Alright guys, it's time for another edition of the maker version of HGTV. We're doing a studio and today we're excited to introduce you to Keira Schultz' fantastic studio. I love how she's set it up so that she can also use it for background in her photo shoots (check out her Insta to see how she sets up her photos). Check it out!
Q: Please, introduce yourself.
A: My name is Keira Schultz, and I live in Flagstaff, AZ. I am a mother, post-bach student in interior design, and small business owner. I have a degree in textiles and am currently working on a BS in interior design. With a love of textiles and design since my childhood, I was constantly trying to figure out how to incorporate my two passions.
About a year and a half ago, I began thinking about what my interior design capstone project should be. I decided to play around with hand dying small batches of linen. I loved how the dye was so unpredictable and I could manipulate the pattern and dye disbursement through various folding techniques. With each batch of linen, I could see the possibility of making pillows and other homewares to add color, texture, and pattern to a living space.
After a few months, I had accumulated quite a bit of dyed fabric and decided to make some pillows. Soon afterward, I had accumulated a lot of pillows. At the beginning of 2016, I decided to start KSDesigns LLC and see what I could make of it as a small handmade homewares business.
Rendering is something I love to do, so I keep a basket of rendering tools by my drafting table for sketching out product ideas.
Q: What sort of workspace set up do you have now and how has it evolved since you started?
A: My current set up is in my home, where I have overtaken quite a bit of space. I created a sewing station (with a great IKEA hack) that provides room for my sewing and serger machines. I was, also, able to move things around in the garage to have counter space. The counter space has allowed for a permanent dyeing station set up, with room for four batches to be going at once.
I spend a lot of time at my drafting table for KSDesigns and school. I am constantly taping and tacking up images and sayings that inspire me and make me happy
Most recently, I turned the guest room into a showroom, of sorts, where I can store all of my product and play around with booth set-ups (another evolving part of the business). My workspace has evolved quite a bit. At first, I had a small desk and some buckets in my garage when I started. I would set up and put away my sewing machine each time, which got old pretty quickly. My buckets were at the entrance to the garage and constantly in the way. It was not an ideal set up by any means.
Part of my IKEA hack was this shelving unit that I use to store wrapping/packing supplies, books, and other office/school necessities
Q: What is your favorite thing about your workspace? Your least favorite?
A: My favorite thing about my workspace is that it is in my home. Because I am a single mother and a student, it is important for me to have the freedom of working when it fits into my schedule. My least favorite thing, which is not that bad, is that my work areas are spread out. Inevitably, I leave something I need in another room.
My favorite studio addition is my sewing/serging station. It is such a time saver being able to keep my machines handy all the time. Plus the upper shelf provides additional storage for product supplies, such as zippers.
Q: What makes you feel the most productive in your space?
A: I feel most productive when I turn off all social media on my computer and have music playing.
Having a storage/booth staging area has been nice. I can get a better idea of how much product I have and can play around with different display ideas.
Q: Where can people find your work?
A: My work can be found at www.KSDesignsllc.net, at Solid Gold in Austin, and at Sunstream Goods in Ojai. I also do shows when I can, which I announce on my Instagram @ksdesignsllc. I can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ksdesignsllctextiles.
I have these vintage Cherner chairs that I used to create a seating area in the storage room. Sometimes, I like to do my daily computer work in here because it inspires me to come up with new product ideas.
