Ever since I can remember I've been designing or making things.

As a child I was always drawing, sticking, sewing and creating one way or another. I continued this trend into my teens and dabbled in a range of creative and craft activities, as well as writing.

One English degree and one Graphic Communication degree later, plus numerous other courses and evening classes (floristry, interior design, ceramics - you name it), and almost 20 years working in admin, marketing/communications and events, Platform 74 was born in 2015. Originally a graphic design business, I spent lockdown re-imagining it, doing an online furniture painting course with the amazing Nicky from Done Up North, plus some online coaching sessions with the equally brilliant Alex Mathers. The result is the all new Platform 74 emporium!

Original design is at the heart of every Platform 74 product. I design everything myself, from the stencils I use on tables, to wallpaper that I decoupage onto furniture or fabric that might end up on a footstool. My designs are inspired by my friends and family, my Irish and Scottish heritage, nostalgia (particularly for the 70s and 80s when I was growing up), and anything else that makes me smile.

Platform 74 also has a strong sustainability ethos. All my cards and prints are printed by the fantastic Print.Work in Leeds who specialise in sustainable printing and I take care to only use UK suppliers with ethical supply chains for other items. I use plastic-free packaging wherever possible.

Ultimately, if the eventual owners of my items get even a fraction of the joy as I do from designing and creating them, my job is done.