Questions with a Maker: Texture Design Co.

We are so inspired by the local maker scene here in Charleston, SC and are so proud of the talent this town holds! One such artist is local paper and gifts designer Emily Kirby of Texture Design Co. You can find Emily's prints in our Charleston shop, and hopefully you snagged a spot in her Maker Break workshop tomorrow night at Candlefish Charleston!

We sat down with Emily to chat about her inspiration, creative advice, and what's ahead for her company. Here is what Emily had to say:

What is your brand name?

Texture Design Co.

What is your name?

Emily Kirby

Tell us about your brand.
Texture Design Co. creates paper goods, art prints, and gifts that are full of color and cheer! The mission is to design products that help people live joyfully and love on others. The name Texture comes from the elements of design. Be it a greeting card, a piece of furniture, or an old photograph, the things we treasure have a particular texture that gives us a feeling or brings back a memory. At Texture Design Co., my hope is that the designs will do just that!

What is your best creative advice?
Design what you love and make what excites you. If you focus on creating what sells or what is popular, the creative process will feel like an uphill climb.

What inspires your products? 
Our beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina has influenced a lot of my work. The whimsy and charm of the architecture offer constant inspiration, and much like this city, I don’t shy away from bright color themes.

What are you best known for doing? 

Flower Box Art Prints! Four years ago, I started creating a yearly wall calendar filled with artwork inspired by the abundant flower boxes of downtown Charleston. I would admire the gorgeous arrangements of flowers and greenery on my daily walk to the studio. Eventually it occurred to me that it would be a fun subject matter to illustrate. Due to demand, the calendar designs became art prints and greeting cards. Every year I come out with a new calendar with new flower box prints. It is a fun tradition that has led to an exciting release every fall!

What's next up on your vision board for your brand? 
I couldn’t be more excited about the next projects for Texture Design Co. On Instagram (@TextureDesignCo) you can see the current #25DaysofPatterns challenge. I’ve given myself the goal of releasing a new pattern on Instagram for 25 consecutive weeks. At the end of the challenge, the most popular patterns will be turned into fabrics, pillows, and other patterned goods. The vision is to create a more complete line of products for the home -- fabrics, pillows, art, wallpaper and more.