Hi, I’m Toyin, the owner and designer behind Hall of Summers! I’m starting this blog to document the process of building this brand, the thoughts and intentions behind my ideas and product, and to perhaps have something to look back on as I continue to work on all my creative endeavors. It might also help to spread awareness of my shop!
I want to use this first post to introduce myself and answer a few questions people might have about Hall of Summers.
Who is Toyin?
This is always an odd question for me, and I tend to default to things that are… easy to quantify, if you will. So, I’ll say I’m a 29-year-old, Nigerian-American INTP, Leo Sun, Scorpio Moon, and Sagittarius Rising, born in the year of the Rat, enneagram 5….Now, if you ask me what most of that means, I couldn’t tell you, but I love personality tests and quizzes, because sometimes it feels easier to be described in such broad strokes.
To paint a finer picture, I’m someone who values agency above all else, and I live for creativity and the creative process. For as long as I can remember, art has been my companion, and I’ve tried various mediums to varying degrees of success. I currently work in architectural visualization, but I’ve always known that my ideal life would be one where I have agency over my time, and that time would be spent creating. The drive towards creating my ideal life has led me to start and fail many creative businesses. Fortunately, they’ve been relatively small failures, a couple hundred dollars lost here and there, but finally, with Hall of Summers, I feel like I’ve finally found my starting point.
Why a Blog?
To put it bluntly, I’m not good at social media. I’ve tried Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, and so far, I’ve found it difficult to engage on these platforms. I don’t really like making videos, and my photography is something I’m still working on. The social media game is also a bit too fast-paced for me. I think it will be necessary in the long run, but for now, this blog is what resonates with me. I like the fact that I’ll be able to write extensively, without being limited to a character count or a quick video. I’m also a budding writer, so maybe that’s why the long-form mediums appeal more.
What is Hall of Summers?
Hall of Summers is a home decor brand currently on Etsy, but hopefully soon to be a standalone website (I’m working on it). Hall of Summers focuses on producing uniquely designed small everyday home decor items like planters, trays, bookends, vases, etc. Many of the items are book- or plant-related, mainly because I love those two things. The items are all designed by me, modeled in Blender, then 3D printed, and assembled… also by me. My goal is to create “items that feel like the warmth of sunshine,” somewhat whimsical, a bit magical, and something that sparks joy.
Why 3D Printing?
This is a big one. At first, I didn’t realize there was quite a bit of stigma around 3D-printed products, but I soon saw why. Many stores that use 3D printing tend to all print the same designs, with little to no variation, lots of dragons and fidget toys that wind up being junk. Due to that, people seem to associate 3D printing with lazy sellers.
This is unfortunate because for the average person, there are few easy and affordable ways to access the means of production, but with the growing accessibility and advancements in 3D printing, it’s now much easier for people to bring their ideas to life.
Personally, I’ve always loved 3D modeling in Blender. When I was 16, I got my first laptop, and I googled “what to do with a laptop?” This landed me on a site with a long list of things to do, and from there, learning Blender and watching anime are the two things that have stuck with me to this day. I mentioned earlier that I’ve tried a lot of mediums in art, while I love watercolor, and gouache, and I’m still trying to learn oil paining and rug tufting, 3D modeling is truly one of my favorite means of creating, and as soon as I became able to take what was just on my computer, and actually hold it in my hands, it really felt like magic to me.
So that’s why I use 3D printing. In the future, I’m hoping to add laser cutting, UV printing, and CNC machines to the mix, because now I’ve realized I might be obsessed with machines!
Why the name Hall of Summers?
Ah, yes naming. So important, yet so difficult. I feel like the name of anything should have some sort of meaning, and act almost like a guidepost for what you want that thing to become, so I struggled a lot with picking a name. The one thing that I knew was that I wanted something that evoked (in me) the feeling of longing, or nostalgia for a place, time, or emotion that I was trying to regain, or create anew, and not in a sad way either, just a deep longing. With that in mind, the memories that kept coming back to me were childhood memories in Nigeria, running around my grandfather’s home, the hot sun, laughter, lots of trees, a blurry and vague period of time filled with childhood innocence and naivety. “The nostalgic warmth of childhood summers.”
At that time, I had also recently read Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. The rich descriptions of the halls and vestibules were fresh in my mind, and that book in a way was filled with that feeling I was trying to describe and condense into a few words. Combining these two things, I landed on Hall of Summers. Picture a vast and ornate hall, the sound of birds and a river in the background. Large windows with suncatchers in them, and bright sunlight shining through, columns rising to a high domed ceiling, and between the columns, portals, and in each portal, a window to a precious moment of warmth, joy, and contentment. Bright green leaves illuminated against the backdrop of a clear blue sky.
That is the imaginary space I pull from when I design for Hall of Summers. Not every single design perfectly captures that feeling, and sometimes I try to design things that are simpler or more practical to reach a wider audience, but always, I keep the initial goal in mind.
That’s it for now. That’s the end of my introduction. If you’ve read this far, thank you so much. Check out Hall of Summers on Etsy, for uniquely designed home decor items for bookish and plant-loving people, and I hope you come back to read some more of my rambling.
Finally, I leave you with an image of my very messy assembly and packing desk.
Hall of Summers Blog 
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