You know I love husband and wife teams. Right? I do, I really do!
So, today I am bringing that love to you with a studio tour from an adorable duo: It’s Green Couch Design, a self-employed husband a wife team, Cale and Meg, working in a combination of product sales, graphic design, and landscape design and garden consulting services.
You may know GCD best through their Etsy shop, which carries screen-printed kitchen accessories, jewelry, and home decor. And so do I. But I’ve learned so much more about these two since our mini interview (and after browsing through the Green Couch Design website). Like the story of where their unique name came from…
“Everything began to take shape early one Saturday morning over cups of British breakfast tea, while sprawling on a green couch. We had a dream to raise a family, build a business, and take over the world without compromising our beliefs, our time, or our quality in any of those areas. The couch became the launching pad of our little company. The place our dreams came together.“
What a great story. And speaking of stories, let’s jump into the interview…
-In three sentences or less, how would you describe your work?
Our design style is contemporary. We love the challenge of updating the form and function of old, everyday items. From hand poured and acid dipped concrete jewelry, hand stamped tea towels and modern day, screen-printed mixer covers Green Couch Design is an interdisciplinary design firm and experimental design laboratory.
-Love your screen-printed mixer covers especially. And it’s so great to finally see where they are all made. So, where is your studio located?
We live in a very small farm community, about 30 minutes from Oklahoma City. Located in a family owned 1910 Farm House, our home-office is a bedroom, turned laundry room/design studio.
It was important to us to create a functional space out of materials we already had. Our desk is made from solid pine beams rescued from an old barn on our land , shelves made out of wooden wine crates and spare metal flashing for our magnetic inspiration board.
“It was important to us to create a functional space out of materials we already had.”
-Since you work out of your home, you two have the luxury of being able to pick and choose your hours to a certain degree. What have you found to be the best time of day (or night) to get work done?
Typically mid-mornings but we strive for a blending of life and work so that creativity is something we are and not something we do. We would rather work into the night than miss the random lunches with Grandma and Grandpa, opportunities to tend the plants, or take our dog, Josie, for a walk.
“We would rather work into the night than miss the random lunches with Grandma and Grandpa…”
-Your dog is adorable. Now, I love asking this next question because all of us define success in different ways. So, I am curious”¦ What has been your most exciting / noteworthy event or happening with GCD recently that you interpret as a success?
To us success equates to lifestyle. We have a lifestyle we want to achieve and then maintain. Steps taken toward that are “˜successes for us. Most recently we accomplished the transition into three new shops, Birdie and Stash in Norman, OK and The Onion Tree in Wichita Kansas. This is a success more because of the growth of our community than the “˜future sales. We are in this to develop or enter into (if it already exists) a community of creatives, and free thinkers. That love what they do, and do what they love.
-Three new shops, huh? That’s wonderful. So what’s the secret? What advice do you have for other artists who may be just starting out, or are struggling to be seen?
Find your heart, and speak it. The world will tell you all these 5, 6, and 7 step processes for “˜getting the word out but in reality people want to know you. Your customers seek you out because they connect to you, to who you are, what you do, and how you share it with the world. So finding your voice is often about looking inside and not being afraid of what you believe. You may run some people off, but you will gain many more with your honesty. Also find a friend, a fellow creative to keep you balanced and to share the hard days with.
“Find your heart, and speak it. The world will tell you all these 5, 6, and 7 step processes for “˜getting the word out but in reality people want to know you.”
15% Discount at Green Couch Design right now: 15% off everything in the Green Couch shop for the entire month of April, in celebration of the updated kitchen line launch! Just use the promo code KITCHEN2011 when you check out. Enjoy!
Big thank you to Meg and Cale for the tour of their studio and for answering my questions. Please visit Green Couch Design on Etsy now to take advantage of this special discount. And for more information about GCD, visit their website, also named Green Couch Design.
12 comments | Click here to reply
I love the crates as shelves. 🙂
Becka *life as an artistpreneurOh, okay great. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
papernstitchThank you, it looks like it’s been fixed, it was in the etsy discount area. 🙂
CynthiaHi Cynthia. I just looked through the entire post and I don’t see anything that uses the plural (with an s on the end). If you see it somewhere, please let me know and I’d be happy to change it.
papernstitchThe name of the company promoted in this tour and interview is indeed named Green Couch Design. Thanks.
-Brittni
Hmm nice name! Papernstitch, could I ask a favour, since one of my clients just came across this blog post and thought it was about us- our company name is Green Couch Designs, and I saw it mentioned a couple of times as that in this post, could it be changed to be the singular name as their variation is, it’s creating a bit of confusion. 🙁
CynthiaThank you in advance!
I was attracted straight away to the main image of the cluttery purposeful look and knew I must stick my nose in! I love to see how other people work at home and have got themselves set up! Great to see you have time to take in family and pets. These are 2 plusses for me too as I have a “studio” at home. Thank you for walking us through. Very warm and enjoyable ! Alison
Alison FennellThis space is really great. I love seeing a functional and well used work space. I find that there is so much focus on perfect minimalist spaces, that are beautiful, but just not practical. Thanks for sharing this!
Gaelan @ Uschi and KayOh, I love their barnwood coffee table!
AnneYou’re welcome Megan. Thanks again for answering my questions. Have a great day.
papernstitch-Brittni
Thank you for the feature and your kind words. We are used to giving interviews not being the interviewee! 😉
Megan LoppThanks Nadine. I absolutely agree with you. That was something that really stuck with me from the interview.
papernstitch-Brittni
What a great interview. Thanks, Brittni, for sharing. And thanks to Cale and Meg for sharing such insightful answers.
Nadine“It was important to us to create a functional space out of materials we already had.” I love this. It’s easy to covet the many shiny offices we see on design blogs, but more important to embrace what we have and use it as best we can!