If you need a boost of style in your life, consider handcrafted pieces from Scout + Lilly. The collection comprises an assortment of fashionable home and personal goods, from bright silkscreen prints and festive wool felt pennants to chic leather goods like wallets, key chains and a copper-and-leather air plant holder.
The current top seller: a pennant that reads, "The answer is always tacos."
Owner Kathleen Krueger Turner, who named the company for her mother's maiden name, Lilly, and her husband's nostalgia for his Boy Scout days, is an artist who makes every item by hand in her Dallas studio. She's entirely self-taught.
"I went to school [at Texas A&M] for sociology and environmental studies, then worked for a year at a local screenprinting business," she says. "I'm inspired by Texas and its landscapes, particularly West Texas, that kind of scrub desert vegetation, land formations and those saturated, intense colors. Growing up in San Antonio was also a big source of inspiration.”
Turner started Scout + Lilly in 2012, selling "a mishmash of vintage and handmade things," she says. "I was just beginning to learn my craft, and I decided to focus on handmade items."
Her wares show a love of contrast, modern details and varied textures. Materials include leather, felt, canvas and linen, often accented by metallic paint or hardware.
Locally, you can find Scout + Lilly goods at Gypsy Wagon, Magnolia Sous Le Pont, Neighborhood and We Are 1976. West Elm in Austin and El Paso will start selling her line next month, with the possibility of expanding to Dallas stores. Additionally, Ann Taylor brand Lou & Grey may sell her products in its NorthPark Center store.
"This has been a big year of growth for me, working with retailers in Dallas and beyond," Turner says. "I hope to keep growing and I’m introducing some new items in the coming months, like jewelry and other leather goods."
Scout + Lilly owner and founder Kathleen Krueger Turner.
