ZE Interior Designs: Inspiration Profile

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Inspiration Profile - Alana Broadhead

Welcome to this week's Inspiration Profile and we have Alana Broadhead from Fancy - 'an online magazine devoted to the best design from New Zealand. And from around the world. But mainly from New Zealand.'
Fancy is fresh and colourful and so are all the other projects Alana has under her belt - read further to learn about Design Yeah and Foundry. Happy Friday all.

Alana Broadhead

Fancy

Name: Alana Broadhead

What do you do: By day, I’m a copywriter and brand strategist, which I’ve been at for 13 years. And also by day, and by every-other-moment-I-get, I run a NZ Design Blog called Fancy. It’s filled with graphic design, homewares and textiles, furniture and amazing interiors from NZ and around the world. I’m also beginning to work on other design projects, which is a dream come true for me.

Where do you live: I live in Mount Maunganui, where it’s summer longer than anywhere else in New Zealand. Come visit! I used to live in Auckland, and I do miss it sometimes, so as of next year, I’ll be spending a couple of days a month there.

What are you working on: I’m working on doing more and more of what I love – design and blogging – and less and less of the ‘real job’.

Right now, I am waiting for Design Yeah 2013 to come back from the printer. What’s Design Yeah? It’s a calendar that features the work of 12 of NZ’s best graphic designers and illustrators, but…and this is the best bit… it also converts into 12 limited-edition, A3 art prints! I’m also working on the re-design of Fancy (a fresh new look), and a design event which I am putting together for next year.

I’m also working on inventing a new name for blogging, because it always makes me cringe! Bloggy bloggy blogger. See? Awful word.

Prints from Foundry - all for sale.

Who/what inspires me: I’m inspired by all of the designers I post about on Fancy, and anyone who does what they love and follows their passion.

I’m also inspired by the idea of doing ‘Good Work with Good People’. To me, this means awesome design and interiors projects, with passionate and ridiculously talented, yet totally generous and down-to-earth people.

I work best: I’m at my creative best in the morning, but I’m so much more productive in the afternoon. Still trying to work on that balance thing… we all are, right?

What I do when I’m stuck for inspiration: When I’m stuck, I just need to clear. my. head. I know there are ideas in there, waiting in the wings to be called up, I just need to clear some space on the stage. Some of my favourite ways to clear my head are to re-style my own spaces at home, or to get in the car and head for the open road – windows down and music up far too loud. Anything off-computer and off-iPhone, really.

Steal this Idea Interiors from Fancy

Inspiring Interiors from Fancy.

The best advice I have been given is: "Do Your Thing" and "Have ridiculous self-belief, but be a nice person."

Blogs that I enjoy: This list is VERY very (very) long, but here are a few:
DesignLoveFest, DesignforMankind, Decor8, SwissMiss, Say Yes to Hoboken, Oh Happy Day

My favourite room at home is: My little studio. Because it is 100% my space, I can have anything I like in it, and I change it up often. Everything around me in this room inspires me. Only this morning, I picked up a huge wall banner from the printer - that I’ve designed - to put on one wall.

Alana's workspace.

What am I looking forward to: I’m alwayslooking forward to the next new awesome bit of NZ design I see, so I can share it – be it a new piece of furniture or a brand identity.

I’m also looking forward to growing Fancy beyond being just a blog. I have so many ideas for homewares and other design products, and would eventually like to realise them. I’m looking forward to the future of NZ design, and to my part in it.

Want to keep up with Fancy and all their news? Go to their website, follow them on Twitter or Facebook and check out their boards on Pinterest.