Meet Our Founder
This past week has been wild. It feels so good to finally be able to talk about and share this new venture and I’m so happy you’re here.
Since we are now a week in, I figured I’d introduce myself – hi, I’m Blair, the Founder and Creative Director of Studio Leigh. I’m a graphic designer, dancer, illustrator, art collector, flower lover, decorator, and night owl, to name a few. I have a passion for creating smart, beautiful, and fun creative work. And while I’m creative, I’m clearly not a copywriter as I write how I speak. I don’t like fluff or unnecessarily bubbly language because no one has time for that. My full bio is on our about page but I thought I’d include a few additional facts about me below.
Ten things about me:
I went to NC State University and was in the College of Design. I clearly majored in Graphic Design and actually have a Bachelor of Graphic Design. Many people with any type of design/art degree have a Bachelor of Fine Arts, so I always found this interesting that my degree is literally in Graphic Design. I feel like it’s not a common degree or common knowledge, but I could be wrong? I think it is pretty cool, or at least literal 😉.
My favorite brands are a 50/50 split between Rifle Paper Co. and Anthropologie. Rifle Paper Co. can do no wrong with all of the flowers in paper, rug, fabric, art print, really every form. I’m currently looking at their new settee and/or rug for my new office setup. Mood board coming soon. Meanwhile, Anthropologie is a go-to for clothes, accessories, and home finds. Their graphics, both digital and print, photography, and in-store experiences, are like no other.
I absolutely love to decorate. I am not an interior designer, however, I do enjoy decorating and rearranging art, plants, and furniture on a regular basis. This is also not a new hobby. I remember moving around all of my furniture by myself many times in my childhood bedroom.
Relating to the above, I love to collect art. A few of my favorite pieces are originals I’ve collected over the years from Lulie Wallace and Dorothy Shain. I enjoy creating gallery walls and styling art ledges, even though I over plan them like it is my full-time job. Currently, I have over 50 pieces of art in my house and I’m working on a gallery wall for my office, which will also be included in the mood board to come.
I grew up dancing and while it’s a little different, I am still able to dance on a weekly basis as I teach Les Mills BODYJAM, the best combination of choreography and EDM. I also struggle to listen to music and not either know a dance to the song being played (and be doing it in my head while I listen) or be making up a dance to whatever song it is. My newest favorite set of music to “dream dance” to is the Bridgerton soundtrack from season 2. So good.
Flowers are one of my favorite sources of inspiration. My favorite flowers include tulips, peonies, ranunculus, garden roses, daffodils. dahlias, anemone, poppies, coneflower, just to name a few. Don’t get me started on the few flowers I don’t like.
While I love Raleigh (this company is named after it, Ra(leigh)), and it has been home to me for about 13 years, Charleston is my favorite place to be. I love to walk around the downtown area and take pictures, yes the same pictures over the years, but I enjoy capturing different times of day, weather, flowers, etc. Cru Cafe is my favorite restaurant to visit, followed by drinks on the Vendue roof or at the Dewberry. Can’t wait to get back there.
I’m a night owl, which I both love and hate. I’ve never really been a morning person, but especially with the flexibility of working from home, and now for myself, I have been able to fully lean into the fact that I generally do my best work and am more creative at night, and enjoy sleeping in. So while many of you are sleeping, I am working, then you get up and work, and by the time I get up, I generally start the day by easing in with a little catch-up – then we repeat.
I am one of those birthday month people. I am who I am. I enjoy finding ways to celebrate things, even if silly to some, and love gifting to others. My birthday is in February and I share it with one of my best friend’s daughters whose name is also Blair. Our day is 2/23. And now next March we will celebrate the one-year anniversary of Studio Leigh, on 3/22 – see what I did there. Too soon to talk about that only a week in?! Stay on the lookout for potential birthday-themed items to shop sometime soon-ish 😬 Also, next year is 2023, so I’m pretty excited for it.
I’m a serial re-watcher of shows. It doesn’t help that during the past few years I’ve worked from home and my computer has been in my living room, so I basically have my tv on all day long to provide controlled levels of background noise, so replaying shows I’ve seen is a go-to for me. No shock to those close to me that Schitt’s Creek is my most rewatched and loved show. I also love Insecure, Entourage, Younger, The Bold Type, and the Marvel Series, to name a few.
Head to our about page to learn more and see me in mood board form 💃
