Talk Shop: Ella Hall // Stitchroom
Image courtesy of Ella Hall
ABOUT ELLA
Stitchroom was born from a single sewing machine in a small apartment in New York City. Ella Hall, a Wisconsinite turned New Yorker, was spending her nights sewing products for interior designers she managed at her day job.
Hall saw first hand the difficulty interior designers experienced in getting custom products made for their clients (it can be a tricky world to navigate!) The savvy entrepreneur flagged an opportunity, and quickly leveraged the production skills she honed through her time at Parson's School of Design and years in the fashion industry to quickly transform her side hustle to a real business.
As the business began to gain traction, Ella convinced her friend Tom who was working as an engineer in Silicon Valley to join her as a co-founder. Together, they are building the needed infrastructure to modernize an industry that hasn’t changed for decades. Stitchroom’s story is one born of innovation – and we think the idea has the potential to be an industry game changer for both trade and retail alike.
Stitchroom understands that your space is your sanctuary, and every piece in it should reflect your personal taste and style. Their mission is a smart one: to make custom home furnishings & upholstery accessible to anyone. No more compromising your creativity or being forced into only retail (or begging a friend with a trade account to help you facilitate an order!) With Stitchroom, anyone can design the space of their dreams. The brand is also reimagining custom manufacturing, with a focus on ensuring ethical practices. This means: fair wages, made locally, and reducing waste. Hear, hear!
We could not have been more excited to sit down with this industry changemaker, so pour yourself a cup of coffee and dive right in.
Describe your style in three words or less:
Warm, sophisticated, playful.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
My background is in fashion design and my home style is definitely inspired by trends in street fashion. Casual with hints of bold. Repurposing and reusing also impacts my aesthetic. I am always thinking- how can I take an old piece and make it new? Finally, functionality is huge especially in NYC so any items that can serve as multi purpose tend to impact my aesthetic choices.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I have been sewing since I was 8 years old and it led me to Parson’s to study fashion design. After college, I worked briefly in the fashion industry and then moved to an interior design startup. It was at this company that I identified a major pain point in the interior design process which was getting custom products made. Small items, like pillows and other soft furnishings took weeks for some designers! I started sewing projects for a few designers as a side hustle and it quickly became something that blossomed into a full on operation. Fast forward a few years I have a staff of dedicated designers, upholsterers, and tailors who make ordering custom easier than ever before.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
My mentor is my Dad. He’s had several successful companies and although he knows nothing about the Interior Design industry, his perspective and advice has gotten me pretty far.
What does your home say about you:
My home says how important storage and functionality is, and that I definitely have a new baby :) I have custom built many pieces that look cool but have a functionality element that I couldn’t live without.
Where do you find inspiration:
Through other designers and textiles. I also look to art and fashion!
Who are your style icons:
Iris Apfel. I just think she is so unbelievably chic.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Nowadays, a nice zoom backdrop, a cocktail, and a good round of trivia. Recently, getting together and entertaining has been challenging but thanks to virtual hangouts, we’ve been able to make it work.
Do you collect anything:
I would also say I collect street furniture. I tend to find interesting pieces thrown away by others and I refinish them or reupholster. You would be surprised to know how many great pieces are laying around on the street, especially around the 1st of the month when people are moving.
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
I love @cara.co_ , @tmagazine, and @curated_spaces.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
Spacing. I always make sure there is ample space to move around. I break color rules (what colors should and shouldn’t go together) all the time.
What are you working on right now:
I’m working on a few custom banquette projects for restaurants that will be pretty exciting!
Wardrobe staples:
A nice high waisted light colored denim looser fitting with a tucked in turtleneck and sweater.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
Anything Marham! Love the bold yet sophisticated textiles.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Balance is essential, whether with colors, textures, styles or scales, it always comes back to balance. Great design never departs from a cohesive balance, which should strike a harmonic chord everytime.
Best career advice you ever received:
Don’t let your ego get in the way and commit to being a lifetime learner.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
Invest in drapery and save on kitchen and bathroom items like towels.
Your greatest extravagance:
Extra large luxurious deep lounge seating perfect for our family of 5 (2 doggies included).
Favorite places to shop for home:
Vintage at Dobbin St. Co-op and of course my company, Stitchroom.
Most prized possession and why:
A chair that I found on the sidewalk that I reupholstered in a lux bucule that I now rock my newborn in.
Your interiors motto:
Balance is key!
Your life motto:
It always works out in the end :)
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Gravitate towards objects that are visually interesting to you and that have a story that you can connect to. Your space is your sanctuary so every item should be something that you love or inspires you.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Ramen
Drink: Negroni
Film: Grand Budapest Hotel
Hotel: Madonna Inn
City: New Orleans
Bedding: Brooklinen
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Coffee + Oat Milk
Playlist: Chill vibes
Weekend Activity: Long road bike adventure
Design Book: Home, A Short History of an Idea by Witold Rybczynski