CUSTOM: HSH Interiors x Vacilando Studios
Little Owl A Frame — photo by Stephanie Russo
When Holly Snow Hollenbeck of HSH Interiors reached out to us in February 2021 about commissioning four custom quilts for a 1962 A frame remodel in Tahoe with major inspiration taken from Nordic style, the 1960’s, and Bauhaus geometry rigor clashing with curves…well we couldn’t say YES fast enough!
After seeing their quilt inspiration and mood boards for the space, we were even more excited. The aesthetic of the space they envisioned — eclectic with emphasis on bold and organic shapes and a neutral palette with playful, bold pops of color — was very much within our wheelhouse and a total dream project. We couldn’t wait to dive in and get started.
Quilt inspiration from vintage kilim rugs to Nadine Goepfert’s art to Studio Salaris rugs to Bauhaus weavings
After a phone call to go over all the options for materials, quilting method and style, batting, finishes, and pricing, we dove into the design process.
The design process for this project ended up being a little different from our usual custom commissions. Normally when we work with private clients, we do all the design work based on their specifications. But with a fellow designer as a client, they were able to provide us with the exact designs they wanted for their space.
This is the best kind of challenge because it pushes us outside of our comfort zone and stretches our creativity. We took their designs and made a few tweaks and edits for a more straightforward quilt top construction.
Left sketches: original designs — Right sketches: edited designs
Once we finalized the designs, we started the process of choosing fabric colors. The HSH team provided us with the Pantone colors they wanted to use and we did our best to match them to the fabrics we had on hand, also pulling in some other cottons and linens that looked like a close match.
Color matching is always the trickiest part — translating color through computer screens and photographs of fabric just isn’t the same as seeing it in person. Which is why we always send fabric swatches or samples to our custom clients to ensure that the fabrics work within their chosen palette and the space itself.
We ended up using an assortment of cottons and linen cottons that we sourced and some gorgeous 100% linen fabrics that the HSH team sourced to match the Cultivar and Bed Threads sheets they’re using.
After all the design and fabric decisions were made, our team got down to production. After Laura figured out construction, fabric requirements, and wrote the pattern, Laura and Lindsay both worked together (from their respective home studios in Texas and Ohio) to piece the quilt tops together. This was some of the most complex piecing the Vacilando team has ever attempted — although the construction was tricky to figure out, it turned out exactly as we hoped. Once all four quilt tops (one king size, one queen size, and two matching twin size) were finished, they were shipped to Lindsay’s studio for pressing, basting, quilting, and binding.
We completed the quilts in early August 2021 and were absolutely thrilled with how they turned out! The dynamic design, the rich colors, the multidirectional quilting, that yummy linen — it’s still one of our favorite custom projects to date. It’s always the projects that push us outside of our regular design box that are the most memorable and inspiring.
It didn’t hurt that we had some amazing clients and design partners! Holly, Jamie, and the entire HSH Interiors team were such a joy to work with and made the entire process so smooth and pleasant.
We followed along with the rest of the renovations on Little Owl A Frame’s Instagram and watched all the finishing details of the house come together. Those baltic birch walls! That built-in couch! Aaaall that terrazzo! It really turned out to be the chicest, coziest mountain getaway.
So of course it was no surprise to us that the stunning finished A frame was recently featured in Dwell. We loved seeing the quilts styled in the spaces they were designed for and the way they bring warmth, color, and pattern to the minimalist rooms.
Are you a designer who wants to collaborate on a custom quilt for one of your projects?
Do you want to commission a custom quilt for your home?
We’d love to work with you! Click the button below to learn more about commissioning a custom quilt or send an email with your ideas to laura@vacilandostudios.com and we’ll be in touch soon.
