Ivy Karlsgodt Marries Handcraft with Social Media for Her Lampshade Practice

This article introduces Rashelle Campbell, a multidisciplinary designer and artist, who shares her journey from conceptualizing her rug tufting business during the pandemic to establishing a successful brand. The inspiration for her business originated from a personal search for unique, asymmetrical, colorful, and groovy rugs for her own home, which she found unavailable in the market. This led her to decide to create one herself, purchasing a tufting gun and beginning to design. After creating her first rug and sharing it online, she received significant positive feedback, leading to numerous custom rug requests within the first two months. Six months into her venture, she collaborated with her first retailer and launched her inaugural full rug collection, which sold out on the first day. This organic growth and demand prompted her to develop a website with an online store, solidifying her brand's professional presence and commitment. Rashelle Campbell identifies as Nehiyaw Iskwew (Cree) and is based in Amiskwaciy-wâskahikan, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, residing on Treaty 6 territory. Her artistic philosophy centers on playfulness, embracing imperfections, and a vibrant use of colors. Before founding her brand, she gained experience as a publicist and freelance photographer, which she credits for enhancing her current skill set as a business owner and artist. Her brand, simply named "Rashelle," is conceived as a boundless creative space, unrestricted by conventional design rules or specific categories. Initially focusing on rugs for home interiors, her brand has expanded to include glassware, accessories, and clothing. She emphasizes that her creative work is not limited to a single medium, allowing her to continuously produce pieces that reflect her current interests and inspirations. The services she provides include custom rug orders, which she finds particularly fulfilling as it allows her to design and produce unique items tailored to clients' display preferences. She also releases small, distinct collections of rugs, accessories, and clothing. All items are either handmade by her or through collaboration, with a focus on limited production quantities to avoid overproduction. She differentiates herself by being among the pioneering tufters to establish a brand, offering unique designs that evoke youth, childhood nostalgia, and Y2K memories. Her work is characterized by the love and happiness infused into each piece, driven by a desire to spread joy and authentically represent herself as an Indigenous woman who enjoys creating "wacky fun things," rather than being primarily motivated by financial gain or exposure. Rashelle expresses pride in her resilience, particularly in facing attempts by others to copy her designs. She advocates for trusting the creative process and maintaining momentum, advising against overthinking, which can foster fear. Instead, she encourages artists to keep moving forward, reminding themselves of their core motivations to overcome challenges. She also discusses her strategy for building a social media audience, which involved a giveaway linked to her first collection launch, requiring followers to like and comment to enter. She views giveaways as an effective way to expand reach and engage the community, while also providing an opportunity for individuals who might not otherwise afford her pieces to own them, aligning with her value of giving back. As an Indigenous woman, she perceives the act of sharing her work as an everyday act of resilience, drawing inspiration from the Indigenous women in her life and prioritizing Indigenous joy. Her journey, the support she has received, and her access to resources for creation are all testaments to her resilience. She highlights the significance of her presence as an Indigenous woman representing creative Indigenous women and using her voice, considering it a success in itself. #RashelleCampbell #MultidisciplinaryArtist #RugTufting #IndigenousArtist #CreativeEntrepreneurship #HomeDecor #SmallBusiness #Y2KAesthetic #SocialMediaGrowth

The DIY movement is experiencing a resurgence, with craft tutorials gaining viral attention on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Engaging in crafting provides benefits such as boosting creativity, reducing stress, and offering a break from screen-intensive work. For many, a creative hobby can evolve into a profitable craft business. This guide identifies trending handmade products suitable for sale, ranging from beginner-friendly projects to more advanced creations, and offers advice on converting a passion into an income source. The article categorizes 30 crafts to make and sell in 2025 across five main areas: home décor crafts, jewelry and accessories, floral and textile crafts, fragrance and wellness products, and unique art and crafts. These suggestions are based on popular products sold by online retailers, predictions from crafting resources, and trending topics on social media. Additionally, browsing craft fairs, flea markets, and social media for DIY crafts can provide further inspiration. The ease of selling crafts online is highlighted once a suitable idea is identified. Home décor crafts include tufted rugs and mats, woven home décor, macramé wall hangings, vintage upcycling, hand-painted signs, upcycled furniture, decorative pillows, and seasonal wreaths. Tufted rugs and mats, particularly using hooking or tufting methods, are noted for their potential to generate significant income, with top creators earning hundreds of dollars for custom designs. Woven textile art aligns with a rising interest in midcentury home décor, utilizing various loom types and fibers to create tapestries, wall hangings, towels, and blankets. Macramé, a knotted technique, requires minimal tools and can produce decorative wall hangings, hanging planters, ornaments, and table placemats, offering versatility in design and size. Vintage upcycling promotes sustainability by repurposing old clothing and materials into new products like tote bags, re-dyed apparel, or baby hats. Hand-painted signs cater to the demand for personalized home décor, requiring only reclaimed wood, paint, and a steady hand. Upcycled furniture involves refurbishing vintage pieces with sanding, fresh paint, and creative upgrades to create valuable statement items. Decorative pillows are presented as high-margin items that can refresh a space, with options for custom fabrics, patterns, and personalization. Seasonal wreaths are consistently in demand, allowing for customization across different seasons with various base materials and faux florals. Jewelry and accessories cover tote bags, resin and polymer clay jewelry, beaded accessories, handmade beauty products, pet accessories, customized t-shirts, sublimation tumblers, and eco-friendly upcycled accessories. Tote bags offer versatility for personalization through silkscreening, beading, hand painting, textile dyeing, or embroidery, or advanced crafters can sew them from scratch. Resin and polymer clay jewelry enable the creation of small, detailed pieces like earrings and pendants without expensive metals, allowing for embedded elements or colorful designs. Beaded accessories, including bracelets, anklets, and necklaces, provide endless design possibilities and can be niche-specific, such as custom name bracelets. Handmade beauty products like soaps, bath bombs, and body scrubs cater to consumers seeking natural ingredients and offer repeat purchase potential. Pet accessories, including bandanas, collars, and pet beds, are popular items that can be customized for individual pets. Customized t-shirts, produced with heat presses, screen printing, or vinyl cutters, are profitable when targeting specific niches. Sublimation tumblers, made by transferring designs onto metal or ceramic surfaces using heat, allow for personalized drinkware. Eco-friendly upcycled accessories, such as jewelry or scarves made from recycled materials, appeal to climate-conscious consumers and offer unique, creative items. Floral and textile crafts include paper flowers, textile dyeing, quilted items, and embroidered items. Paper flowers are simple to make and sell, particularly for weddings and events, with low upfront costs. Textile dyeing, exemplified by tie-dye and shibori, requires minimal materials and skills, allowing for customization of blank apparel or fabrics. Quilted items, from blankets and pillows to wall hangings and jackets, offer nostalgic and high-quality options, with smaller items like coasters being easier to produce. Embroidered items add a handmade touch to everyday goods, with personalized options like names or dates being in high demand, and embroidery machines can increase production efficiency. Fragrance and wellness products feature home fragrance products, handmade candles, and natural skin care products. Home fragrance items, such as reed diffusers, wax melts, and room sprays, provide long-lasting scents without an open flame, catering to preferences for safe, low-maintenance options. Handmade candles are in high demand within the growing home fragrance market, allowing for creative designs, unique containers, and unusual scent combinations. Natural skin care products, including body butter and facial oils, appeal to consumers focused on simple, high-quality ingredients, with transparency in ingredient lists being crucial. Unique art and crafts comprise needle felted goods, disco ball art, plant pots and other ceramics, handcrafted greeting cards, laser-engraved products, 3D printed items, and epoxy resin crafts. Needle felting allows for sculptural wool creations such as dryer balls, ornaments, and felted animals. Disco ball art, or mirrored mosaic art, is a trendy craft applied to home décor and other goods. Plant pots and ceramics, including pottery or items made from air clay or cement, cater to the growing plant-parent population. Handcrafted greeting cards offer a special touch in a digital world, with endless design options and personalization. Laser-engraved products, such as keychains, luggage tags, and cutting boards, allow for customization at a higher price point. 3D printed items, while requiring an initial investment in equipment, enable the creation of custom products like toys, accessories, and organizers. Epoxy resin crafts, using a two-part resin and hardener system, can produce items ranging from keychains to jewelry, especially when combined with 3D-printed molds for customization. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of market research to identify trending crafts early, providing a competitive edge. It suggests utilizing social media (TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram), analyzing craft marketplaces (Etsy, Shopify), using Google Trends to track demand, browsing craft supply stores for clues, and checking niche online communities for insights into popular items and materials. The ultimate goal is to transition from a hobby to a profitable business, emphasizing the need to build a solid brand, create a business plan, and identify target customers, while also considering seasonality and diversifying sales channels through online stores, marketplaces, craft fairs, and retail outlets. #CraftsToSell #HandmadeProducts #DIYBusiness #HomeDecorCrafts #JewelryMaking #TextileCrafts #FragranceProducts #ArtAndCrafts #SmallBusiness

The article details an unexpected collaboration between interior designer Kerry Joyce and artist Marian McEvoy, sparked by a social media connection. Joyce, known for his interior design work, discovered McEvoy's intricate collages of natural elements on Instagram, specifically under the handle @gustthepoodle. Intrigued by her unique artistic style, Joyce researched McEvoy and learned about her prominent background as a former editor-in-chief of ELLE DECOR and House Beautiful, as well as an editor for Women’s Wear Daily and W. This discovery led to a personal visit to McEvoy's home and studio in Wappingers Falls, New York. During this visit, Joyce recognized the potential to translate McEvoy's distinct artistic vision into fabric designs. He expressed his admiration for her creative energy and his conviction that her designs would be ideal for textiles. The collaboration materialized into a collection featuring five black-and-white botanical watercolors by McEvoy, which were then printed onto linen in ten different colorways. The collection showcases various nature-inspired motifs, including dotted leaves, whimsical vines, and striped florals, all stemming from McEvoy's imaginative work. McEvoy shared her perspective on this new chapter in her career, attributing her refined sense of color, style, and quality to her extensive experience in the fashion industry, particularly her 17 years spent in Paris working with couturiers like Yves Saint Laurent. She expressed gratification at the current level of interest in her work, especially at 73 years old, and highlighted the positive experience of collaborating with someone who genuinely appreciates and acts upon her artistic contributions. The success of this initial collection has already paved the way for a second collaboration between Joyce and McEvoy, scheduled for 2022, underscoring the fruitful nature of their partnership. The story, originally published in the September 2021 issue of ELLE DECOR, exemplifies how digital connections can evolve into tangible and impactful creative endeavors within the design world. #FabricDesign #DesignCollaboration #InteriorDesign #MarianMcEvoy #KerryJoyce #SocialMediaInfluence #TextileArt #BotanicalPrints #ELLEDECOR

This article presents a diverse array of innovative products spanning home decor, personal accessories, and lifestyle items, each chosen for its unique design, functionality, or social impact. In the realm of home decoration, the Studio Cubbe Mini Floating Shelf from Lyon offers whimsical storage solutions with customizable colors and grout options, despite its miniature size. Similarly, Ugly Rugly's Amoeba Coaster Set brings playful, water-resistant designs to dining spaces, while &KLevering;'s Coupe Twirl Mint Set reimagines classic champagne glasses with colorful, retro forms. Lighting solutions include Zanwen Li's Heng Balance Lamp, a minimalist and interactive piece that illuminates through magnetic connection, and Siup Studio's handmade Minty Bubble Lamp, known for its experimental, bulbous ceramic form. For larger home accents, HAY's Flat Works Rug, designed by Ethan Cook, provides a blend of bold and subdued colors inspired by woven wall art, suitable for various decor styles. Storage and organization are addressed with DOIY's 'Mystic' ceramic boxes, which offer playful, magic-inspired vessels for trinkets and jewelry. Beyond home decor, the collection features personal accessories and apparel. The article showcases Piatnik's Takenobu Igarashi Playing Cards, originally commissioned by MoMA, which stand out for their timeless graphic design and use of negative space. For footwear, the FEIT + Oliver Jeffers Indoor Slippers, crafted from single-piece vegetable-tanned calfskin, feature illustrations from Jeffers' art book. Apparel items include the MAAP + The Arrivals Alt_Road Haelo Packable Jacket, a stylish and functional cycling jacket made from water-repellant and recycled materials, and The Fillmore Hoodie in Sunflower Embroidery by Taylor Stitch + Ron Finley, an organic cotton hoodie that supports the Ron Finley Project's guerrilla gardening initiatives. Accessories also include American Trench's Retro Stripes Socks, offering a nostalgic nod to the 1950s with durable, colorful designs, and the Q Timex 1972 Reissue watch, celebrating Timex’s iconic collection with a retro gold-tone stainless steel case and red face. The curated selection also highlights items with social or artistic significance. Heart n Soul Greeting Cards, featuring artwork by co-designers with learning disabilities, contribute 100% of profits to the Heart n Soul non-profit, promoting talent and inclusivity. The Galison “The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles” Puzzle transforms Faith Ringgold's powerful artwork, celebrating iconic Black American women, into an interactive piece. For pet owners, Dog Ear's Frankenball offers unique, handmade pet toys made from 100% recycled fabrics, emphasizing sustainability and outdoor enjoyment. Unique food and drink items include the Zojirushi PAC-MAN Stainless Mug, a limited-edition collaboration that combines classic gaming nostalgia with functional insulation, and Asha's Hello Kitty Cup Noodles, providing vegan noodles in playful, low-sodium packaging. Fine jewelry is represented by Lightbox Lab-Grown Diamond Cushion Cut Studs, showcasing technologically replicated diamonds in various colors and settings. Finally, the Rock Plan ChungKing Mansion Keychain pays homage to Hong Kong's ChungKing Mansion and Wong Kar-wai's film 'ChungKing Express', blending cultural reference with functional design. This collection emphasizes craftsmanship, unique aesthetics, and sometimes, a commitment to social responsibility or environmental consciousness, providing a comprehensive overview of products that aim to enhance daily life through design and thoughtful creation. #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #LifestyleProducts #HandmadeCrafts #SustainableDesign #ArtisticCollaboration #GiftIdeas #UniqueDesigns

Katelyn Aslett, a textile artist, has established a distinctive niche in the design world by crafting bespoke lighting installations made from hand-felted wool. Her work caters to both commercial and residential environments, appealing particularly to clients seeking unique, decadent, and artistic elements for their spaces. Aslett's designs have garnered attention from boutique hotels and other venues that prioritize an intimate and character-rich ambiance. She emphasizes the organic and natural qualities of hand-felted wool, highlighting its ability to impart a special atmosphere and texture to large rooms, while also serving as an effective sound diffuser. Each of Aslett's creations possesses a unique character, marked by subtle intricacies and variations in tone. These lights can be customized in various forms and shapes to seamlessly integrate into diverse innovative design concepts. The soft structures of her lamps are suspended from custom-made aluminum frames, which can be tailored to specific project requirements. A notable example of her craftsmanship is a recent commission for a banqueting room, where she produced fourteen large chandeliers. For the same project, Aslett also constructed a fourteen-meter backlit bar entirely from wool, demonstrating her ability to work with the material in unexpected ways. The light filtering through the wool fibers produces a surprisingly warm and inviting effect. Aslett's professional journey began in textile art, but her creative scope has since expanded to encompass fashion, interior design, corporate fabric design, and large-scale installations. Regardless of the application, her design philosophy consistently revolves around the interplay of color and texture. She applies her aesthetic principles uniformly, whether she is designing textiles for fashion, private interiors, or expansive commercial settings. Her overarching goal is to create works that are inspiring, uplifting, and possess a strong artistic integrity, ultimately enhancing the quality of life in the spaces they inhabit. Aslett's innovative approach to lighting design, utilizing a unique and natural material, positions her as a distinctive voice in contemporary design. #KatelynAslett #LightingInstallations #HandFeltedWool #BespokeDesign #TextileArt #InteriorDesign #CommercialDesign #ResidentialDesign #Designex

Margo Selby, a celebrated designer-weaver, has been at the forefront of innovative textile design for over a decade, distinguishing her work through the creation of colourful, three-dimensional fabrics that form the core of her vibrant cushions, throws, rugs, and various home accessories. Her signature style, characterized by strong graphics and intricate patterns, originates from her Kent studio, where she utilizes a 24-shaft dobby loom to develop her unique hand-woven textiles before they are put into production by specialized mills. Selby's artistic journey is deeply rooted in her family's tradition of textile craftsmanship, with her grandmother, Edith Selby, having taught her crocheting and cross-stitching. This early exposure to textile arts naturally led her to pursue a focus on textiles during her foundation studies at Chelsea College of Arts, where she also explored graphic design, sculpture, and three-dimensional design. Her formal education continued with an MA in woven textiles from the Royal College of Art, followed by a fellowship at The Ann Sutton Foundation. During her fellowship, Selby engaged in projects that included developing products for Shetland wool and designing dobby fabrics for the interiors fabric industry in Yorkshire, establishing her initial connections with industrial mills. It was through these experiences that Selby began to bridge her hand-woven concepts with industrial manufacturing processes, leading to the development of her brand's hallmark silk and Lycra fabrics. The inspiration for her innovative three-dimensional fabric concept stemmed from her fascination with surface and texture, particularly the desire to emulate the tactile quality of bubble wrap packaging using silk. This pursuit involved extensive research into different fibers that would shrink when exposed to heat, which she then wove in combination with silk to achieve the desired three-dimensional surfaces. Selby's design philosophy is intrinsically linked to the art of weaving, which serves as the primary source of inspiration for all her creations. Beyond her personal handloom work, she actively explores global trends in woven textiles, drawing stimulation from highly decorative designs rich in pattern and color. Recent collections reflect an appreciation for indigenous and tribal fabrics, including techniques such as Japanese dyeing and African prints. The design process for her fabrics begins with the careful planning of the warp, which forms the structural backbone of the fabric on the loom, allowing for experimentation with different structures and weft yarns until a satisfactory product is achieved. This methodical and contemplative approach allows the fabric to evolve one row at a time, providing ample opportunity for design refinement. Once a fabric design is perfected through numerous developmental warps, Selby explores its potential for industrial production, collaborating with mills. For her flooring collection, her woven patterns were adapted into carpet constructions, manufactured in the UK. Operating from an open-plan studio in Whitstable, Selby immerses herself in a creative environment filled with materials, yarns, and inspiring imagery. Her daily routine involves addressing emails and collaborating with her team before dedicating the majority of her day to weaving at her loom. Her collaborations extend to companies like Alternative Flooring, for which she developed wool carpet and runner designs inspired by her deflected double-weave hand-woven cloths. Selby sources yarns globally, with Japan and the US being notable for their vibrant hand-weaving communities, and emphasizes selecting the most skilled weavers for specific material types. The business, which began in her bedroom, has expanded significantly to a bustling textile studio employing eight full-time staff and additional piece workers in Whitstable, focusing on bespoke textiles for a diverse range of applications. The handloom and the traditional craft of weaving remain central to all her products. The current re-emergence of carpet and color in fashion presents an exciting opportunity for her designs, particularly the translation of soft silk and wool fabric designs into large-scale, recolored flooring options. Selby's future plans include developing interiors fabrics for sale by the meter and expanding her accessories range to include bedlinen and towels. #TextileDesign #MargoSelby #WovenTextiles #HandloomWeaving #ThreeDimensionalFabrics #InteriorDesign #HomeAccessories #Craftsmanship #IndustrialCollaboration

Dana Esser, an interior designer and creative, discusses her business, Dana Michele Design, and its profound impact on the daily lives of occupants in the spaces she designs. Esser highlights the significance of her work in creating therapeutic environments, such as offices for therapists and psychiatrists. These projects involved extensive research into layout, audio and visual privacy, color, texture, and furniture selections to ensure patients feel welcome, calm, comfortable, and safe. The insights gained from designing these therapeutic spaces are now applied to all her projects, ensuring they enhance the well-being of occupants and meet functional needs. Dana Michele Design distinguishes itself through an unwavering commitment to clients, with Esser acting as a 'client advocate.' With eight years of corporate interior design experience, she is now directly involved in every project, ensuring personalized attention and expertise for each client. The design process at Dana Michele Design integrates spatial intelligence with creative intuition, focusing on solving complex puzzles and understanding human needs to create spaces that resonate deeply. This process begins with in-depth client engagement to understand their aspirations and challenges, leading to designs that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also supportive of their present and future needs. Esser emphasizes the importance of professional integrity and personal well-being, stating a rule to only accept projects where her team is respected and valued, especially as a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry. Looking ahead, Esser plans to launch a non-profit arm of Dana Michele Design. This initiative will focus on community engagement by partnering with organizations that provide housing and support to vulnerable communities, aiming to create nurturing environments that empower individuals to thrive. The success of Dana Michele Design is attributed to human connection and the transformative power of thoughtful design, driven by a commitment to clients and the wider community. Outside of her professional life, Esser shares recommendations for enjoying Los Angeles with a visiting friend. Her ideal week would include coffee from Primo on Montana Street, brunch at Courtyard Kitchen in Santa Monica, leisurely strolls along the boardwalk, and beach volleyball. Nature excursions would involve hiking the Los Leones trail in Pacific Palisades for panoramic ocean views. Cultural experiences would include visiting the Broad or Hammer museum exhibits. Evenings would feature live entertainment at venues like the Hollywood Bowl or Aviator Nation’s Dreamland in Malibu, or attending a comedy show. Dining options range from Fia in Santa Monica to Osteria Mozza, followed by a night out in West Hollywood or Hollywood. Esser acknowledges several individuals who have significantly influenced her journey. She credits her family for providing essential physical and financial security and unwavering love. Her high school art teacher is recognized for channeling her creativity and introducing her to interior design at 16, a pivotal moment in discovering her passion. Lastly, she highlights the continuous inspiration, encouragement, and love from her closest friends, whom she considers her chosen family, calling them her backbone and biggest cheerleaders, especially when she experiences imposter syndrome. #InteriorDesign #CreativeEntrepreneur #TherapeuticSpaces #ClientAdvocacy #CommunityImpact #FemaleEntrepreneur #NonProfitInitiative #LosAngelesLifestyle #PersonalDevelopment

Hungarian designer Zsuzsanna Horvath has created the Illan Pendant Light for Italian lighting company Luceplan, utilizing a unique process of laser-cutting birch plywood. The lamp's design was first showcased as a prototype at Salone Satellite during the Milan Furniture Fair, capturing the attention of Luceplan. The name 'Illan' is derived from a Hungarian word signifying something temporary or fleeting, a concept that Horvath aimed to embody in the delicate and minimalist aesthetic of the lamp. The core of the design involves precisely scoring equidistant lines through a thin sheet of birch plywood using laser-cutting technology. This intricate cutting method allows the material to take on a new form, responding to the forces of gravity when suspended. As Horvath explained, the idea emerged from her experimentation with laser-cutting techniques applied to various materials, where geometrically cut sheets of paper and wood acquire novel characteristics under their own weight. Upon suspension, the plywood naturally drapes into a distinctively curved lampshade shape, contributing to its ethereal and artistic appeal. Inside the elegant plywood structure, a warm-toned LED light source is integrated. This light gently permeates through the fine slats of the plywood, producing a soft, golden, and diffused illumination. Horvath highlighted that the simple, concentric cutting motif transforms the wood into a three-dimensional sculptural object. This object is not static but dynamically responds to even the slightest air movement, adding a subtle, living quality to the design. The warm glow of the light further enhances a relaxing sensation, reflecting beautifully off the wooden surface. The designer views the Illan Pendant Light as a bridge between art and design, successfully balancing functional utility, aesthetic appeal, and a touch of magic that enriches everyday life. This perspective underscores the lamp's ability to transcend mere functionality and become an engaging piece within an interior space. The Illan Pendant Light is available in three different sizes, with the largest version capable of reaching up to a meter in width. This variety in size offers flexibility, allowing the lamp to be used either as a singular statement piece or as part of a grouped cluster of varying dimensions, catering to diverse spatial and aesthetic requirements. Horvath, who is both a designer and architect, operates her own studio in Copenhagen. The Illan Pendant Light has received significant recognition, being shortlisted for the prestigious Dezeen Awards 2020 in the lighting design category. It was nominated alongside other innovative lighting solutions, including a bedside lamp designed to read to children and a rotating ring light. The article also references other examples of plywood designs in lighting, such as laser-cut plywood lamps by Italian studio Bjørne and a modular lighting collection by Tino Seubert and Theodora Alfredsdottir, underscoring the growing trend and versatility of plywood in contemporary design. #PlywoodDesign #LaserCut #PendantLight #Luceplan #ZsuzsannaHorvath #BirchPlywood #LEDLighting #InteriorLighting #DesignAward

Josniel Fiallo, President of Rex Fabrics, discusses how his company distinguishes itself in the fabric and textile industry. Unlike many fabric stores, Rex Fabrics provides an extensive range of services directly related to the fabrics they sell. The company operates an in-house atelier with over 25 years of experience, offering haute couture services, also known as "servicio de alta costura" in Miami. This atelier specializes in custom-made dresses, ranging from jumpsuits to elaborate ball gowns, and particularly focuses on unique bridal gowns. Fiallo emphasizes empowering women by providing custom options that allow brides to feel and look their best, rather than conforming to standard designs. The availability of two in-house tailors further sets Rex Fabrics apart, ensuring personalized service for clients. Rex Fabrics also caters to men's fashion with bespoke tailoring services for suits, sports jackets, dress shirts, and guayaberas, which are popular in South Florida's tropical climate. The company handles diverse client requests, from wedding tuxedos to boardroom pinstripes, while upholding the highest standards of bespoke tradition. Beyond apparel, Rex Fabrics extends its services to home décor, offering custom upholstery for both indoor and outdoor furniture. This includes decorative services such as custom-made curtains, drapes, and furniture cushions, as well as reupholstery. As a Sunbrella® dealer, they provide hundreds of Sunbrella® fabric options for updating outdoor spaces. Fiallo shares his 22 years of experience in the fabrics and textile industry, highlighting his lifelong passion for fashion. He developed his skills at Rex Fabrics, which was already recognized as a premier fabric store in Miami. His journey began at the company's first location in Coral Gables, where he was captivated by the wide array of luxurious fabrics, including Brocades, Embroidered Tulles, Printed Silks, Embroidered Lace, Printed Chiffon, and Mikado Zibeline. He notes that exceptional customer service has always been a cornerstone of Rex Fabrics, a quality he believes is often lacking in contemporary retail environments. Fiallo acquired the store and leveraged his existing fashion knowledge to ensure continued success, contrasting his approach with competitors who might struggle due to a lack of focus on exclusive products or inadequate customer service. Regarding brand loyalty, Fiallo stresses the importance of communication and valuing customers as the company's most significant assets. He advocates for consistent engagement with clients to keep them informed and foster a sense of appreciation, which, in turn, promotes loyalty. Staying connected can also encourage customers to interact on social media, share content, and generate new referrals through word-of-mouth marketing, which he finds highly effective. He advises fabric stores in Miami to prioritize client loyalty by developing and maintaining relationships through personalized, focused communication. An example provided is implementing a communication plan upon a customer's purchase of a custom dress, bespoke suit, exclusive fabric, or upholstered item. This strategy not only gathers data but also builds a strong, lasting relationship, making clients feel valued and appreciated. Fiallo also provides insights into building social media presence, emphasizing that the objective is to cultivate an active online community rather than merely accumulating followers. The key has been to post original content, showcasing new products, vendor displays, custom-made dress results, and fashion-related information. This strategy has proven effective for Rex Fabrics, a company with over 30 years of presence in Miami, enabling them to expand their market and continuously acquire more inventory to meet customer demand for exclusive fabrics. #FabricStore #HauteCouture #BespokeTailoring #CustomUpholstery #HomeDecor #CustomerService #BrandLoyalty #SocialMediaStrategy #TextileIndustry

Russell Loughlan, a budding British designer and illustrator, deliberately designed his 19th-century Georgian-style rowhouse on Kent, England’s oceanfront with social media in mind. Loughlan's journey to this dream home involved moving four times over a decade, each time getting closer to the water. The renovation itself presented numerous challenges; Loughlan acquired the property through a bank auction, discovering that it had served as a vacation home for 96 years and was in significant disrepair. Issues included a lack of heating, eroded steel supports, widespread mold across its five floors, and even unexpected features like fake doors and smuggler's tunnels to the beach. The original layout was also top-heavy, with cramped living spaces downstairs and larger bedrooms upstairs. Complicating matters further, the home is a preservation site, meaning Loughlan faced strict regulations. He needed approval for every paint swatch and piece of hardware, with local counselors meticulously documenting changes, from repainting the exterior a distinctive Tiffany blue to replacing radiators. Rather than altering the constrictive floor plan, Loughlan embraced it, using bold color schemes to define and differentiate each room. The entryway features a burnt orange, while the enclosed stairwell is painted teal. For the kitchen, inspired by a tapas bar in Seville, he opted for a monochrome palette reflecting the English Channel outside, incorporating turquoise backsplash tiles, navy lower cabinets, and half-painted walls, extending the two-tone concept even to the kitchen door. Upstairs, Loughlan implemented creative color combinations in the form of hand-painted stripes. He eschewed wallpaper, preferring the visible imperfections of a hand-painted finish. This painstaking process, which took four days to complete just one wall, resulted in a guest bedroom adorned with sage and white stripes and a bathroom featuring emerald green stripes. The seemingly tight layout ultimately proved beneficial for creating Instagram-worthy vignettes. Loughlan views each corner of his home as a mini, yet fully livable, set, meticulously curating scenes to draw viewers into the home's narrative. His social media feed frequently showcases original wood-burning fireplaces with styled mantels and color-blocked doorways that reveal transitions between striped and solid walls or shades of burgundy and blue. The fixer-upper, now affectionately known as the House on Dolphin Street, has garnered over 10,000 Instagram followers. Loughlan's behind-the-scenes content, particularly his approach to the bedroom walls and art collection, has been especially popular, leading to new design commissions. He initially aimed to create a home he loved and hoped others would appreciate, a goal he has successfully achieved, and then some, transforming his personal design project into a professional springboard. #HomeTour #InteriorDesign #SocialMediaInfluence #RenovationProject #ColorPalette #GeorgianArchitecture #HandPainted #DesignInspiration #CoastalHome

Echo Petersen, founder of E Lee Designs, has found a creative outlet for her artistic passion by creating a variety of home decor and kitchen items featuring unique swirled acrylic paint designs. Petersen's work, which includes handblown coasters, trivets, charcuterie boards, and holiday ornaments, will be showcased at the 605 Made Holiday Market in Sioux Falls. Her designs are characterized by their vibrant colors and intricate patterns, achieved through a technique of blowing acrylic paints with drinking straws onto surfaces like ceramic tiles, wooden cutting boards, and canvases. This method allows colors to remain separate and distinct without blending, resulting in visually striking pieces. Petersen's journey into this craft began after she retired from her career as a financial assistant. Inspired by a set of handblown coasters she encountered during a trip to Fort Collins, Colorado, she dedicated herself to learning and mastering the technique. This involved extensive research through online videos and significant experimentation to develop her own proprietary mix of acrylic artist paints. Her husband, Bryce, supports her endeavors by creating custom oak frames for her canvas pieces. Each item crafted by Petersen undergoes a meticulous, multi-stage process that spans approximately one week. After the initial paint application, the piece requires time to dry and for the paint to cure. Following this, Petersen prepares the item by sanding its back and carefully taping it before applying a resin layer, which then takes an additional three days to dry. This commitment to quality ensures the durability and longevity of her handmade products. E Lee Designs offers a range of items, from small porcelain tile coasters to larger six-inch porcelain trivets and various wooden cutting boards. A particularly popular item that frequently sells out is her bamboo charcuterie board, which features pullout drawers and includes small wooden utensils, all adorned with her signature handblown paint designs. Petersen prioritizes using high-quality materials to ensure customer satisfaction and product resilience. In her creative process, Petersen pays close attention to current interior design trends, specifically monitoring popular colors in furniture and granite countertops. This awareness guides her selection of hues, ensuring her designs complement contemporary home aesthetics. She also incorporates micro powder glitter into her paints to add a subtle shimmer to the finished pieces. Popular color palettes in her collection include gray-beige, purple, and various autumn colors, while her personal favorite combination involves navy blue, moss green, and gold. This will be E Lee Designs' first participation in the 605 Made Holiday Market, though Petersen has previously showcased her work at vendor shows across South Dakota in cities such as Brookings, Pierre, Aberdeen, and Yankton. The 605 Made Holiday Market, an event organized by Knotty Gnome Variety & Salvage, Sew Doggy Boutique, and SiouxFalls.Business, and sponsored by The First National Bank in Sioux Falls and Dakota Business Finance, will feature over 40 makers. It is scheduled for Saturday, December 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cherapa Place in downtown Sioux Falls, with free admission for attendees. #E Lee Designs #HandmadeDecor #AcrylicPouring #HomeDecor #HolidayMarket #Craftsmanship #ArtisanProducts #SmallBusiness #SiouxFallsEvents

The article introduces Inner Child, a home decor brand founded by Michelle Pham, which specializes in colorful, handmade, maximalist decor. The author, Tori Polizzotto Jones, shares her personal journey from a minimalist aesthetic to an appreciation for maximalism, influenced by sentimental family heirlooms. This shift in personal style led her to discover Inner Child, a brand that resonates with her newfound love for vibrant and expressive home furnishings. Michelle Pham, the founder of Inner Child, explains her inspiration for starting the brand. She observed a gap in the U.S. market for accessible, handmade textiles and crafts, which are often found only through extensive travel. Her aim was to bring these unique, artisanal items to a broader audience. Inner Child's products are distinguished by their 100% handmade nature, encompassing fabrics, patterns, and textures. The brand offers a variety of home linens, including blockprint tablecloths, napkins, placemats, and table runners. Additionally, Inner Child has developed a sustainable practice by creating recycled paper goods from leftover cotton textile production. The brand's name, 'Inner Child,' reflects Pham's philosophy that joyful and whimsical decor should not be outgrown. She notes that while adult tastes often lean towards muted, minimalist palettes, children instinctively gravitate towards color and experimentation. Inner Child seeks to reintroduce this playful approach into adult homes, encouraging consumers to embrace delightful and colorful items. The brand continuously innovates, transforming new design ideas into stitched realities quickly to meet consumer desires for vibrant home aesthetics. Among Inner Child's bestsellers are the Ocean Wave Waste Bin, made from hand-marbled and block-printed recycled cotton papers. This collapsible, sustainably made bin serves both as a waste receptacle and a chic storage solution. Another popular item is the Araminta Toiletry Bag, available individually or in sets of three. These bags are designed for functionality, featuring four inner pockets and a wipeable plastic liner, with fabric hand-block printed by an eighth-generation artisan team. The Purple & Blue Checkered Reversible Sujani Quilt is another standout, crafted by one of only two remaining families globally practicing the Sujani weaving technique. These cotton-filled quilts take over 16 hours to handloom and offer a unique 'puff pillow' effect. Pham's inspiration stems from her childhood experiences, including reading extensively about crafts and textiles, and traveling widely in her twenties, which exposed her to diverse crafts and ways of living. Her mother, a talented seamstress, also instilled in her a deep appreciation for colors, patterns, and fabrics from an early age. Living in New York City further provides daily inspiration from fashion and people's choices. Pham also sheds light on the realities of running a small business with handmade products. She single-handedly manages all aspects of Inner Child, from design and production to warehousing, shipping, and marketing. This hands-on approach has given her comprehensive mastery over her business operations, from recognizing ideal shipping boxes to understanding fabric compositions and maintaining daily communication with artisans. Despite the immense workload, she finds the work highly rewarding, emphasizing that it is a constant, demanding endeavor rather than a typical nine-to-five job. The brand's core message is to promote the accessibility of handmade items and to encourage adults to embrace joyful and whimsical home decor that allows for self-expression and happiness, regardless of age. #HomeDecor #MaximalistStyle #HandmadeProducts #SmallBusiness #MichellePham #InnerChild #TextileArt #SustainableDesign #Entrepreneurship

Rachel B. Hayes, a Tulsa-based artist, creates striking large-scale patchwork textile installations using vivid, translucent fabrics. These temporary artworks are designed to transform perceptions of both indoor spaces and expansive natural environments. Hayes experiments with scale, color, pattern, light, and movement, resulting in joyful and dynamic installations. Her work has been showcased across the U.S. and Europe, frequently appearing as quilted sun sails in courtyards. One of Hayes's recent collaborations, "Horizon Drift" with Black Cube in Denver, featured overlapping triangular elements that cast colorful shadows, reminiscent of her piece "A Moment in Time" in Capri. These temporary installations, typically on view for a few weeks or months, integrate with their surroundings, drawing parallels to the monumental fabric interventions of Jeanne-Claude and Christo. Her richly patchworked or woven creations celebrate light, breeze, and traditional American quilting techniques. Hayes frequently revisits earlier works and site-specific experiments to fuel new designs, finding continuous inspiration and energy in these temporary explorations. She often returns to familiar locations in South Dakota, Missouri, and New Mexico to document her art multiple times, observing how varying light, weather, and landscape changes influence the perception of her pieces. She views many of these works as elements within a broader, long-term artistic vision. Some of Hayes's installations are designed for extended outdoor display, lasting at least five years, which has led her to develop expertise as a "fabric engineer" to ensure the materials withstand the elements while remaining visually impactful. Light, particularly sunlight, is a crucial component in Hayes's artistic process and site selection. For indoor installations, she carefully considers architecture and human movement, often "chasing the sun" to identify areas where light can interact with her textiles, creating reflections and colored shadows. While she utilizes software like Photoshop or Procreate for pattern composition, her primary focus remains on the physical properties of the material and its interaction with specific environments. Hayes's current installations include _Patterned by Nature_ at the Chicago Botanic Garden throughout the summer, _Soft Structures_ at Jane Lombard Gallery in New York City until August 8, and _Body’s First Architecture_ at Ely Center of Contemporary Art in New Haven, Connecticut until August 10. Her semi-permanent works are on display at the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska, and The Gathering Place in Tulsa. Additionally, her flag is currently flown outside Ballroom Marfa in West Texas during gallery hours. #RachelBHayes #TextileArt #SiteSpecificInstallation #Quilting #FabricSculpture #ContemporaryArt #ArtInstallation #TranslucentTextiles #LightArt

This article highlights 15 emerging talents in product design who are making significant contributions to the industry. These designers and studios showcase innovation across various materials, techniques, and product categories, ranging from home furnishings to decorative objects. Lucie Roy, a member of the Kaléidosco collective in France, specializes in float-glass wall tiles. Her Blue Lands tiles manipulate translucency and opacity with aqueous hues, achieved through multiple enamels and three firing processes, and finished with subtle gold details. Bond Hardware, founded by Dana Hurwitz and Mariah Pershadsingh, originally known for jewelry made from scrap metal, has expanded its offerings to include home furniture. Ben Erickson's Erickson Aesthetics presents the "Halo Drippp," a product that integrates a rainbow spectrum into a fundamental form. Soft Geometry, led by Palaash Chaudhary and Utharaa Zacharias, focuses on shapes and references dessert in their new collection. Asa Pingree, drawing inspiration from his boat-building apprenticeship, explores fiberglass in his Brooklyn workshop, evident in his experimental stool designs. Jude Heslin Di Leo, inspired by feng shui principles, created "Amplifier," a 15-inch-high table crafted from pure quartz crystal, intended to enhance natural energy. Sasha Burchuk, founder of New Age Design Studio, reinterprets the ancient terrazzo technique for cement tiles and candleholders, utilizing ethically sourced precious and semiprecious stones in her "Gemstone Terrazzo" and "Ziv" lines. Marie Schumann, a Swiss designer, creates vibrant tapestries called "Softspace #5" and "Softspace #6." These textiles feature haptic fringing and draped threads, woven from materials like Lurex, Trevira CS, or cotton on an industrial jacquard loom and distributed through OKRO. Henri Judin’s "Liquorice" shelves, available vertically or horizontally, are crafted from black rods of bent and powder-coated steel by Lankapaja metalsmith, evoking the candy they are named after and sold through Young Finnish Design. Felicia Arvid, a former fashion designer, introduces "Addéra," a reconfigurable daybed. Its wool-covered cushions, armrests, backrests, and painted-birch tablet can be rearranged to slot into a tubular-steel base. Emiliana Gonzalez and Jessie Young, founders of Estudio Persona, launched "Flecha," an angled side table made of mahogany-veneered plywood, coinciding with the opening of their Los Angeles showroom. Virginia Valentini and Francesco Breganze of LatoxLato designed "Aracne," a coffee table with a 40-inch-diameter glass top supported by eight legs in light oak or dark walnut, noted for its innovative structure. Brecht Wright Gander of Birnam Wood Studio collaborated with jeweler Suna Bonometti on "Brutiful U&I," a cocktail table inspired by Carlo Scarpa’s Brion Cemetery, made from Valchromat wood-fiber visible through an acrylic top. Kyle Comeaux, founder of Komolab, offers "Walden," a dog bed featuring a walnut or white oak base topped with a removable wool-upholstered cushion and a waterproof liner. Finally, Daria Belyakova designed "Paspartu," an armchair described as an "inhabitable sculpture." It is made from chromed, molded fiberglass with wool upholstery and is supported by a nearly invisible glass stand, available through Palisander Gallery. These designers represent a diverse range of styles, materials, and functional applications within contemporary product design. #ProductDesign #RisingStars #InteriorDesign #FurnitureDesign #HomeDecor #TextileDesign #GlassArt #ContemporaryDesign

The article highlights a growing trend away from mass-produced items towards unique, handcrafted furniture and home decor pieces that emphasize creativity, craft, and time-honored techniques. It showcases 15 such items from various global makers, positioning them as collectible interiors pieces that are worth investing in now for their potential to become future design classics. The featured items begin with a modern take on a classic: the Canopy Armchair from Marchmont Workshop, a handcrafted stickback chair inspired by woodlands and priced at £3,600. This piece reflects a return to traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary aesthetic. Following this, the article introduces hand-painted lampshades by Spanish artist-designer Alvaro Picardo, which can be custom-matched to interior paintwork and wallpaper using Farrow & Ball paints, starting from £110. These lampshades are presented as artistic finishing touches for living spaces. Another innovative item is the Vine Vase by Wobbly Digital, a Glasgow-based artist who creates eccentric 3D-printed objects from recycled and bioplastics, priced at £350. This vase is noted for its viral potential, akin to the popular Gluggle Jug, and is recommended for dried flowers only. Scarlett Farrer, a rising star in hand weaving, is featured for her rustic textiles, specifically wall hangings made from undyed British wool. Her work, ranging from £250 to £1,800, gained recognition after she won the 2024 Young Weaver of the Year award. The article then presents a statement chair designed by Esto Estudio in Madrid, which combines a tubular steel frame with vibrant orange fabric, blurring the lines between furniture and sculpture, starting from approximately £800. Rich Miller, a ceramic artist and judge on 'The Great Pottery Throw Down,' offers unique cone-shaped pendant lights inspired by antique sugar cones, each priced at £2,425. These lights explore the history of the sugar trade and Miller's cultural ancestry. Sustainability is a key theme, exemplified by Jacob Marks' resin lamps, made from pine resin, with the Red RF Lamp I priced at £730. These lamps were a highlight at the London Design Festival for their use of unusual sustainable materials. Xanthe Somers, a Zimbabwean ceramic artist, contributes surrealist stoneware from her 'Sisters Toil' series, which explores women's work and crafts, with pieces ranging from £6,500 to £9,000. Loney Abrams and Johnny Stanish of Wretched Flowers create mesh murals and chain mail lamps, drawing inspiration from diverse sources such as museum archives and medieval armor. These shimmering wall hangings are available on application. James Shaw's sustainable seat, priced at £2,000, is crafted from recycled plastic waste like milk cartons and shampoo bottles, transforming discarded materials into unique, organic forms. The master plasterers Ffion and Steven Blench, known as Chalk Plaster, produce marbled, fluted sidetables using scagliola, a 16th-century technique imitating marble, priced at £7,800. Freya Bramble-Carter, a ceramicist, offers wheel-thrown pots in earthy shades, blending traditional techniques with an expressive approach, starting from £900. Maria Sigma, a textile designer and weaver, focuses on zero-waste wares using natural, often undyed, fibers for her throws and cushions, with her 'Apricity' throw priced at £890, though it has an eight to ten-week waiting period. Joe Sweeney's terracotta stoneware butter dish, priced at £300, is described as a charming and functional addition to the breakfast table. Emsie Sharp, a glassblower, presents candy-colored drinking glasses made in her Dorset studio, priced at £38 each, as a modern alternative for smart dinner tables. Finally, the article highlights Matthew Raw's tiled bedside table from his 'Welcome' collection, inspired by tiled facades of train stations and buildings. These pieces, featuring handcrafted and glazed tiles, are priced at £5,180 for a sidetable with a drawer, indicating a growing presence in contemporary home design. #FurnitureDesign #HomeDecor #HandcraftedItems #SustainableDesign #CollectibleArt #InteriorDesignTrends #Craftsmanship #ArtisanalProducts #LuxuryInteriors