We're California-based co-conspirators and sisters, Michelle and Diana Stock. We founded our design studio in 2011 following careers in film and advertising. Our mission is to create home accessories that are high quality, unexpected and made locally.

How we got started and knew this was going to be our life.
We started Small Gunns as a reprieve from the frustration we were feeling in our careers. It’s no accident that we both chose creative paths — Michelle chose film and Diana chose advertising — but we felt disconnected from the actual “creating" and started Small Gunns as remedy to flex our creative muscles in a hands on manner. Our side project gained traction and we knew we were in love.

Our early inspiration for Small Gunns.
Our mom has always been a huge inspiration for us. She has an amazing personal style and since our childhood has always surrounding us with beautiful objects. This deeply ingrained design into our every day lives. Also, we’re visceral designers, so the pulse of the cities we've called home (San Francisco and New York) and our extensive travels has also impacted our design sensibility.

Our biggest lesson so far.
To overcome fear! We are self-taught designers, so it was terrifying to put ourselves out there let alone call ourselves “designers”.

Everyday things that we do as makers that move us forward and help us innovate.
As small business owners, our time is often filled with managing company operations, so it’s critical for us to set aside time to develop new ideas. Also, we travel to design events a few times a year and try to be a part of the larger creative community. Talking with other makers and hearing about what they do is a huge source of inspiration.

Who we see as the Small Gunns consumer.
We appeal to urban men and women who appreciate chic, utilitarian home accessories.

Inspiration for our collection of linens.
We took the foundations of classic textiles such as vintage workwear, rugby stripes, buffalo plaid check and reinterpreted them for the modern home.

How we develop scents and the one we are most attached to.
Our scents take several months, sometimes years, to develop. It’s the most complex step in the process as we must create fragrances we personally love as opposed to scents that may be in vogue at the time. Happy Campers was the first scent we developed and is very complex, combining a total of 13 fragrance oils and essential oils. It was our first born and is very special to us.

The most important part of our day.
Our morning cup of coffee and lunch!

What does our ideal vacation/escape look like.
We are very fortunate to live in the Bay Area where an amazing weekend getaway is just a few hours away: visiting the vineyards in wine country, camping under the majestic redwoods, dipping our toes in the cold waters of Lake Tahoe. At least once every few years, we like to travel to an urban destination where we can find inspiration for our designs, places like Tokyo, Berlin, Amsterdam, Stockholm, and Cape Town.