SAM SCARBOROUGH BIO
Sam Scarborough is a creative director, author, stylist and children’s decor consultant. Sam has been published in South Africa (Children’s Rooms, Struik) and in the UK (Cool Spaces for Kids, Hamlyn), and has just written her third kids interior book, Babies Rooms & Nurseries.
During her 15-year design career Sam has shaped her experience in a number of leading retail and consumer magazine environments. Sam started in magazines as art director of promotions where she gained experience in locations shoots, styling and art directing (Cosmopolitan magazine). She then moved into advertising where she worked on two major fashion brands. Through her success on these, she was head hunted by Edcon (SA’s largest retailer) as Group Creative Director, where she worked on Edgars, Sales House and Jet.
Sam returned to her love of magazines to art direct the new look, quarterly ELLE DECORATION, during which time she also ran a small ad agency consulting to companies requiring integrated marketing, design and retail solutions. Her principle clients were Loads of Living and Decorex. In a freelance capacity, Sam has also been involved in the launch issues of a number of magazines, which have required a new design and visual identity.
Sam also runs www.kidsdecor.co.za, specializing in product design of creative play spaces and play ideas for children. She is also a decor consultant, focussing on children’s rooms. Under the kids decor umbrella, she has recently launched Kids Market Days, an event encouraging children to become little entrepreneurs by being creative and selling their hand crafted ‘wares’. It is primarily a fun day for the kids, and run by the kids, and anything goes for under R10.
Sam also runs Creative Decor Workshops, giving parents inspiring decor ideas for their children’s bedrooms and personal spaces. She has recently completed a two day workshop for Home & Tuis magazine.
As a parent, Sam’s motivation for writing and producing kids decor books and creative products is to inspire other moms to be more creative with their family and home environments. Sam believes a child’s environment is the first step to creative experience and expression.
Sam also works with Rock Girl SA, art directing their new website and marketing material. www.rockgirlsa.org
Sam believes parents are now interested in a more creative approach to parenting, and produced two decor books, Cools Spaces for kids and Children’s Rooms, to encourage and inspire parents to create wonderful play spaces for their children to spend many happy hours playing in.
Granny ‘A’ for Annette, Sam’s very creative mum, and Georgia’s granny, has been the work horse behind all her wonderful ideas. She has also done all the production and sewing for the shoots for Sam’s decor books. They have spent many hours together, sewing, scouting fabric shops, junk shops and perusing magazines, to come up with various ideas and projects for kidsdecor.
Georgia is 9 years old now and has been the lucky fish to try out and play with all the ideas her mom and granny have created. Her room has been used in many a shoot, and redecorated accordingly. She is in desperate need for a new look for her room, so watch Sam’s blog for the update.
Sam, Annette and Georgia Scarborough