Checking in with...Cotton Idea Studio:

Wedding proposals are in the air, so the Daily Pilot visited a stationery designer who’s the darling of local trendsetters. Cotton Idea Studio is celebrating its first year in its new Newport digs.

The chic boutique’s founder, Mindy Gayer, tells readers what’s in vogue in the world of correspondence.

How has the new year been treating you and Cotton?

With 2009 behind us, we are looking forward to a happy 2010! The early part of this year will include a mini remodel of a portion of our shop, allowing us to bring in some lovely new lines ... and later this year, we hope to launch our wholesale line of letterpress goods and accouterments.

Since the move from our Laguna Beach location in January 2009, we’ve really enjoyed our new shop location in Cannery Village, and have been overwhelmed by the support from local patrons.

Quite simply, we couldn’t have made it through this past year without them!

What are the big trends in correspondence design currently?

Most noteworthy are clever color combinations; the use of more modern, simplistic typefaces; infusing correspondence pieces with bold patterns and envelope liners; and a continued love of letterpress among clients.

Letterpress is my first love, so it’s wonderful to see so many customers embracing the 15th century printing process, requesting bespoke letterpress pieces more and more. And while letterpress tends to lend itself to a higher price point, our customers recognize the unsurpassed, timeless quality of the finished product, and have started requesting more in-house products ... serving as a catalyst in the creation of our Cotton Idea Studio wholesale line, due to debut later this year.

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

A blend of refined modern and charming minimalism, tied together with a touch of vintage nostalgia. Many of the products found in Cotton Idea Studio are clean and modern in their design, which I then merchandise alongside vintage finds from local flea markets and antique shops, including swoon-worthy milk glass pieces, vintage children’s books and old wooden crates.

This blend of old and new creates a unique visual store environment, which ultimately defines my personal design aesthetic.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I’m continually inspired by my surroundings, and see design in the small, everyday places. I have such an affinity for well-developed retail spaces, and I love to see how people design and build their workspaces; whether it’s local coffee shops, eateries, retail shops or commercial office spaces — there’s always room for clever build outs, vivid branding efforts, classic signage typography and more. Design blogs are overflowing with creative inspiration as well.

What is your advice to clients who are on a budget?

With wedding invitations, I often suggest brides prioritize the items most important to them, and then seek out clever alternatives for those pieces that are less significant. For example, a lovely letterpress invitation leaves a much stronger impression with guests (and makes for a timeless keepsake for the bride and groom), whereas place cards can be offset printed and/or handmade.

With a bit of time and research on the web, brides will be amazed at the options available to them, not only in aiding to cut costs, but to pull out the creativity in each and every one of them! D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) projects are becoming very popular, but many brides feel as though they don’t have the creative know-how to pull it off. Quite the contrary! With the right resources in place (paired with an extra set of hands from your maid of honor!), most brides can come up with clever alternatives for cutting expenses, and creating more memorable keepsakes for their wedding day goodies.

What is your most popular item?

A series of eat-shop books, which are chic travel guides featuring independently owned eateries and shops in cities all across the country. The Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York editions seem to fly off the shelves!

Cotton Idea Studio

Mindy Gayer, proprietor

409 31st St.

Newport Beach, CA 92663

(949) 673-8000

www.cottonideastudio.com

Store Hours:

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

Closed Sunday and Monday