Q+A: Thomas Paul

One of the perks of writing for Domestic Modern is that I got to interview Thomas Paul, one of my favorite designers. Aside from his rugs which are sold at Domestic Modern, Thomas Paul also has pillows, stationary, lighting, and melamine plates, all of which are adorned with his ingenious prints. Check out the Thomas Paul interview below.

Many designers are going the mass market route and creating designs for stores such as Kohls and Target. How do you feel about the concept of "Design for All?"
I think that it is great, my only concern is that sometimes the actual products don't always live up to the great marketing that goes into these programs. I mean this in terms of quality.

Right now, your pieces are sold online and at various boutiques...are there any plans for a Thomas Paul Boutique in the future and if so, where? Boston perhaps!?
There is definitely talk of opening our own retail store, we have a full range of products at the moment, so it would be great to have a physical space to showcase everything together. We are also launching a fabric line with Duralee fabrics, so now there is even the possibility of showing upholstered furniture in a boutique. But the first store would have to be in New York, as it is my hometown.

Your bold pillows and vintage modern melamine collection are great accents for the home. Will you go bigger and take a stab at a furniture line?
Well, finally having a fabrics collection that can be used for furniture is a first step. All of our pillow fabrics are hand screened exactly to the size of the pillow, and the fabrics tend to be a bit delicate, so none of my textiles were ever really appropriate to upholster furniture in. It would be great to think about other pieces beyond upholstered items, or to find a way to apply patterns and color to case goods and tables.

What's your favorite thing in your house?
Probably my stereo-I can not live without music on constantly.

What can we expect from your upcoming collections?
The aforementioned insects in pillows [mentioned on the Domestic Modern blog], more birds, and sea creatures-I am still obsessed with animalas and nature, but it is all taking a turn to a little different style, more hand drawn and antique looking and less bright, clean, and poppy as the designs have been for the past few years.

You can read the rest of the Thomas Paul interview at the Domestic Modern Blog. Stay tuned to Domestic for his future designs as well.