I am Molly, a designer by profession and a self taught decouper artist. After a university diploma in Fine Art & Design and a long stint in the design industry, I decided to chase my own dreams rather than somebody else’s. Out of this dream was born –Design5 Studio. Paints & design were the base but Upcycling and Decoupage became my medium of expression. It was a way to make the ordinary, extraordinary. It gave wings to my passion of design. I experimented with various materials initially like wood, glass or even fabric but settled with wood as my favorite.
NV – What is Design5 Studio about? What inspired you to begin this company?
MOLLY – Design5 Studio started out of my love for creating ‘functional’ design. I wanted to create products that reflected this thought…beautiful but useful.
I started with home décor products that were filled with joie de vivre. They were ‘eco-whimsical’ and fun! I added wooden jewelry and wooden box clutches to my collection recently. The interface of design rarely mattered. So what was graphic in its early days became substance later on.
NV – The issues and problems you faced. Your milestone journey.
MOLLY – Finding the right balance between work and family time to work while being a mother to a toddler was my biggest challenge in the early days of setting up my studio. The second thing I had to work hard upon was finding and managing the proper resources for wood, as I was only working with ‘leftover’ wood pieces.
As a women entrepreneur, I had to learn a lot of new things on my new journey – cracking numbers (xl sheets were my biggest nightmare) or speaking to so many new people (BIG introvert!!). I had to shed my inhibitions about travelling alone, working with artisans in remote areas, but most of all ‘talking’ about my work to create new business opportunities, being a very private person that was my hardest struggling point.
NV – How do you feel about your company at this point in life?
MOLLY- It’s on a roll. I love the fact that so many people recognize my work now. I have learnt so much over the past years. But I am continuously working on new materials and always on the lookout for new ideas for my work. The main idea will always be sustainability but the medium might change.
NV- Do you believe in dreams? If you had to motivate people to follow their dreams what would you tell them?
MOLLY – When Walt Disney said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing,” he must’ve been talking about entrepreneurs J I am a firm believer in dreams and following them with all you got. The best kinds of dreams are the ones that you see with your eyes open. My advice to people would be to have a strong will…and a clear plan. Once you know what you want to do, start doing a wee bit of it every day. Follow your heart, do what makes you happy…and most of all, keep at it!! Tenacity is the biggest super power you can have as an entrepreneur.
NV – What is unique about your products? And what’s the most fast moving one? a bit about the product range. – MOLLY – I design, handcraft and decoupage wooden products. Right from Wooden Box Clutches, Keepsake/Jewelry Boxes, Trays, Clocks to exclusive Wooden Jewelry.
Reviving vintage furniture using hand painted details and a bit of Decoupage is a deep passion. Bringing old, worn out furniture pieces back to life brings an enormous amount of creative satisfaction to my heart. I create a lot of customized products for my clients, as unique gifts for them and their loved ones on the occasions for birthdays & anniversaries etc. My most selling products are my keepsake/jewelry boxes and recently my wooden earrings have become my star attraction!
Vision for Design5 Studio? – My thought for this year is that 2017 will be bigger and better than 2016! J I have come beyond the initial hiccups and obstacles. This year is going to be all about travelling and working with new ideas in designs and materials. I will continue to design and create beautiful pieces.