Welcome
Hello + welcome to Paper Houses Design’s new website + new adventures! So what is Paper Houses Design? We’re a textiles lifestyle brand consciously designing everyday items. We value quality in design, longevity in design + sustainability in design. That’s why when we create we make sure items are made + finished to high standards. When we design patterns, we design them to be transcendent of season to last longer. We care about the environment + ethical making, therefore, we put measures in place to ensure this when we make + package our products. More to follow about how Paper Houses Design goes about this in later posts!
Signals Collection - digital sketch
Writing these blog posts is me, designer/owner Mhairi Allan. I was originally from Fife, studied at DJCAD Dundee + now live in Aberdeenshire. When I became a parent in late 2017 I knew it was the kick up the backside I needed to get serious about what I wanted to do. Scottish modern design has never been stronger + it’s something I’m very proud to be part of. I’m very proud to be a lover of textiles, I want to share this with others through products, patterns + workshops.
Originally, I started out designing patterns to be licenced to other companies + I had a small run of unique scarves. Then I took some time out to start teaching, which I love still! But it also made me realise that I need to create for my own brand. I need to make what I create with thought to sustainability right from the start + consider the versatility of designs. I was no longer designing lead by the trends, I was keeping my eye on them but making sure the design wasn’t dictated by fashion but by style. Something that would outlast the season. When these ideas came together Paper Houses Design was started.
Progressing in collection design - developing fabrics, colour ways + logos
This year has been brilliant, hard work but worth it! In March Paper Houses Design was part of Meet the Mentor ran by The Barn, Banchory + Craft Scotland. Where Clare Robertson (Co-Founder Strathberry) gave mentoring business advice for the brand. This focused on business development that was needed to move forward. Since then we’ve been part of mentoring from Creative Scotland + Paved with Gold to help take the first collection, Signals, to launch + pre-order via Kickstarter. Can’t wait to share more with you!
I’ll be writing the occasional blog post about design, creative culture + other things related to Paper Houses Design. To be the first to know about these sign up to our newsletter. For more regular updates make sure to follow us on Instagram. I also love to hear from you so feel free to get in touch!