Based in San Luis Obispo, California, Wilde House Paper is a stationery and lifestyle company with a purpose.
From original art printed on 100% recycled luxe stock to journals made of 100% recycled paper, Wilde House Paper offers a range of products that all have sustainability in mind.
Neha Khoral of Setting Mind interviews Megan Heddinger, co-founder and creative director of Wilde House Paper.
Khoral: What led up to the idea of Wilde House Paper?
Heddinger: I went to school for graphic design and was always passionate about merging lifestyle design with fashion. Having started my design career in the fashion industry, I always wanted to have my own designs come to life in a tangible form, rather than just on screen. Paper was a medium that I was constantly using in my everyday life – to write notes, sketch new concepts and record ideas. I started to realize how meaningful paper moments were in our lives and that I could use design to make those moments more impactful.
Intention has always been at the forefront of my design process and this helped me form a paper goods line that was centred around concepts that truly inspire you to live your best life – sustainability being a key pillar in this process.
How did you and co-founder Connor Drechsler meet?
We met during college through both playing college soccer. We feel so fortunate to have met during this time in our lives as we share so many mutual friendships and memories that are really special to us.
How much of an impact do you believe Wilde House Paper and other sustainable home goods companies are making? How do you measure your impact?
The fact that there are so many brands that integrate sustainability and eco-friendly practices as a founding value is so powerful in itself. I love that we live in a time that conscious consumption and supporting a brand based on its value system is a priority. It’s no longer a trend, it’s making real change. That change is as simple as a mindset shift and that’s really exciting.
Transparency is key and it is one of the most important values as a brand – in our consumption and in our everyday interactions. From our 100% recycled paper stocks to our decisions to be made 100% in the U.S., to our commitment to planting one tree with every order, sustainability is a lifestyle decision for us.
Through our partner, One Tree Planted, a nonprofit organization with a focus on global reforestation, we have committed to planting one tree for every order placed. We’ve also partnered with Pachama, to join in on their mission of restoring nature to solve climate change. These partnerships allow us to put resources back into our Earth that we use to make our goods. These are a few of the ways that we are able to accurately measure our impact, but there is always work to be done.
Sustainability also means innovation. How are you looking to increase your sustainability efforts?
Sustainability and how we can be making strides in our effort is a constant conversation in our studio. We are really proud of our goods line in that we have gotten to a place where all of our paper stocks are sustainable and every piece is 100% made in the U.S.
Our next evolution as a sustainable brand is really dialling into our packaging solutions to make those as sustainable as possible. We have already made impactful changes by using compostable, dissolvable and recycled solutions where possible.
Other than choices within our goods line, we feel that a big impact can be made by being transparent with our community and using our design skills to educate them in a targeted way about sustainable practices that we all can easily integrate into our daily rituals.
One of the most powerful elements of WH as a brand is our Wilde Women community. We have such an engaged and intentional community that supports us and each other – there is true power in community and us all making those small changes that make a big impact.
Where do you find inspiration for all of the original designs that you use for your prints? Who makes them?
Having lived in California for most of my life, I am definitely heavily influenced by the forms and palettes of nature that surround us. We are based in a small town on the Central Coast of California where the beach, forest + wine country are all a 5-10 minute drive. This mix of foliage, terrain and moods really evoke inspiration within me. Our palette within Wilde House is very natural with pops of muted pastels which really mimics our surroundings.
All of our art prints are original creations that I develop + design here in our studio. We have a wide range of printing partners with all different types of skillsets all based in California that actually produce the prints.
What new products can people look forward to?
Our newest collection launched just a month or so ago, so we are still riding the wave from those designs. Moving forward, we recently launched a limited edition art print as part of a new donation-based program that we just introduced called Art Affection.
Through our Art Affection Program, we donate 100% of the profits from a limited edition art print to a mission-driven nonprofit organization that aligns with our community values at large. For the remainder of 2020, we have partnered with Feeding America to help solve hunger in America.
We will have some other collaborations and limited drops sprinkled in with our next collection launching in early-February 2021.
To learn more about Wilde House Paper, visit their website.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
All images in this article are courtesy of Wilde House Paper.
