If you follow along here regularly, you've seen a handful of this season's pieces already, but you probably haven't seen much of what happens before they ever make it to a photo. So today's a little different. No tips, no trends, just a peek at what Fall design season, or any season for that matter, actually looks like around here.
I wish I could tell you every piece starts with a sketch or a mood board, but honestly, it usually starts with a random element. A color, a texture, or a Grinch cookie jar that's been discounted because it's missing a lid that catches my eye — sometimes months before the season it's actually for. Today I chose to work outside of my normal space simply because I had the windows open and was enjoying a day without rain, an relegating myself to a space without sun seemed counterintuitive for creative juices.
Sharing this photo since "in-progress" rarely looks like the finished product, and often I'm not even sure how I got to the "end". But, that's the fun part of doing this - when is a design really done? When do we say, nope, we don't need another flower, no this one doesn't need a bow? Trial and error, and a lot of deep breaths, sometime dismantling and starting again.
Today didn't have a whole lot of that, and it was fun!
Mid-build examples from today
I'm not great about stopping to take photos mid-process. I tend to get in the zone and forget the camera exists until it's basically done. But catching it halfway through, you see a lot more mess than magic: stems everywhere, three different ideas half-tested, and a workspace that looks painfully messy.
And then, somehow, it comes together. Same wreath, same materials — just a lot more decision-making in between.
I don't always share this side of things, but I love this part of the process just as much as the finished pieces themselves — maybe even more. If you've got questions about how something's made, or you're just curious about the process, I'm always happy to talk shop. There's a lot more happening behind the scenes than what usually makes it into a photo.