I know that you have a background in design. How did you get started in this industry and move into making your own line of home décor?
My first job in the design industry was for Kelly Wearstler. Talk about a killer gig! I split my time working for her interior design team and her product development team. I quickly fell in love with the world of pattern and surface design & my boss suggested I look at the Textile graduate program at FIT.
That sounds like an amazing job! What is the best interior design tip that you have learned along the way?
Buy everything in sets of 2! I love symmetry & balance when I design.
What kinds of things inspire your work and the patterns hat you create?
I love geometry and find endless inspiration in architecture and in my surroundings. I love to travel and become immersed in new cultures. I also find myself sourcing color palettes from urban environments.
I definitely see the influence of geometry and architecture in your designs! Speaking of which, what are some of your favorite pieces form your collection of work?
The Vienna Indigo pillow & Milas Smoke throw!
I have always found that the designer behind each brand that I work with has the best ideas on how to style their product. When you are decorating a room, how do you like to set up your pillows and blankets?
My favorite pillows to style are the oversized square and oversized lumbar pillows. I like two square pillows on the bed or one long pillow. For the sofa, I mix and match sizes and different degrees of scale. Our throw blankets are a great chunky weight that can work well folded neatly or draped over an armchair.
What kind of products can we expect to see from you in the future?
I'm working on expanding our tabletop collection to include linen table runners, napkins & placemats!
Your patterns are super intricate—what does your design process look like?
Every design starts by hand using a combination of India ink, brushes, gouache, block prints, and cut paper. From there I scan the design into the computer and work on layering various textures and applying color.
How do you decide what items to add to your collection?
As a surface designer, I am always open to new ways to bring pattern into the home. I have a long list of products I'd love to do one day, but ultimately it really comes down to finding the right production team that will be a great fit with our design studio.
What is the best part about running your own business? What kind of brands or people inspire you?
Setting my own hours! My husband works odd hours, so to be able to match my work life with his has been able to afford us some really incredible (and random!) weekday afternoon dates.
I draw inspiration from design entrepreneurs. Women doing their own thing & embarking on the madness that is starting your own business also inspires me. Instagram has been a powerful tool to connect like-minded designers, and I draw a lot of strength and creative inspiration from these women.
What is the best business advice that you gotten and would want to pass on to others?
Just show up—everyday. This is paraphrased from the incredible artistic handbook "Steal Like An Artist" by Austin Kleon. I read his work when I was getting up the nerve to quit my day job. And then I reread it. And reread it. This little tidbit really stuck with me. When you're working in a creative space, sometimes the unknown and the utterly blank slate can be intimidating enough that you just shy away and avoid your studio all together. This advice, to just show up, really became my mantra. Each day I'd wake up and say, "today there may be a lot of unknowns, but all you have to do is go to the studio and the turn on the computer". That's it. Before I knew it, ten hours would have flown by.
