27 July 2011

Exploring our Studio


As many of you will already know, yesterday it was our first birthday, and amongst all of the excitement with the launch of our new-look website, I found myself reflecting on Leaff, and how far we have come in this first year.


A scrummy birthday cake (complete with half melted icing - which did not ruin it one bit) and a pot of tea later, and I had an idea. In celebration of our birthday, I thought we could explore the studio; show you around, and introduce you to the things that inspire us.


Book, Books, Books




We have tonnes of books - not just because I have somewhat of a fetish for them, but because they are a major source of inspiration to us each and every day. Books like Impressive and By Invitation Only, which hold incredible collections of fantastic art and design work, are just a couple of the books that we regularly bury our heads in. Our shelves are also graced with the presence of books by artists and designers whose work we enjoy, like Rob Ryan and Teresa Monachino. It is not just books directly relating to design that capture us either - we also collect things like Howies' catalogues too, and books like 'A book about Innocent', because we are inspired by words as well as images.

'The Inspiration Box'


We have a very large, very special box, that we like to call 'The Inspiration Box', where we keep a range of material that catches our eye. In here you can find lots of random bits, from packaging and old diaries to leaflets and cards; they all capture something - whether it is the print and finish, a colour, some wording, an image or a piece of typography - and that something can inspire the most unrelated ideas ever, so you never know when they are going to come in handy. 

Our Love of Paper


And where would we be without our paper sample collection? We firmly believe that the print and finish of a design can make or break it, so finding the right stock and technique for a project is a vital part of the process, and one that we get super excited about.

Our Surroundings




Last (but not least) are the things that we have surrounded ourselves with. Our beautiful min-garden, that is vital for nature lovers like us, and our favourite artists work, that dress our walls. The first lot of framed pictures are of a calendar by Studio on Fire (an amazing letterpress printer in America). They produced this charming 2010 calendar, which once finished with, I had to frame every month of because it was just too beautiful to hide away. The calendar featured the work of 6 artists from around the world, such as Cecilie Ellefsen and Rilla Alexander. Finally, the last picture is a gorgeous letterpress print from Rilla Alexander, who created the beautiful character, Sozi, who I really relate to, and I think a lot of creatives could. She reminds me each and every day how important my imagination is, and how I should always look there first when chasing an idea.

I hope that you have enjoyed the journey around our studio, and that it has offered some inspiration to you, in whatever form that may be.

4 comments:

  1. What a great insight into Leaff Design's world and what makes you tick!

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  2. Thank you Kim, I really appreciate your feedback on this post - and I am so pleased you enjoyed it!

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  3. wow, now that all looks inspiring, must check out some of those books! Catherine x

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  4. Thank you Catherine! Yes, definitely, I highly recommend them! So great to have your feedback - thank you x

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