December 16, 2015
Year Round Co.
Maker Spotlight
We’ve been loving Year Round Co. and their constant evolution in their design. It’s one thing to be great designers, but designers that change and grow is always such an exciting thing to see! Jacqui and Scott will be bringing their printed textiles to our first ever Seattle Holiday Fair this weekend. We see a lot of these pillows going home as gifts this season.
Where did your business name come from? Is there an interesting history behind?
People are always talking about how you should have life/work balance, but we really love what we do and don’t mind that those two things very much overlap each other. Our name, Year Round Co., is the perfect reflection of this idea . We also wanted it to reflect the products we make. Yes, each is handmade, but we want it to be something a part of your everyday life.
Have you always been passionate about design?
Yes, for both of us. We’ve always been drawn to create, craft, design since we were young, I think it was in our nature even before we had words for it. There is so much pleasure in thinking of an idea in your head and watching it take shape in real life. No matter how many changes take place!
When/Why did you start working in this particular craft/field?
I learned to sew when I was in grade school by my mother and aunt and Scott learned to screen print while we were in design school. We started making and selling our work in 2008 after we both had left our design jobs. We really missed working with our hands and weren’t getting the satisfaction we wanted working for others.
What do you think sets your designs apart from others?
We source high quality organic linen and cotton fabrics and use environmentally friendly inks and cleaning products for our goods. We also don’t make very many of any single item and we always have so many ideas and get excited about what we’re creating next, that we don’t carry very many things for a long period of time. Many of our screen prints are only editions of 15!
Have you had any major failures? If so, what were some important insights gained?
Nothing too major, at least we don’t think, but it’s also how you look at it in the end too. Every failure we’ve made we’ve learned from.
Have you sacrificed anything to create your business? If so, what was it, and do you have any regrets?
Spending time with friends is always hard, but it also makes that time with them more meaningful and well spent. We don’t regret the decision we made at all. We love the life we have and waking up each day to do our thing.
What has been your proudest/favorite moment since creating your business?
We’re coming up on 8 years working for ourselves and we’re pretty proud of that! The people we’ve connected with and the things we’ve produced make us happy which is exactly what we hoped for the day we left our employers.
How does the city you live in influence your work?
Living in the Pacific NW gives us great access to the outdoors and a large supportive community of creatives. We love spending our free time outdoors re-connecting with nature and clearing our heads. This is where our best ideas come. I think the fact that we get to travel so much for the work we do (thank you Renegade!), also plays into our work too.
What valuable experience/knowledge did you have before starting your business?
We both graduated collage with graphic design degrees. We were lucky in that we went to school right at the time computer skills were gaining traction, but hands on skills were still being taught and valued. So we walked away with a ton of knowledge for both ends of the creative world; although we do like spending more time away from the computer than at it.
What made you take this leap into being your own boss?
Flexibility and a real sense of pride in the work we wanted to create and share with others.
What are some inspirations for your work?
Nature, people watching, Scandinavian design, the unexpected, various print methods, patterns & colors from other cultures, everything.
What are some tips or suggestions you’d like to offer to fellow makers?
Try new things. Don’t be afraid to fail at your ideas. Don’t limit yourself. Go through the ups and the downs. And explore.
