Desk: Rachel Shingleton
This week’s featured desk is that of Rachel Shingleton, a graphic designer from Oklahoma City who pursues her passion for unique stationery through her design business. Before Rachel opened up about her office, she shared about her work and trends she has noticed:
“The majority of my work these days is one-of-a-kind wedding invitations. I like to think that it’s my specialty; it’s definitely one of my passions. One of the trends that I’m seeing lately is unusual color combinations. Perhaps unusual isn’t the best word–maybe unconventional or untraditional is better. I’m glad to see brides stepping outside of the box, so to speak. Nothing is more fun for me as a designer than to have someone who is interested in different ways of looking at things. Along the same vein of color, I love to use colored envelopes, especially as unexpected inner envelopes to formal wedding invitations. It’s just another way for a bride to express her personality.”
We also love the unexpected, whether in tiny, surprising details that complete the package or in fresh and bold color combinations. When the unexpected expresses someone’s personality, we love it even more! Rachel’s office is a prime example of the unexpected popping up in tiny details. Here’s a closer look:
The Desk: Thomas O’Brien for Target. It was a gift from my husband a few years ago at Christmas. I love it. When we lived in our old 2 bedroom house, I had to move it out of the spare bedroom to make way for baby. It made a marvelous transition into our living room and doubled as an entryway console. It’s happily ensconced now in its own space in our new house.
Chair: My chair is possibly my most favorite find ever. This little French cane-back chair was sitting in a used furniture store in Norman, Oklahoma. I bargained for it and bought it for $50. It had a sad, faded velvet cushion. I fell in love with a couple of Amy Butler fabrics and had it reupholstered. The result is a quirky mishmash of styles, but I couldn’t be happier. It’s pretty comfy, too!
Paper: I have paper everywhere. It’s coming out of my ears. For printing, I use a Neenah linen cardstock. For sketching, notetaking,etc., it’s a Moleskine. For envelopes, my favorites are from Waste Not Paper. They have a gorgeous selection of colors and styles, and the quality is unbeatable.
Calendar: Kate Spade spiral-bound calendar. This is the fourth calendar of Kate’s that I’ve used, and I love them more and more every year. I was initially attracted to the fun imagery, but I’ve stuck with it because they are so well-designed. There’s plenty of room for writing and drawing. I keep them all; I think of them as a kind of diary, in a way. Lately I’ve been using my iPhone’s calendar, but you know, I just can’t get past the tactile-ness of pen and paper. I simply must write things down!
Clock: Once again, the iPhone!
Charging: Always charging my iPhone and my Canon G9 camera
Inspiration: I am such a visual person, and I love to be surrounded by pretty things and pretty pictures. I keep a couple of cork boards in my office where I pin up anything that I find inspirational. Fashion, art, textiles, and travel–they’re all important in my work. Finally, I love Flickr because it’s so easy to find inspiration at the drop of a hat; I have pages of Flickr ‘faves’.
‘Thank You’: Kate Spade makes some gorgeous paper.
Flat note or folded: Flat, all the way. I think they’re so chic and you just don’t receive a flat card all that often.
Organization: I love being organized. I do believe it’s easier for me to organize other people than it is for me to organize myself. I pride myself on keeping really organized files, especially on my computer. I would love to have a slew of Russell & Hazel binders in every color in my office–that’s my organizational fantasy!
Handwritten or emailed: I’d like to say handwritten, but in the end, I’m much better at emailing. The trick for me is to have all of my handwritten supplies at the ready so I have no excuse; stamps are just a pain to go buy. Or maybe it’s just that I don’t like waiting in line at the post office.
Book: There’s never just one book. Every book I own is like an old friend rediscovered, and it’s always easy to just pick up where we left off.
Color: Yellow for wearing. Blue in any shade for decorating.
Magazine: Lately I am very inspired by House Beautiful. Their photographs are simply amazing. Martha Stewart is always a winner; I can always get lost in her Weddings magazine. I was very sad at the demise of Blueprint.
Stationery: Oh man. Where to start? Vera Wang, Kate Spade, Iomoi, Hello Lucky, Snow & Graham… I could go on and on.
Planning: A trip to San Francisco in October (can’t wait to take some amazing photos)…
Business: I’m feeling so creative these days, and I want to attract fellow creative people to work with: brides who are interested in unusual, outside-the-box invitations, hostesses who are interested in throwing fantastic parties, new parents who want quirky, whimsical baby announcements.
Chair: My chair is possibly my most favorite find ever. This little French cane-back chair was sitting in a used furniture store in Norman, Oklahoma. I bargained for it and bought it for $50. It had a sad, faded velvet cushion. I fell in love with a couple of Amy Butler fabrics and had it reupholstered. The result is a quirky mishmash of styles, but I couldn’t be happier. It’s pretty comfy, too!
Paper: I have paper everywhere. It’s coming out of my ears. For printing, I use a Neenah linen cardstock. For sketching, notetaking,etc., it’s a Moleskine. For envelopes, my favorites are from Waste Not Paper. They have a gorgeous selection of colors and styles, and the quality is unbeatable.
Calendar: Kate Spade spiral-bound calendar. This is the fourth calendar of Kate’s that I’ve used, and I love them more and more every year. I was initially attracted to the fun imagery, but I’ve stuck with it because they are so well-designed. There’s plenty of room for writing and drawing. I keep them all; I think of them as a kind of diary, in a way. Lately I’ve been using my iPhone’s calendar, but you know, I just can’t get past the tactile-ness of pen and paper. I simply must write things down!
Clock: Once again, the iPhone!
Charging: Always charging my iPhone and my Canon G9 camera
Inspiration: I am such a visual person, and I love to be surrounded by pretty things and pretty pictures. I keep a couple of cork boards in my office where I pin up anything that I find inspirational. Fashion, art, textiles, and travel–they’re all important in my work. Finally, I love Flickr because it’s so easy to find inspiration at the drop of a hat; I have pages of Flickr ‘faves’.
‘Thank You’: Kate Spade makes some gorgeous paper.
Flat note or folded: Flat, all the way. I think they’re so chic and you just don’t receive a flat card all that often.
Organization: I love being organized. I do believe it’s easier for me to organize other people than it is for me to organize myself. I pride myself on keeping really organized files, especially on my computer. I would love to have a slew of Russell & Hazel binders in every color in my office–that’s my organizational fantasy!
Handwritten or emailed: I’d like to say handwritten, but in the end, I’m much better at emailing. The trick for me is to have all of my handwritten supplies at the ready so I have no excuse; stamps are just a pain to go buy. Or maybe it’s just that I don’t like waiting in line at the post office.
Book: There’s never just one book. Every book I own is like an old friend rediscovered, and it’s always easy to just pick up where we left off.
Color: Yellow for wearing. Blue in any shade for decorating.
Magazine: Lately I am very inspired by House Beautiful. Their photographs are simply amazing. Martha Stewart is always a winner; I can always get lost in her Weddings magazine. I was very sad at the demise of Blueprint.
Stationery: Oh man. Where to start? Vera Wang, Kate Spade, Iomoi, Hello Lucky, Snow & Graham… I could go on and on.
Planning: A trip to San Francisco in October (can’t wait to take some amazing photos)…
Business: I’m feeling so creative these days, and I want to attract fellow creative people to work with: brides who are interested in unusual, outside-the-box invitations, hostesses who are interested in throwing fantastic parties, new parents who want quirky, whimsical baby announcements.
Thank you, Rachel, for sharing your desk and thoughts with us… we adore your chair, too!
