Designer Q&A: Sadie & Emma

To conclude our pre-holiday 2011 Designer Q&As, we have a great interview with the founders of Sadie & Emma, yup you guessed it - Sadie and Emma.

Founders: Sadie and Emma

Website: www.sadieandemma.com

Favorite thing about LA? The mountains!!!

What do you make? Hand-thrown pottery in Los Angeles

How long have you been in business? Almost 2 years

What inspired you to start your line? Hand-thrown pots are way more awesome than machine made pots and we wanted people to have access to this awesomeness. We also want to participate in creating local culture and supporting local food. Meals cooked using farmers' market ingredients deserve to be served on local pottery.

What makes your products special? Our hand-crafted local pottery is made with lots of love and care. We formulate all of our glazes to fit the clay bodies perfectly, unlike typical pottery with glazes that just float awkwardly on top. Our pots have a wonderful, supple texture and we devote much time to designing cups and bowls to have forms that feel nice in your hand. The pots have personality making them human objects for humans. Also, our studio practices are super environmentally friendly.

Have you had any (major) recognition? We were featured on LA Egoist and Re-nest blog.

Where are your products sold? Reform School in Los Angeles and soon we will be in Plum Goods of Santa Barbara

As a Small Business owner what are the challenges you face? The greatest challenge is balancing all of our other commitments and getting things done for the pottery. We also wish there was more demand for locally manufactured home goods, we are excited because this demand seems to be growing.

If you can give 1 piece of an advice to someone starting their own line what would that be? Be creative so your initial overhead is as low as possible and make beautiful useful things.

What are your plans for future? We plan to keep loving each other and spreading love for hand-thrown pottery. Eventually, we want to have a family farm where we can build and experiment with atmospheric kilns.

What are your favorite websites or blogs you go to for an inspiration? pppots.tumblr.com and re-nest.com

Designer Q&A: wolfum

Check out our second installment of the Designer Q&A segment with Annabel Inganni, the founder of wolfum - a textile line of hand made home goods.

Founder: Annabel Inganni

Website: www.wolfum.com

Favorite thing about LA?

The horticulture - I adore being outside and LA offers so many different environmental experiences. My favorite spot is my yard because my house is nested 'just so' with trees all around and not another house in site! There are birds, coyotes, butterflies and tons and tons of plants…Heaven.

What do you make?

wolfum is a home goods and children's textile line. We offer bold printed throw pillows, napkins, and furniture and have created a technique of printing directly onto hardwood and other materials, resulting in beautiful bookends, coasters and trivets.

How long have you been in business?

wolfum launched in December 2010.

Why did you start wolfum?

As a life long lover of prints and texture, I had worked in apparel design for many years but kept being drawn to the home goods industry. My husband, a furniture designer, offered the opportunity to create a wood product and once we perfected the technique, I was hooked.

What inspired you to start your own line?

I was pregnant at the time that I was designing this first line and much of it was inspired by my daughter. I wanted children's product that would work in our home - timeless, modern, elegant and colorful. I, of course< am also a huge fan of marimekko, vera neumann and vintage table linens. wolfum strives to create products that can grow with your home and family.

What's special about your goods?

wolfum is 100% made in LA. we use organic cotton and FSC certified walnut and limit our packaging all in the attempt to be eco kind. Quality manufacturing and tasteful design insure that the products will last, making durability and longevity the most eco friendly component!

Where are your products sold?

The Hammer Museum bookstore, la la ling (a boutique in Los Feliz), or directly through us at www.wolfum.com. I'm still trying to balance mommyhood and work, once I catch up we hope to have many more wholesale accounts!