Our Q&A with Moira of Badseed Studio

aftcra Featured Artisan Blog Cover - Badseed Studio Handmade Handcrafted industrial modern home decor made in the USA

Hailing from Milwaukee, we couldn’t help ourselves – we had to share a local artisan’s awesome artwork with you. Badseed Studio creates gorgeous modern and industrial home decor pieces that can be easily mixed and matched. With beautiful neutral colors and impressive attention to detail, these concrete handcrafted decorative items are the perfect amount of simplicity and intrigue.

You may be thinking “these will be a great gift for so-and-so”, but let’s face it … you’re totally going to end up keeping these Badseed Studio badass designs for yourself (and who’d blame you).

Badseed Studio on aftcra - handcrafted industrial modern home decor handmade and made in USA

 

1. Introduce yourself and the products that you make. 

My name is Moira McAdams and I’m the owner of Badseed Studio. I make concrete planters, home décor, and artwork.

I live and work in Milwaukee, my hometown. My studio has taken over my basement and garage, so I’m currently on the hunt for a more permanent workspace.

Badseed Studios Industrial Design Modern Handmade Handcrafted American Made 02

 

2. How did you get started in your line of work? 

I graduated from UW-Madison this spring. I studied landscape architecture which has bits of horticulture and botany, art and design, history, urban planning, environmental science…I loved it all! My broad interests were a good match for the city of Madison and I was able to find a variety of odd jobs and internships that included shopping for restaurants at the farmers market, botanical garden plant maintenance, farming, and beekeeping. I’m currently enjoying greenhouse work back in Milwaukee.

 

3. How long have you been doing your artwork?

I bought my first bag of cement in the spring of 2014, while I was still in school and about a year before I opened my shop. My first project was actually a tabletop for a woodworking class.

 

4. How did you come up with the name Badseed Studio?

My original business inspiration came from a frustrating search for garden decorations that weren’t angel themed or kitschy memorabilia. The idea was to create more modern outdoor décor, so I wanted an edgier name that also reflected the garden inspiration.

Badseed Studios Industrial Design Modern Handmade Handcrafted American Made 01

 

5. How do you create your work?

There’s not a lot of precedent in decorative concrete so it’s been a very experimental process. It’s definitely been a learning experience with lots of trial and error, and I’m finding new and better ways to do things all the time.

 

6. What is the inspiration for your work?

Concrete as a medium is rough and weighty, lending itself to urban influences and bulky geometry. These industrial elements are influential to me, but I’m especially inspired by the challenge of creating something delicate and beautiful that contradicts the traditional aesthetic.

 

7. What’s next for Badseed Studio?

Holiday items, and doing my first craft fairs!

 

8. As a small business owner, what is one piece of advice you would share with other small business owners?

Connect personally with your customers or potential customers. Making an impression strengthens your brand and is what sets your business apart from big box competitors.

 

9. What is a quote that you personally live by, or you have shared with others for inspiration?

‘Life serves the risk taker’

 

Badseed Studio - -Life serves the risk taker.-

 

10. Why did you choose to join aftcra, and what do you enjoy about the community?

aftcra offers a more intimate community than other platforms, and is a great way to connect with other shops as well as buyers who are truly interested in handmade American arts and crafts.

 

11. What does “handmade” and “handcrafted” mean to you?

To me, handcrafted means creating a more meaningful transaction between maker and buyer. It’s a privilege of owning a small business to be able to make a personal connection through a handmade item, and its part of what makes what I do so much fun.

 

Get regular updates from Moira and Badseed Studio! Connect with their social profiles here:

Facebook: Badseed Studio

Instagram: Badseed Studio

 

Want to get featured on aftcra’s homepage! Interested in becoming aftcra’s Featured Store of the month? Send an email to [email protected] and we will send you the requirements. All requests will be considered to become the next aftcra Featured Store.

Have you checked out aftcra yet?  Discover handmade goods from American artisans at aftcra.

 

handcrafted industrial and modern home decor by Badseed Studio on aftcra made in USA