Maker Monday: An Aspire Exclusive Interview With Louise Traficanti

Mixing soft and sturdy, comfort and quality, Louise Traficanti seeks the finest products for customers of Eastern Accents. The textile company has, for 30 years, manufactured upholstery, draperies, covers, and more for the audience expanding from its Chicago community. For over 20 years, Traficanti has headed the company’s design team, venturing across the globe to find the best fabrics for reproduction and creative design. Traficanti’s indelible passion for textile manufacturing and design steers her work as Creative Director at Eastern Accents and even inspires her daily life. Introducing this week’s Maker Monday, Louise Traficanti.

Lars, the exclusive Alexa Hampton line for Eastern Accents, is where classic design meets cosmopolitan flair. The collection includes duvet covers, pillow shams, and more sophisticated items one needs in their space.

Lars, the exclusive Alexa Hampton line for Eastern Accents, is where classic design meets cosmopolitan flair. The collection includes duvet covers, pillow shams, and more sophisticated items one needs in their space.

Andrew Joseph: What’s the best thing that happened to you this month?
LT: My trip to Ireland! It has been 5 years since my kids, my husband, and I have all gone there. It was fabulous, all of my Irish family was on vacation as well so we all had such a good time and made amazing memories.

AJ: What was your first job?
LT: My first job was working at Paper Source. I was working retail and started to teach classes there, then I was managing the store for a while. It was an awesome fit, paper is kind of like textiles – it has that texture, pattern, design… I’ve always loved paper stores, there’s a really good paper shop in London called Paperchase, there’s Kate’s Paperie in New York… Paper and stationery stores are totally my guilty pleasure – I cannot not go in and have a look!

AJ: What are you most proud of?
LT: Pandora’s Manor; it would probably be my legacy project. It had a beautiful facade and great bones but was a bit sad and needed a major overhaul. I feel like my job was to be the caretaker of that building, to give it a new life and identity but make it feel like it was still in harmony with when it was built in 1905. That is the project that will probably live on through the ages and that’s the one I’m most proud of.

Soft tones and light colors make up the Amberlynn set from Eastern Accents. The Holton Sky decorative fabric seen here is all American-made.

Soft tones and light colors make up the Amberlynn set from Eastern Accents. The Holton Sky decorative fabric seen here is all American-made.

AJ: What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
LT: I have an 815-day streak going on Duo Lingo learning French! Despite travel, time zones and kids, both my husband and I have kept that streak going. In a couple of years, we’re planning on just living in Paris for a month where I’d like to take some floral design courses. I also like weaving and making things to relax. It seems nuts that I’m already surrounded by textiles all day, then I go home and make more! But I think there’s a breed of people like me where I just can’t get enough of it!

AJ: Who is your dream date (alive or dead) and what would you do?
LT: I have a couple but Matthew McConaughey would definitely be my number one! We would probably go on a long road trip… in his Lincoln Navigator (laughs) and then we would just fall into a pool when we get to our fabulous destination.

Deep navy velvet pillows accompanied with a decorative gold buckle are details you can find in the Steeplechaser collection, inspired by traditional Equestrian style.

Deep navy velvet pillows accompanied with a decorative gold buckle are details you can find in the Steeplechaser collection, inspired by traditional Equestrian style.

AJ: What would your dream project or dream client be right now?
LT: After Pandora’s Manor, it would probably be another building. One of the things I’ve learned about myself via showrooms and working with Eastern Accents is that I love changing space, moving things, seeing how buildings are used and why. I would love to take on a big multi-use project with dining, entertainment, lounge, bedrooms, etc. I wouldn’t mind renovating a big hotel or just a big commercial-use space.

AJ: What’s your current TV obsession?
LT: Yellowstone is up there, I think it’s Kevin Costner’s ultimate role. I’m a huge mountain person so I love the fact that it’s set out West. I also like to watch Longmire, I think the cowboy theme is just my thing! I really love cowboy boots too, I think in my previous life I must have been on a ranch somewhere! (laughs). But yes, my escapism is for sure anything related to the mountains.


About The Maker | At Eastern Accents, we are experts in American-made hand-crafted textiles, upholstered furniture, and luxury fabrics. Founded by a husband-wife team in 1989, we remain a family business with the same dedicated focus on trend-leading design, unmatched quality, and fantastic customer service.

Based in the heart of Chicago, we are proud to have kept all of our departments (including manufacturing) under one Windy City roof. Our in-house design team lead by Louise Traficanti travels the world getting inspiration and selecting the world’s finest fabrics, translating them into unique new looks to last a lifetime. Our expert team of craftspeople make all of our products to order, giving us full control of the quality and production process. For 30 years our focus on exquisite materials and skilled artistry has earned us a reputation as an industry-leading textile manufacturer. From duvet covers and decorative pillows to draperies and upholstered furniture, we are proud to make some of the world’s finest soft furnishings.


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