Studio Emma – Colourful Concrete Homewares

Edinburgh is brimming with independent retailers who are proud to show off their artisan, handmade and often-bespoke products! This month, we’re very excited to share one brand in particular with you, Studio Emma. Emma is an extremely talented Scottish artist who creates beautiful colourful collections of contemporary concrete products including vessels, art objects, and homewares from her own studio in Edinburgh. Each piece is carefully hand cast in her studio with many pieces still moulded using found or recycled materials. Each product is completely unique in its colour, texture, and design. If you’re interested in having a look at her products, she has an online shop.

The best way to tell you more about this fabulous business is to let Emma herself take over.

1. How did Studio Emma start? Have you always known that’s what you wanted to do?

After I graduated I moved back in with my parents in my home town. It was quite a tough time as I was a bit lost, however, I think it was such a free time to experiment and create without guidelines and assessments.

I didn’t have access to all the textile equipment and materials I had at Art School which was frustrating but it led me to source other materials and make new processes because I just always have this craving to make! I found cement in my Dad’s shed and I started to experiment with it. I made different recipes and I used found objects to create forms.

After I got the hang of the material I naturally wanted to make it colourful as I have always loved to put together colour palettes. So that was the next step in the experimenting! I think there is something interesting with the contrast of concrete as a solid, industrial material and the playful colour palettes.

I had no idea this is what I wanted to do! I always knew I wanted to do something creative.

2. What was your inspiration for creating beautiful objects using concrete?

I think the lack of equipment and materials I mentioned before is what drove me to experiment with concrete, however, once I started I fell in love with the material. I think there was something nice about starting off knowing nothing about the way it worked and learning a process on my own. The process I have developed has become the centre of my work and I build products around that, it’s good to have a process which connects everything and keeps the work focused.

3. What does a typical working day look like for you?

Every day is completely different! I have different projects all the time.

I do usually create everyday, whether its wholesale orders for stockists, commissioned pieces for my customers or making new pieces for my online store. I like to try and find time to also work on new shapes and designs because I love to keep developing new products to keep things fresh and exciting.

I spend a lot of time taking photographs and packaging orders. Also E-mails and all the other admin duties which I avoid doing until last minute!

4. Where do you look for inspiration?

Colour is really such a big part of the work so colourful places are my inspiration! I love to go to towns where they all paint their houses beautiful colours. When I was in my last year of Art School I went to the South of France and just loved it – I took so many photographs of the colourful streets and lots of macro images of the textured walls, peeling to reveal layers of colours.

I try to go on trips to fuel my inspiration! Of course, I can’t fly off to Europe every weekend – I try to look closer to home. I like to wander down to Newhaven or last weekend I went to the East Neuk of Fife. I want to go to Tobermory next!

5. What are your most popular pieces at the moment?

The most popular product customers buy is the small square vessels – I do think they’re one of my favourites too. I think it is because their shape is quite industrial like adding to the contrast I mentioned earlier and also each side looked like a tiny little abstract painting.

Saying that I do think the clocks get commented on the most and it maybe is the customers’ favourite product but as they are a bit more expensive it is a bigger commitment to buy.

6. What does 2018 have in store for Studio Emma?

I have some new products which I am developing at the moment and some possible new exciting projects coming up! I think in 2018 I would like to dabble a bit more into the fine art world – I am hoping to have an exhibition sometime this year. It’s very much still at the ideas stage however it is a big goal for me this year.

The most important thing for me is that this year the love and support from my followers, customers, and collaborators continues. I find them all to be so so lovely and they make me happy!

7. We’re all about Edinburgh, so we’d love to know what your perfect Edinburgh day would entail?

Oh that’s a hard one! Would really depend on my mood. It would have to be breakfast at the RoseLeaf down at the shore and dinner at the Safari Lounge – it’s my favourite pub and the food is so tasty!

What’s great about Edinburgh is that you can just walk everywhere! So probably a big long walk around, maybe a visit to the Botanic Gardens. I would have to pop into Elk & Wolf and Lifestory to drool over all their beautifully curated items.

Competition Closed

Win a beautiful Studio Emma Clock (worth £80)!

The competition runs from noon on Monday the 22nd of January until midnight on Sunday the 29th of January 2018. The giveaway is open to everybody over 18 in the UK. We will pick the winner within 24 hours after the competition has ended and contact the lucky person through the social media platform they have used to enter the giveaway. This promotion is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

To be in with a chance to win choose from the options below:

1. Like Studio Emma & Dickins Facebook pages and share the competition post on Dickins Facebook page.

2. Follow Studio Emma & Dickins on Twitter and retweet one of the competition tweets on the Dickins Twitter account.

3. Follow Studio Emma & Dickins on Instagram and tag a friend on the competition post on the Dickins Instagram account.

Make sure you follow us on social media so you don’t miss out on our monthly giveaways!

GOOD LUCK!!