Katherine Patton is the powerhouse behind the design studio Office of Nature. Like Katherine, we're constantly inspired by vintage type and design, and when she agreed to be a part of our 2011 Holiday collection we were certain she would come up with something out of this world. Well, we were right! Her type-tastic designs have us gushing with excitement. Now living in Toronto with her family, she works for Zync as well as maintaining a freelance design practice. Check out her shop here!
What inspired your design for the holiday collection?
I've always been inspired by historical typography. Anything from store signage, illuminated manuscripts, antique packaging, subway signs, anything really. I love how a typeface can have the power to represent an entire era or city or industry. They each have their own personality and I've always loved trying to pair them together. For the Christmas cards, I really wanted them to have that optimistic nostalgic feeling. Like if you rooted through your grandma's old photo boxes you might find one of these cards she saved.
What are you currently working on?
I'm always working on new prints for kids in my Etsy shop. Right now, I'm finishing up some alphabet prints. One is all hand-drawn, based on vintage type, and the other is sort of a super-modern geometric alphabet. I'm also a professional graphic designer so I actually spend a lot time doing less illustrative work. I love the variety of being able to rebrand a huge global company one day and then design a poster for a taco truck the next.
What influences your style the most?
I'm always looking to Mary Blair for the way she uses texture and shadow. She's amazing in so many ways. I also have a ton of typographic reference books that I'm always leafing through when I start a project, and I'm so thankful to be married to another super-talented designer who helps art direct my work when I need it. Also, Pinterest is my best friend.
What's your favorite holiday tradition?
Ever since I was a little girl I always made sugar cookies and spent hours and hours decorating them. I'd make 6 or 8 different colours of icing and every year I'd try to make the colours brighter and brighter. As food colouring technology evolved, this got easier. This Halloween....I finally made black!
Best holiday memory?
The one Christmas I spent in NY with my soon-to-be husband. We made a turkey in our tiny oven that we'd never used before and made all the fixings. We strung up some sad little lights in our empty loft and played the Charlie Brown soundtrack on repeat. My parents visited and ventured all the way out to Bushwick on the subway to have Christmas dinner with us.
To enter to win 2 boxes of limited edition Good Cheer letterpress cards designed by Office of Nature, head over to her Facebook page here where she will be hosting the giveaway!
(boxed sets include 6 cards and envelopes)
**A winner has been chosen! Thanks for participating!**