The House of Ivy Story
The Moment That Sparked House of Ivy
I checked the clock and it was just past noon, so I knew I could still make it there and back before my lunch break ended. I gave myself one more pause to be sure I was ready to pull the trigger - then I grabbed my purse, hopped in the car and drove straight to the city clerk's office to file the papers and make it official. It was a sweaty July afternoon in 2020, and the first brick was being laid for House of Ivy.
It came after 3 years of my stepdad telling me to get my DBA, so I could take my art from hobby to business. Four months after the start of the pandemic, one day before vacation, 29.5 years after I was born, 7 years into corporate life and little did I know, in that moment, it was day zero of the start of the rest of my life.
From First Pour to First Product
In all of my creative endeavors I was always one to dive in head first. I’d find a project and buy all the tools and materials just to try it once to tragically find out it wasn’t something I was interested in doing a second time. Ironically, or maybe not, my early experiments with concrete were the exact opposite. I’m not sure if the patience was part of the reason I had fallen in love with the medium, or maybe I was bound to love it regardless of how it started? We’ll never know. But one thing I’m certain of is there was magic in this new process for me. I combed the internet looking for any information on making concrete decor and I couldn’t find anything that gave me the insight I was looking for. After relentless searching I decided I’m going to treat this like an experiment. I vowed to teach myself the ropes and give myself the freedom to make mistakes and learn as I go.
I hopped in the Jeep and made my way over to the hardware store and purchased my first bag of concrete. Without measuring a thing, I mixed it up, poured the mix into a recycled yogurt container and pressed a smaller container on top to create a cavity. Doing this first pour wasn't about making something I wanted, but rather to see if I enjoyed the act of mixing and pouring. If I liked it, I’d keep learning and practicing. If I didn’t, I’ll have a half used bag of concrete in my garage for likely the next 2 years.
Once the concrete cured and I pulled the piece out of the yogurt containers, The outcome was comical. My new little creation came out looking like an artifact NASA retrieved on their last mission. The sides of the piece were littered with holes like craters, the top rim was jagged like moon rock and the piece couldn’t have been uglier. But yet here I am, staring at it in complete awe, in love with the possibilities and ready to make more.
Over the coming months I gave myself the freedom to make mistakes for the sake of learning. I taught myself how to properly pour a piece, then perfected adding color, and lastly how to sand and seal. I allowed myself the time and energy to screw things up and experiment, and I think the drawn out experience of getting to work with concrete with zero expectations, made me fall in love.
What House of Ivy is About
House of Ivy is a cumulation of all the things that hold meaning to me. I didn’t start House of Ivy as a way to bring awareness to these core topics that mean so much to me but over time and through honing my craft, I’ve learned how I can create my art while at the same time respecting and embracing all of these core pillars in my life. In other words, my design philosophy.
Sustainability
Without concern for sustainability there will eventually be nothing. Whenever I leave a place, whether it be a room or my lifetime as a whole, I want to leave every place better than I found it. I think in everything we do, we should make choices we’re proud to leave the next generation with the repercussions of. So it’s my mission at House of Ivy to bring high-end decor to you, that means something and lasts the long haul, while leaving as little a footprint as possible.
Small-batch craftsmanship
While small-batch craftsmanship isn’t realistic in everything, it’s a lot easier to obtain than we think. Living in a culture of consumerism makes us feel like we never have (or never are) enough. I intentionally want to create pieces that remind us that not only is it ok to have less, but idyllic. Have only as little or much of what genuinely brings you joy, the things that you can’t stop thinking about and can’t wait to show someone when they enter your space. We need more special things to remind us that we are one of one.
Function + beauty philosophy
For me, decor that is both functional and beautiful ties seamlessly into sustainability and intentionality. Selecting pieces that fit your aesthetic and work in your daily life ensures that you’re picking things for you, not the things that are being marketed at you. It keeps you on track for having the pieces that you need, as many or little as that requires, nothing else. Not a life of excess and overwhelm, but a life that is perfectly for you. So you can focus on all and only the things that make you happiest.
What Makes House of Ivy Different From Mass-Market Decor
Handmade vs factory
When was the last time you were impressed with the beauty that a machine can make? Not to say the outcomes of mass-produced decor can’t be pretty, but there’s no magic in the expected. I love handmade because it has a way of bringing out uniqueness in every piece and telling a story. I want to be part of the world that focuses on the magic and abilities of human hands, that even when the same shape is being produced, each one is just a little different. It’s special just as you and I are.
Design-led vs trend-chasing
There’s something exponentially more special about walking into a room knowing it screams a distinct personality. That feeling of instantly knowing who lives there just by the way it’s dressed, while it might not be your particular style, but it’s magic. Seeing the colors, textures and vibe of a person come to life in design form. That kind of styling, leading with design rather than trends, creates unique spaces that truly make a place feel like home. It accomplishes the goal of the room while showing off your style. That’s what I want to make and see more of in the world!
Imperfection as character
I can understand why you’d want perfection from a machine-made piece, because it’s literally capable of anything. Being able to do anything and create a truly flawless outcome is to be expected with mass-produced. But when things are made by hand, the magic is in the imperfections and quirks. To know that you have something one of one is a lucky thing.
Building a Studio and Community
An unanticipated and life-changing perk of starting House of Ivy has been the entrepreneurial connections I’ve made and the network of badass females (and men!) that I’ve come to call some of my dearest friends. While House of Ivy started as a means to make my art in an official capacity, it has grown into something deeper and more special than I even knew was possible.
At my in-person markets, through my online sales and emails, at networking events and through connecting with other businesses across the country, House of Ivy has become a sanctuary for me. A way to share my art with the world on the surface but beneath that, it’s given me purpose. It’s pushed me to work harder than I ever have both in hours and effort. It’s taught me how to problem solve and define what success means to me. It’s brought me closer to the people I need and pulled me from the ones who no longer fit. It has taught me so much about myself and forced me to grow in ways I didn’t realize were an option.
Whether it’s the few minutes someone spends in my booth at market or having coffee with someone who is now a dear friend, my goal is always this - to provide an experience that leaves my friends and visitors feeling the same way about and around House of Ivy, as I do. Loved, special, unique and ready to come back again soon.
Where House of Ivy Is Going Next
In a moment of being completely vulnerability, I will tell you that one of my greatest fears in life is to look back at the end of my days and see that it was bland. I want to look back on a lifetime, however long or short, and see that I lived a full life of learning, experiences, with lots of different people and unique travels. While House of Ivy keeps me on my toes personally, I want to bring that enthusiasm and quest for constant freshness to my offerings and followers by always keeping things new and alive.
I have big dreams for House of Ivy which include creating more artful one-of-a-kind concrete pieces and visions of more retail and wholesale launches, and doing more to create beautiful and intentional spaces. Doing more of what makes House of Ivy, what it is.
Explore the Core Collection
It means the world that you’re here, reading this which I put my heart and deepest gratitude into. Thank you for loving my art, for every kind word you’ve shared and any time you’ve told someone about House of Ivy. I hope that you continue on this journey with me and stay tuned for the magic that is to come.
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Want to add something special to your space? Take a look at my favorite pieces and find something perfect for you. Thank you for being here and stay tuned for all that is to come.