Flower Power
Anni Tai, one-half of the force behind Pebble Paper Design, talks modern femininity.
What is the story behind Pebble Paper Design? Shortly after completing our degrees, we both wanted to create something out of our love for stationery. We took several months to plan it out step-by-step, while our Instagram supporters rooted for us. What inspired your trademark floral and whimsical prints? In today’s world where fashion is becoming more minimalist, we hope to bring the flowery and whimsical to our customers. As we designed these floral motifs, we realised that florals do not take on a fixed structure. The intertwining of the leaves, buds, and stems all make up a beautiful mess. Tell us about the digital gouache painting method used to craft your stationary sets. It is our style. Our signature designs mimic gouache painting in a way, but done digitally with a design software, instead. It’s not only whimsical, fun, and beautiful, but also truly versatile. The only limit to these designs is the imagination. What makes a good stationery set, and why is it important? It lies in the user experience; inks that allow your writing to run smoothly across the pages, thick pages so full of quality your writing won’t feather or bleed, lightweight so you can carry them around conveniently, and beautiful covers that reside with your persona and inspire you to create more. It is a form of creative expression that people share; it is all about improving a person’s mood while they use it. How does your Oriental collection reflect the positive, warm, and sweet vibe of Pebble Paper Design? Our choices of colours, strokes of brushes, shapes of florals, were all dedicated to create a harmonious feeling. That’s why you don’t see designs with opposing colour combinations or florals that are sharp-edged. Who is the real-life Pebble Paper Design woman? She has dreams and passion, and works with astute determination to make it all come true, using notebooks and planners to develop plans—the oldfashioned way. She’s also creative, quirky, and charming. Is there a rare flower that is perfect for your next design? A black rose! It would be a fun challenge to find a way to present it. I see the future designs capturing its elegant essence but still embodying our core of sweet femininity. www.pebblepaperdesign.com