Where do you live?
For the last 9 years I've been living & working in the beautiful town of Kennebunk, Maine.
What is your favorite part of each room?
Oh boy! That's a difficult one to answer :) Since I work from home & I spend a lot of time in my studio, I filled that room with some of my all time favorite pieces. My desktop is chock-full of fun little tid bits, like a vintage cast iron mini muffin tin, which I used to hold all of my binder clips, push pins, ect.
One of my other favorite pieces in my studio is a vintage baby wooden shoemakers mold. I was giddy with excitement when I found it & was even more excited when I realized my pen/pencil fit in the opening perfectly
Storage is a big problem throughout my house, since I only have a few small closets to work with. When I say small, I mean SMALL! I guess people in 1850 didn't need closet space like we do now. I've always had a bit of an obsession with vintage suitcases, lockers & old metal office/medical cabinets, so it was a no-brainer to fill my house with a variety of them. Not only do I love the way they look, they're also a great for storage! It's a win win in my book
A few of my other favorite pieces throughout the house would have to be the incredible turquoise vintage fan, tv & old refrigerator I have on my back porch
my coveted vintage dress form... which sits in my front hall, the vintage typewrite that I hung on my bathroom wall & my collection Le Pop Shoppe bottles
Where do you find inspiration for decorating your home?
For as long as I can remember, I've loved going to antique auctions, thrift stores & flea markets. It's hard not to get inspired when you're wondering around places like that. There's a character & history that vintage items have that you just can't get from new or reproduced stuff.
I also find inspiration from eclectic design books. Some of my all time favorites are: "Decorating Junk Market Style" (by: Sue Whitney & Ki Nassauer), "Found Style" (by the super genius Amy Butler & her husband David), "On Display" (by Lesley Dilcock) & "Nest For Two" (by Allison Serrell).
How do vintage things play a role in your room/home?
Vintage items play a HUGE role in my house! Every room has a dash of vintage in it, if not more. I've always been drawn towards vintage pieces, so when it came to "decorating" my house, it was kind of a no brainer. Your space should be filled with pieces that you love & for me, that love comes from vintage goodies.
Any advice on creating your look?
I think the most important thing to keep in mind when you're decorating your house is to fill it with pieces that speak to you & things that make you happy to be around. If you do that, then a "style" will develop naturally. There aren't any rules to follow or mistakes you can make if you go with your gut & surround yourself with things that you love :)
Mod Pod Gift Tag Set from Hang Tight Studio
I love your website and designs. Can you tell us a little bit about Hang Tight Studio?
Thanks! I started my surface design business (Hang Tight Studio) a little over 11 years ago, after working as a fashion designer in San Francisco for a number of years. I spend my days designing surface graphics & textile designs for companies across the US & Europe, which is pretty cool for a girl who's obsessed with design! I've been fortunate enough to work with some pretty spectacular companies, such as: Pottery Barn, Smith & Hawken, Real Simple, Tupperware, and Red Envelope.
In addition to the designs I create for various companies, I've also been working on developing & marketing a collection of my own designs. I honestly can't imagine doing anything else & sometimes I have to pinch myself that I actually get paid to draw all day :) It doesn't get any better than that!
Thanks so much Heather for sharing your home and vintage goodies with us!
