We've all played a childhood game of "I Spy" on long car trips, but usually our discoveries tended more towards the mundane - cars, trees, and the like. Lovely Lauren from iSpy has a knack for finding the hidden beauty in everything around her, and uses it to create beautiful homeware with bright, bold prints. Here's her story.

1. Hello Lauren! Tell us a little about yourself.

   Ok, so I'm a graphic designer by day, and textile designer at night and on weekends. I spent 10 years living and working in Pretoria and Jo'burg as a graphic designer before we moved to Knysna in 2010. Taking a break to have babies and adjust to small town life resulted in an unintentional shift towards experimenting with textile design, just for kicks. At this stage in my life, I seem to be wearing many hats – wife, mom of two preschoolers, domestic manager, graphic designer, textile designer and a member of a really collective called Hands Design Collective – a good story for another day!

2. I'm tired just thinking about how busy you are! At what point did you realise that iSpy had gone from being an outlet to a brand with a life of its own?

   Has iSpy become a brand of it's own? Awesome if it has! Living in teeny Knysna, it feels like I'm Facebooking, emailing and posting into oblivion ;-)

3. Haha! It absolutely has, and we're so glad. Your designs definitely aren't "teeny" though - lots of bright colours and bold prints. Where do you draw inspiration from?
   Living in Africa, you'd think my inspirations would be more Afrocentric. And once upon a time they probably were. But I now find myself gravitating towards the simplicity and boldness of Scandinavian design. I love the way their designs, from furniture to product design to textiles, are so simple and clever, but haven't lost that human touch. Personality is also such a strong component in their work, as is color – they are so good at mixing up scrumptious, unexpected color palettes. Scandi design makes me smile. It has a strong emotional pull for me.

    

4. I love that you've taken the very simple aesthetics of Scandi design but managed to make them pop. What are some more interesting facts about your designs?

   It's really important to me to have iSpy products be as handmade as possible. A lot of my formal graphic design training centered around hand rendered design and illustration, so it's always been close to my heart. I believe this adds something special and gives my products a little bit of soul. I also want to support fellow Knysnarians wherever possible. All my designs are meticulously screenprinted by hand by a small family-run studio called The Natural Hand and my products are sewn by a jolly group of township ladies called Women of Vision. The leather components of my totes are sewn by the local shoe repair guy who operates just around the corner from our shop, so my bags take their place in the queue of shoes waiting for repairs.

5. That sounds like an amazing little community you've built up. Ok, last question. It obviously has to be "I Spy, with my little eye, something beginning with..."

   ...world domination, one town at a time ;-)

We can't say we'd mind! Living in a world full of colour and pretty prints sounds awesome, to be honest. You can see more of Lauren's work in the iSpy Hello Pretty store, and get in touch on Facebook.

Charming Jessica from Hector & Bailey is much like the designs she produces - whimsical, gorgeous, and with a really interesting story behind her! We decided to find out what that story is.

1. Hello Jess! Tell us a little about yourself.

    

   Hello there. I moved to Durban from the UK two and a half years ago. It was a spontaneous decision which is totally unlike me, but love was involved, so I'll say no more... I started Hector & Bailey, my interiors company, back in London and it only seemed right to bring it to South Africa to give the company a chance here. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say.

    

2. And the UK's loss is SA's gain! How did Hector & Bailey come into being?

    

   Hector & Bailey was the outcome of a very sad situation. In 2009, amidst the depths of recession, the architectural company I worked for went under. I decided to take my chances as a freelance interior designer and go it alone. I had 10 years experience under my belt, so I thought it was worth pursuing. I'm very glad I did, I've been out of my comfort zone ever since, but that's what keeps me on my toes. So in conclusion, Hector & Bailey is my silver lining.

    

3. That must have taken guts. What inspires the H&B ethos and aesthetic?

    

   I love to seek out unwanted items and nurture them into the best they can be. Everything - like everyone - has the true potential to be utterly wondrous, and I adore being part of that process. My influences tend to lean towards colour, however I'm currently embracing my neutral side. You can't fail to be inspired by the flora and fauna that reside in this country. I am also crazy mad for cats and the odd G&T too!

    

4. We could be sisters! Cats and G&Ts are basically fuel for Team HP. Tell us a bit more about the wonderful things you make and remake?

    

   The upcycling and product ranges from Hector & Bailey began when I moved here. I had spent far too long in front of a computer and wanted to be more hands on, plus I needed a reason to work outside and soak up the beautiful African sun!  So I set to work transforming furniture from our garage. This grew to upcycled cushions and lights and then on to product design of cushions, perspex planters and coasters. I like to keep busy. :) Aside from the retail side, my day job is interior design & decor. My work has taken me to places as far as Mozambique - I love the diversity this industry has.

    

5. I believe your mom is also very talented. Did that play a part in your story, do you think?

    

   My mum is an extremely creative lady and has been a firm role model in my life. I think my emotional responses to beautiful, well made, ethical items is a trait I picked up from her. There has to be meaning behind things, whether it's the process of how it was made to the history tied up in that one item. Emotion plays a huge role in design, I wouldn't have that any other way.

    

Absolutely right - and gorgeous design is one of our favourite things (along with cats and G&Ts of course). You can see Jessica's latest treasures in the Hector & Bailey Hello Pretty store, and stay in touch on Facebook and Twitter.