Text by Mary Forsell • Styling By Monique Keegan/Enjoy Company • Photography By Gridley & Graves

With their ahead-of-the-curve styling and inter-national client base, Amy and David Butler could live anywhere. But they built their lifestyle empire, Amy Butler Design, from scratch in Granville, Ohio. And they’re here to stay. “It’s so grounding,” Amy says. “We lived in Kansas City for a while, but came back to be with family.” For the holidays, they decorate with trimmings of their own design: fabric, pillows, papercraft, gift wrap, and other surprises.

In the spirit of the season, Amy is offering free downloadable patterns to HOME COMPANION readers on her website: amybutlerdesign.com.

(top) Perched on a hill overlooking a wild landscape, the house has generous windows ideal for bird-watching. The couple designed the media console using steel restaurant cabinets. All printed fabric throughout, Amy Butler Design.

(bottom) To create a “juicy double layer of color and pattern,” Amy stacked presents on her signature poufs. Julio the kitty guards the loot. Gift sashes can also be worn as headbands or belts. Recycled wrapping paper, Amy Butler for Glitterings Green.

They refer to it as the design lab. The 1969 post-and-beam modern that these art school sweethearts call home is the place where everything begins. “The big, open floor plan makes it easy to make up your own decorating rules,” says David. “When we lived in a Tudor Revival, we collected objects that went with the vernacular of the house, like milk glass. Now that we’re up in the trees, the house is a nature study. We collect rocks, twigs, shells, dried pods. When you look at Amy’s designs, it’s easy to see where she gets her inspiration.”
 
(center) For the holidays, Amy experiments with sash designs to accent presents and whips up fabric gift bags to surprise friends. Meanwhile, David adapts graphics from the company’s booth at trade shows to serve as dramatic backdrops—for instance, the snowy reindeer scene in the dining room that is actually printed on wood

The dining room welcomes visitors with a fabric-covered cone forest on the table. “It is such an easy, no-sew project,” Amy says. She cleverly anchors a prized vintage silver tree in a steel wastebasket. (below left) Frosted blue goblets and matching tray await guests. (below right) Reversible napkins and cummerbund napkin rings (made possible through the magic of sew-on Velcro) are adorable matchups.

Even though the company has an office in downtown Granville, Amy still prefers to work from home. After all, she’s used to long periods of solitude. “When we first moved back here in 1992 and lived in a log cabin in the woods, we had one car,” she recalls. “David would go into Columbus to get freelance graphic design work and I’d hold down the fort. At one point, I was bagging at an apple orchard during the day and painting and doing surface designs in the evening. It was a very creative time for us.”

Today, with a full staff and deadlines, life isn’t quite as free and easy—but Amy still carves out the quiet time necessary to produce an average of 40 prints twice a year.

(top) David’s 1936 Monarch Silver King bicycle comes in handy as a stocking holder. The “peace sign” is a graphic image that you can enlarge as shown or use as a greeting card. Found reindeer antlers dress up an industrial cart.

(bottom) Piled on a retro office chair in her studio, Amy’s sewing pattern and lifestyle books include In Stitches, Found Style, and Midwest Modern, which David photographed and designed. “We shot Midwest Modern through several seasons and different events. It was a true capturing of our lives,” Amy says. Gift wrap, Amy Butler for Glitterings.

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