Work it: An Inside Look at the PBteen Team

Fiona Alston, Decorative Accessories and Wall Art Designer

This month, we sat down with Fiona Alston, who recently moved to San Francisco from London. Fiona designs decorative accessories and wall art for PBteen. Check out the video, and read her Q&A below!

1. How would you describe your style? 

I’d say my style is whimsical and playful – that’s probably why I work for PBteen! I have a quirky sense of humor and a vivid imagination, and I like to blend these things into my work.

2. What inspires you most when you’re designing a new piece?

If you’re a designer, you never switch “off.” You’re like a sponge, always soaking in new ideas. Being a Brit who’s still relatively new to America, I’m constantly discovering new ideas and experiences just by living in a new city, meeting new people and seeing new things! San Francisco is a very creatively vibrant place, and the designers here are an inspiration.

3. Which designers do you look up to the most? 

I’ve always looked up to Scandinavian furniture designers such as Arne Jacobsen and Eero Saarninen. Also, my grandmother Elizabeth was a ceramicist. She inspired me to go into the arts, and I grew up with her work around me.

4. What’s your favorite part of the design process? 

I love the brainstorming and research. My most important tool is my sketchbook – even with the computer drawing programs we have, I’ve always loved drawing and exploring my ideas on paper. I also like to jot down ideas and doodle whenever and wherever I am, be it in an art gallery or just having a coffee.

5. What are three fun facts about you?

1) I’m originally Scottish – and I love my homeland.

2) I love to run. I recently ran the San Francisco Marathon.

3) I also love to surf!