About
About elebo designs
How I found my way back to creativity (and how elebo designs was born)
Somewhere between late nights, early meetings, and decades of drafting floorplans, I lost touch with something.
It wasn’t obvious at first. I was working in architecture—my dream, on paper. I’d studied it, built a career in it, travelled for it. I had what I thought I wanted.
But deep down, something was missing. Something quiet. Creative. Soulful.
A Tale of Two Cities
I grew up in Rome—surrounded by centuries-old structures, bold geometry, worn textures, and an undeniable sense of beauty. But it wasn’t just the picture-perfect parts of the city that stayed with me.
It was the imperfections. The grit. The places where beauty met flaw, and somehow felt more alive for it.
That tension—the structured and the soft, the bold and the worn—would become the heartbeat of my design work, even if I didn’t know it yet.
Years later, life brought me to Sydney. Australia became home. A new rhythm. A new kind of stillness. And, eventually… space to reconnect with something I’d let go of: creativity, on my terms.
Creativity in the Quiet
Maternity leave became my creative turning point.
What started as stolen moments during naps and night feeds slowly evolved into something more.
During my first leave, I picked up my sketchbook again. During my second, I stumbled into the world of surface pattern design. And during my third, I took Bonnie Christine’s Immersion course—and felt like I’d come home.
It was the first time I saw how my architectural mind and my creative soul could co-exist. I didn’t have to choose between precision and softness. I could design patterns—modern, minimal, intentional—and still carry the structure and spatial awareness I’d honed for over a decade.
““Sometimes, creativity doesn’t disappear. It just waits—quietly—until you’re ready to hear it again.””
Elebo Was Born in the In-Betweens
I began carving out time. Little by little. Sketching between deadlines. Designing after bedtime routines.
Eighteen months later, I uploaded my first pattern to Spoonflower. I entered my first design challenge.
That moment—simple as it seemed—marked the birth of Elebo Designs.
Today, I create consciously printed textiles, including silk scarves and surface patterns for home and fashion. My work is rooted in sustainability, inspired by place, and made for those who value quality over quantity.
Looking back, I see that creativity never really left. It just waited for me to slow down long enough to hear it again.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Elena
