Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Mabey
Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Mine is a story of how many experiences lead to the perfect creative endeavor. In my final year of grad school, I learned
a little graphic design and was pretty crushed because I thought it was “too late” to dig into it as I was already slated to graduate.
After graduation, I went on to a writing career at a creative company that opened my eyes to making a business out of creativity, and then ultimately came home to raise my babies. It was then that I started learning to sew (mainly self-taught from blogs) and spent a decade learning and mastering that craft.
But the frustration of not being able to find the right fabric for an important sewing project (and many years of looking at fabric design) led me to surface pattern design, where I could create anything I could dream up. Just one problem–I wasn’t an artist. I was creative, but I couldn’t translate what I wanted to create into actual artwork. But I’d taught myself to sew, and I knew I could put in the hours to become more proficient at art as well, so I did. Many, many hours. I’m persistent if nothing else. And as my art and design abilities increased, my focus shifted as well from fabric design to wallpaper and home decor design.
My husband and I have renovated 5 homes to date, and every time it has made me feel so rooted in my space to make changes that are deeply personal. The renovations made our homes FEEL like us, and that has ignited a desire to help people feel complete in their homes through their decor and styling choices. I’ve found that color and pattern are huge in helping to create a space that’s individualized and brings a sense of personality, and I love that I get to help people create their spaces in this way.
I love that all these experiences have come together to bring me to this point where I”m designing wallpapers that are licensed/sold to some really great companies and I’ve developed some home products that I sell through my website all with the goal of helping people create a home that feels personal and custom.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Learning a new industry, new skills, and building a new business are never smooth roads, especially when you’re doing them all together and piecing together an education from what you can find online and from a supportive community. There’s been a lot of experimenting, a lot of mistakes, and a lot of learning, all of which I consider a big part of the experience.
I’ve spent so much time researching and in many instances have needed to take action before I felt ready. And I’ve spent a lot of time in deep introspection distilling down what I actually want from this business. It went from thinking this might be something I love to trying to figure out how to create a business around it when I’ve never run a business before. But that’s all part of the learning and growing that makes life so rewarding.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a wallpaper designer, and I’m known for my delicate and organic floral patterns. My wallpaper patterns are detailed, full of earthy shades, and they usually usually have a streak of natural wildness to them–a stem that just won’t behave or an imperfect blossom–just like you’d find in nature.
My favorite way to make patterns is by starting with painted elements where I can get depth and details in a way that feels instinctive to me. I connect more deeply with my work when it starts with paint and I think that translates to how others feel when they see it in its finished wallpaper.
There is nothing more rewarding and humbling than when someone decides to use your artwork to literally cover their walls. Wallpaper is a big commitment to a single pattern, and you have to love it and resonate with the pattern to make that choice over all the other options out there, so I am so honored when I see people using my designs in their homes.
I think my strong connection to creating homes that feel rooted and personal sets me apart as a designer. Through all the renovations my husband and I have done, it’s helped me create a vision and a plan for a home far before I can actually see it in real life. When it comes to creating wallpaper designs, I carry that same vision from creating the artwork, choosing colors, to knowing how that pattern will feel in a space and those insights help me create patterns that homeowners then can visualize and love to have in their own homes.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can find my wallpaper designs are available in my shop (https://www.liseeree.com/shop) along with a few kitchen decor pieces, and I’d love to see if my style would work in your home.
I also love working with businesses on collaborations and buyouts of my work. I am open to licensing existing work or creating bespoke patterns exclusive to clients. The best way to collaborate with me is to reach out via email (lisa@liseeree.com) or through the Contact form on my website (https://www.liseeree.com/contact) and we can talk about your project and how we can best work together.
I’d love to help you make your house feel like an extension of your soul.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.liseeree.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liseereedesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiseeReeDesigns/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/LiseeReeDesigns/
