Giveaway from Henry Road

Hi there friends! How's your Monday been so far, hopefully it's off to a good start but if not... I have a lovely giveaway to cheer you up! Paula from Henry Road is giving away a lovely goodie bag to one lucky winner. Up for grabs is a large multi-purpose cosmetic bag and a small bag too, plus a small bundle of fabric pieces plus a set of three tea towels. How generous is that?!

Paula is the owner and designer behind Henry Road, a Los Angeles based design studio and shop. The shop is a fun mix of home decor and gifts including lots of cushions, bags and furniture made up in Paula's gorgeous fabrics. Being a lover of bold colour and fabrics myself, Paula's designs really appeal to me! Paula actually grew up in South Africa but has settled in Los Angeles after travelling the world. Let's find out a little more about Paula...

Please describe yourself in 3 words
Creative. Friendly. Procrastinator.

City or country, where would you rather live?
I Have lived in cities for most of my life but increasingly find myself drawn to country.

Please name one of your design heroes?
Tricia Guild

How would describe your personal decor style? Does your home look anything like your shop?
My decor style is a reflection of things collected along the way with a strong dose of color and contrast in terms of eras, styles, ethnicity, and textures.  I very much view my home as my personal scrap book and travelogue with a healthy blend of editing and whimsy.  My shop is stocked with my own fabric line as well as things I like and has very much the same sensibility and style as my shop.

Image credits: Miriam Makeba, espresso, jasmine by me, Livingetc

How/why did you start your shop?
I decided to open a shop after a couple of years of selling my pillows and other stuff online and wholesale.  The primary reason was that I strongly felt that my design aesthetic and style was only partially represented by the fabric I design so I wanted to create a space that celebrated all the things I liked.  It also made business sense and very importantly for me, took me out of the isolation of working in my studio on my own all the time.

Do you have any tips for readers wanting to start their own business?
I love what I do so I would say go for it with your eyes wide open about the potential and opportunity as well as the downsides.  Nothing beats being your own boss and being able to make decisions without consulting a committee.  On the other hand, with that comes all the responsibility, very little brainstorming with other smart, creative people, and never enough money -- whenever there is a little bit extra, I add something new to the mix.  My biggest tip is that you have to have absolute blind faith that what you are doing will work and is right for you as more often than not that is the only thing that you will have.

Where do you go to feel inspired?
Everywhere and anywhere!  I can be inspired by bag someone is carrying, a flower, a photograph.

What is your favourite thing to do on a weekend?
I work on weekends so my favorite thing is the same as every day and that is walking my dog in the morning and using the time to just enjoy my surroundings.

What makes you happy?
Lots of little things: a smile and a hello, an affectionate dog, Miriam Makeba's Pata Pata, a double espresso, a sale to a customer who is excited about what they bought, the smell of Jasmine.

What is your dream holiday destination?
Anywhere where I can explore new things, see great merchandising or design, sit and do absolutely nothing, eat good food.

Can you tell us some favourite blogs or online shops/websites where you find inspiration?
I am a fan of your site as well as a whole heap of other blogs -- don't have any that I visit every day.  I tend to sit down and explore following my whims and preoccupations of the day.  Other sites I visit regularly include Livingetc and cotemaison.fr as they both have great interior design galleries. I remain a big fan and hoarder of design magazines from all over.

Thanks so much Paula, it's been great getting to know you a bit better and to get some insider tips. I definitely agree with you on Tricia Guild and the scent of jasmine, it's my absolute favourite!

Now for the GIVEAWAY, here's how to enter:
1. You need to be a follower of my blog and then need to leave a comment on this post, telling me which is your favourite item from Henry Road.
2. For extra entries, you can blog or tweet about it but please leave your link here so I know!

This giveaway is open to all readers in all countries and will end on the 5th of September. The winner will be announced on Monday 6th of September! Wishing you all luck!

P.S. You can also read the Henry Road blog to keep up with Paula and see what's inspiring her.