A young Rutherglen silversmith is quickly making a name for herself – by creating jewellery in her garden shed.
Olivia Taylor, 22, took advantage of the coronavirus lockdown to focus entirely on her part-time jewellery business.
And in the space of a few months, the Glasgow School of Art graduate’s company has grown to become her full-time career.
Olivia told the Reformer: “I used to work from a studio in Glasgow, but when that shut through lockdown, I needed a new workshop.
“I converted my garden shed and it’s ended up absolutely perfect. I was able to devote all my time to the business and it has gone from there.”
To avoid falling into a routine of lockdown laziness, Olivia tasked herself to come up with a new design every day, resulting in a couple of sketchbooks filled with ideas.
She continued: “I knew I needed to do something creative, something that would get me into a routine with work.
“So what was a silly exercise to start with, just something fun, ended up being really helpful, and I really felt my confidence grow as I went along.”
The result is a collection of stylish necklaces and earrings for all ages, at a range of prices to suit everyone.
Olivia has named the latest collection of her work Ondulée, after the French word for corrugated, and she feels her designs have come on in leaps and bounds.
“The pieces really stand out more because of that corrugated design and it has been really satisfying creatively, with the latest pieces inspired by Japanese architecture, which is something I really like,” she explained.
“I wanted a range of ideas there to suit different people – even my gran has been wearing some!
“I actually feel like I’m creating something good and the feedback has been really positive. I’ve even had returning customers from last year, when I was still part-time, and it is feeling like a real business now.”
Olivia also aims to be environmentally friendly with her work, as she recycles every piece of offcut into more items, ensuring there is little waste.
Working from her garden does leave Olivia facing a problem as the temperature begins to drop.
She added: “The shed can be a little cold at times, so I’ve bought some polo necks to wear during the winter.”
Visit www.oliviataylordesign.com/ for more information on Olivia’s work and designs.
