Living in the UK and owning my own property meant that I was among the thousands of keen home-DIY-ers who would spend weekends roaming the aisles of B&Q, Wickes or Homebase. A home exhibition such as Hem & Villa would set my heart racing with excitement of possibly finding a new product or fancy addition to my blooming home.
Now I live in Stockholm, I do not own my own home, and I would not have the foggiest clue where to start with DIY even if I did. So it was with curbed enthusiasm that I attended the first day of Hem & Villa at Stockholmsmässan. I was more excited about the Bak & Chokladfestivalen part of the exhibition to be honest. It is often on these such outings, and with such lack of expectation, that I am most pleasantly surprised, and so was the case today.
Mellow Design by Jessica Widov
Among the many many stalls of roofing, doors, windows, spas and decorating companies, I found Jessica and Mellow Design. Jessica produces beautiful and positive messages, quotes and recipes printed on wooden signs and canvases. Such positive affirmations are popular all over social media these days, but it was so heart warming to see them all on display and it brought a real smile to my face. As I read through them I instantly knew which person in my life I would give each message to.
Jessica moved away from Sweden in 1999 for love, travel and work. Her travels took her to Antigua, West Indies and Montreal, Canada. During her travels in the USA she noticed many wooden signs at local retailers and thought, “this must soon come to Sweden”. So 4 years ago she started to create her own designs.
“I wanted to do it in a Nordic design clean and simple.”
In 2011 Jessica finally started her own business, Mellow Designs. All her works are produced locally using only local materials. Each step of the process is carried out by local entrepreneurs in Smaland. A conscious decision for Jessica, to support her local community and give authenticity to her pieces.
Mellow Designs is growing, with the majority of sales going to 70 retailers across Europe, mainly in Scandinavian. She enjoys the fulfillment that her new business gives her. The joy of going from idea to achievement, and the feeling of success that people love and buy her signs.
My favorite sign is “In the end you only regret the chances you didn’t take” as this is the best chance I ever took”
I really hope that one day I have the inspiration and courage to start my own business and enjoy such a creative lifestyle. Perhaps I need an inspirational quote to help me along the way… 😉
Competition – your chance to win a positive message from Mellow Design!
It’s simple and fun! Attend the Hem & Villa exhibition this Friday, Saturday or Sunday; find Jessica at her Mellow Design stall; take an Instagram photo of yourself with Jessica; post the photo on Instagram using #mellowdesignse and #yourlivingcity
We will choose a winner from all entries on Monday. You can choose any product from the Mellow Design webshop and Jessica will send it to you.
I hope you enjoy the Hem & Villa and the Chokladfestivalen exhibition as much as I did. You can check out what else we saw via our Instagram account. Who knows what you may find, or who you may meet! 😉
