Lorna Syson is a quirky home accessories brand which is inspired, designed and manufactured in the UK by Lorna herself. Her collections consist of lampshades, cushions, wallpapers and wallflowers all inspired by the British countryside, each with a lovely story to tell. We are huge fans of her designs, especially Songbirds and this year we were proud to have Lorna design her first iPhone background for our new lifestyle app Countdown Keeper. If you would like it for yourself, just sign up at the website here. Here is Lorna's story...
What inspired you to start
your own business?
As a new designer I sold
some of my degree work to a window display designer, this then planted the seed
that maybe I could build a living on my designs at some point in the future,
but my main aim when graduating was to get a job. I was told I didn’t have
enough experience so I decided to keep showing my design work and create my own
experience. 6 months down the line I started working with The Prince's Trust and
I can honestly say I’ve not looked back. I now have 2 employees and I love my
job.
Where do you get the
inspiration to create your gorgeous designs from?
I’m inspired by the British countryside and childhood memories of classic
British past times. Each of my designs comes with a swing ticket that tells its
story. For example the Land’s End pattern originated from a New Year’s Day walk
with my family between Land’s End and Sennen Cove, with seabirds wheeling
overhead and the sea far below glittering in the winter sunshine, it was the
perfect evocation of wild Cornwall.
Looking down from the cliff at the foaming
white waves breaking on the dark rocks conjured this image in my mind. Later,
walking down into Sennen Cove we came across the old winding house. The thought
of generations of lifeboatmen pulling out in open rowboats into a raging sea
under darkening skies led me to create this pattern.
What does a typical day at Lorna
Syson HQ look like?
It really depends on what
day of the week it is. My favourite day is Wednesday when both Gemma and Tiz
are in and sometimes an intern too. We start the day with a morning meeting and
update each other with what we have achieved from the past week and what we are
planning to do. Then the orders from the night before are checked and
documented, emails are answered and then we get on with the jobs in hand. At
the moment I am reworking the lampshade and wallpaper production which involves
factory meetings and sampling. We also have Jenkins my dog in the studio so I
get to have a break at lunch time giving him some fresh air. I always try to
leave the studio before 7pm.
What has been your biggest
challenge to date and how did you overcome it?
I would say keeping
constantly motivated can be quite hard, especially when things don’t seem to be
going your way. What really helps me is the community I have at my studios in
Cockpit Arts, Deptford. There are makers here who have been in the business ranging
from six months to over twenty years and it means there is always someone to
talk to who has been in a similar predicament to you before. Peer to Peer
advice and mentoring has helped me so much since I moved into Cockpits.
If you weren't spreading
happiness with songbirds and wallflowers, what would you be doing?
I love taking days off at
weekends to head into the countryside or the beach with my fiancé Neil and
Jenkins. It’s during these times I find I get most of my inspiration. When you
run your own business there isn’t really an 'off' button. I always have to make
sure that my phone is to hand so I can photograph an amazing landscape or the
deep blues found in late afternoon skies.
And finally, what's the best
piece of business advice you've ever been given?
The best piece of business
advice was from my Prince's Trust mentor, Peter Dickson, he said "Whatever
decision you make is the right decision." He said to me, "Always work on your instincts and
don’t look back. Once a decision is made, you will always work towards making
it the right one."
Quick Fire Favourites...
Way to unwind?
Spending an evening out with
friends
Fitness activity?
Miracle Fitness Bootcampwith Fernando on hilly fields
App?
Hootsuite, great for all
social media in one place
Food?
Dim Sum… especially from the
chain pingpong
Social media network?
Designer?
Golden oldie...Lucianne Day
Quote?
"Give a girl the right shoes
and she can conquer the world."
To find out more about Lorna, her collections and where she will be showcasing her designs next, head to www.lornasyson.co.uk or you can join her & the team on Facebook, Twitter and be inspired by their lovely boards on Pinterest too!
Katie x
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