Created as an homage to summer and Scandinavian design, designer Amy Meier’s new line of wall and window coverings for Hartmann&Forbes blend traditional techniques with innovative ideas. Drawing inspiration from the land of the midnight sun, Scandinavian Solace incorporates the pillars of their design ethos: a love of nature, simplicity, structure and a comfortable ease of living.
Amy joins us this week to share the details of the design process.
Raymond Paul Schneider: When did you first start developing this new collection?
Amy Meier: This is my second collection with Hartmann&Forbes, and really, I started thinking about this one before the first one was out. It is more personal than the first, as I was inspired by a trip to Sweden with Leaders of Design, and really designed the line for use in my own home.
RPS: What was the overall timeline from conception to final design?
AM: Probably three years from start to finish. I like to take my time and have ideas percolate in my brain. And Hartmann&Forbes is a great partner that is open and excited about finding ways to create anything I dream up.
RPS: What was your initial inspiration, and where did the idea(s) come from?
AM: Inspired by a trip I took to Sweden, the line is an homage to summer and the pillars of Scandinavian design: love of nature, simplicity, structure, and a comfortable ease of living.
RPS: Describe your overall creative and design process.
AM: I am a dreamer and a schemer, and I never know when inspiration will strike. Hartmann&Forbes has been great in how available and collaborative they have been, fielding calls and text messages at all hours of the day, making mock-ups, and sending color options. No idea is too crazy, and they always seem to find a way to make a vision become a reality.
RPS: Did you have a specific audience or theme in mind?
AM: Yes, the intended audience was me and my family! I very much wanted to live with the designs I created.
RPS: What methods, tools, and materials did you use to develop and prototype this design?
AM: For the natural weaves, we approached the design in a traditional, hands-on way. We began with hand drawings and selected fibers and thread colors using thread books to plan the warp. All fibers are natural and hand-selected in-house to ensure quality and integrity in the final product.
RPS: Did you use any new techniques or technologies to conceptualize or create this product?
AM: I always start with drawings and/or photos of my inspiration, which help ground the visual direction of the design. For the wallcovering, after gathering inspiration and creating initial hand drawings, we used CAD drawings to further develop and communicate the design intent. CAD allowed us to refine the layout and ensure the scale was accurate by incorporating precise dimensions that I could fine-tune to create the right feeling.
RPS: Were there any challenges that influenced or changed the final design?
AM: Yes, there always are challenges, that’s how I know I’m on to something. In this case, there were definitely challenges during the sampling process. The color kept coming back not quite right. So it took several iterations, going back and forth, dialing certain tomes up or down to get it just right.
RPS: Describe your brand’s overall DNA and ethos.
AM: As a firm, we like to say we specialize in the unique and authentic; in the handmade, the well-made, and the hard to find. Committed to supporting fine art and fine craft, Amy Meier Design collaborates with architects, artists, galleries, craftspeople, and makers from all over the world who share a devotion to service, positivity, quality, creativity, and originality.
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