Meet Katie Deedy of Grow House Grow

Katie Deedy is a Cuban-American artist and the founder of design studio Grow House Grow, based in Brooklyn, New York.

Established in 2007, Deedy saw Grow House Grow as way to combine her skills in pattern-making and her love of storytelling, with handmade wallpaper and tiles emerging as the core output of the brand.

Deedy says she knew she wanted to be an artist from her early childhood. “I was encouraged by my mother, who is a writer and professional storyteller, and she would drag me along to storytelling festivals and publishing events, always with a pencil and notebook in tow. In time, this influenced my illustrative style and led to a degree in Studio Art from Agnes Scott College.”

Her mother remains her main inspiration, having arrived in the United States as a refugee from Cuba. “My mom is extremely cool and, even with English as a second language, has performed at the White House, on Broadway, done Ted Talks, and worked with the Smithsonian. She's completely self-made and a huge inspiration.” 

Driven by her entrepreneurial spirit, Deedy moved to New York City and eventually started her own business, first training with a silk screen printer in Brooklyn, and later partnering with a print shop in Western New York to produce her patterns as wallpapers using this rich, traditional method. “It was certainly trial by fire, but also the best way to learn and build my own company from the ground up,” Deedy says of the early days.

In 2012, handmade cement tiles were added to the growing collection, with a nod to her Caribbean heritage. “My family is Spanish, so I’m really proud to that Bert & May are now producing our tiles in a Spanish factory. Due to the politics between the US and Cuba, we can’t produce our tiles on the island. Instead, our current cement tiles are handmade in Mexico. The factory there is excellent to work with, and has been in business over 100 years.”

Grow House Grow's patterns evoke a playful and curious hybrid. From forgotten histories to magical folklore, one will find patterns devoted to obscure women scientists, mythical islands, poisonous pigments, family lore, and more. 

Deedy’s work has been featured in a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, Elle Decor, Interior Design Magazine, House Beautiful, New York Magazine’s The Cut, Fast Company, O Magazine, and Dwell, among others. Deedy’s wallpapers also have the added distinction of being included in the Brooklyn Museum’s Decorative Arts permanent collection.