Name: Denise Sharp
Location: Portland, Oregon
Company: d. Sharp
What is your aesthetic?
My work is vintage inspired – little paper luxuries to mark an occasion. I am a collector and fascinated by old ephemera, and like a mix of vintage charm and modern polish.
How does your studio style convey your professional aesthetic?
A lot of the functional elements I use for storage or to organize are vintage finds – a tin honeycomb from a winery, an old wooden screen stand to hold ribbon, vintage film canisters and baking pans {anything tin!} to hold stuff, old medical cabinets.
Favorite part of your studio?
The heat! We built the two story studio and it’s insulated – our old house isn’t.
Where do you go for inspiration?
My drawers of ephemera and stacks of old books, fun stuff with husband and kids, Powell’s Books, the flea market, a few favorite shops, coffee {meet friends or people watch}, sketchbook. Time at the gym helps me mentally sort through and clarify things.
What tool do you use in your business that you can’t live without?
I never thought I would say this, but my computer.
Is there anything you’d upgrade to?
There are some things I would love to have in the studio, but am pretty happy with what I have.
Anything else we should know?
Having scaled back the wholesale side of the business after my second child, I would love to license a paper/gift line. Designing new pieces is the best part and I would be thrilled to have an opportunity to spend more time doing it.
[images from Where Women Create]