 A s t h e n e w l y e n s c o n c e d P e r e n n i a l s design director, Amy Williams is already putting her stamp on new collections. Inside the bright and airy studio at Perennials headquarters, a kaleidoscope of fabric swatches is pinned to boards along the walls. Shelves hold tall spools of thread in a multitude of shades, and rainbows of dyed yarn samples sprout from their boxes. In Williams' world, it's all about mixing patterns, colors, textures, and materials. She's learned from one of the best: She was Kelly Wearstler's vice president of home for 13 years before joining Perennials. As Wearstler's creative right hand, Williams designed licensed products including tile collections for Ann Sacks, fabrics and wallpapers for Lee Jofa, and rugs for The Rug Company, along with Wearstler's own accessories collections. Williams collaborates with CEO Ann Sutherland on new fabric collections, along with new pieces for the indoor furniture line, Perennials Social. "I'm also spearheading Perennials Social's foray into accessories," Williams says. "We're introducing artwork, ceramic, and more decor items in the future." New collaborations are in the pipeline, including one with L.A. designer Timothy Corrigan, whose rugs and fabrics with Perennials launch in 2020. For Williams, the design muse is global. She finds inspiration in fashion designer Tsumori Chisato's quirky and colorful textiles, Japanese paper packaging, David Hicks' geometric patterns, and the muted grays, blues, and greens of Vancouver, where she grew up. She's crazy about Ettore Sottsass' Memphis designs and swears by Gary Hustwit's documentary on German industrial designer Dieter Rams' "Ten Principles for Good Design." Inspiration also hits close to home. The 1920s cottage in far East Dallas she shares with her husband, Douglas Williams, and their 9-year-old daughter, Maude, is a laboratory of creativity. "Maude's wild energy inspires me," Amy says. "Observing her makes me think about movement and freedom and how to capture that in patterns and design." Douglas' T-shirt company, Image Club Limited, features photographs of iconic cultural images from L.A. and is sold in Japan. And, he totally gets her: For Christmas, her gift was a city bike from the Brooklyn Bicycle Co., painted in Pantone's 2019 color of the year, Living Coral. STUDIO SESSIONS THE NEW DESIGN DIRECTOR AT PERENNIALS HITS THE GROUND RUNNING WITH A CORAL BICYCLE AND ENTHUSIASM TO SPARE. BY REBECCA SHERMAN. PORTRAITS MISAEL RODRIGUEZ. AMY WILLIAMS Amy Williams at work in the Perennials' studio