Jane Gray Pritchard, co-founder and lead designer of Stray Dog Designs, has been the creative heartbeat of the brand since its inception. From dreaming up whimsical decor to ensuring each piece is brought to life with care and craftsmanship, Jane's vision has shaped Stray Dog into the unique and vibrant company it is today. A true jack-of-all-trades, Jane’s role extends beyond product design; she’s also the chief motivator, color curator, and detail-obsessed overseer of the entire operation.
When Jane and her husband Billy first started Stray Dog Designs, they were driven by a need for a source of income. They were just young and optimistic enough to believe they could start a business on a whim, and, nearly 30 years later, their leap of faith has blossomed into a beloved brand known for its distinctive, hand-crafted home decor.
In addition to designing all the Stray Dog creations, Jane handles a myriad of tasks to keep the company running smoothly, from managing finances and inventory control to engaging with clients on custom requests. With her hands in just about everything (including sometimes answering the phone as an impromptu customer service rep), Jane truly embodies the spirit of a small business owner—always ready to roll up her sleeves and do whatever it takes to keep things afloat.
Stay tuned as Jane shares more about her journey, her inspirations, and her favorite Stray Dog memories in this special Q&A. Whether it's finding joy in the simple act of designing or delighting in the many highlights of Stray Dog's colorful history, Jane's story is one of creativity, resilience, and an enduring passion for bringing playful, artful pieces into homes around the world.
Tell us your side of the Stray Dog story.
Billy and I share the same story—we needed gainful employment and a source of income. We were just young and naive enough to think we could start a business, lickety-split, and have it take off.
and your role at Stray Dog...
I wear all the hats (think of that party hat from Go, Dog. Go! if you need a visual). My main role is product design, but it doesn't stop there. I’m also the chief hounder of our workshop manager to get samples made once I’ve designed the products. I choose the color options, and for the most part, I name, price, and write descriptions for new items. I handle all client interactions for custom requests.
On top of that, I manage the day-to-day accounting—matching bank transactions, reconciling credit card and bank accounts, and entering and paying bills. I ensure orders from our e-commerce platform are correctly downloaded into our accounting system. I oversee inventory control, which includes keeping track of how many blanks we have in the Mexican workshop, receiving items into our accounting system when the workshop makes a shipment, and making sure what’s received matches what was sold. Recently, I’ve been “recategorizing” products—shifting items from DOG DASH to DOGGONE, and so on. I also review expenses and make adjustments when needed.
Occasionally, I’ll answer the phone and pretend to be the customer service rep. And, every now and then, I’m also the (admittedly subpar) cleaning lady. I suspect that most small business owners can relate—we often wear multiple hats and perform any task needed to keep the company afloat.
What are some Stray Dog highlights for you? Things you won’t forget…
Goodness, we've been in business for almost 30 years now. There are plenty of highlights and probably plenty more that I’ve entirely forgotten about—not to mention the countless days, incidents, and unfortunate choices that I wish I could forget.
I’ll start with a tribute to the unforgettable and delightful doggies for whom the brand is named. La Princessa, queen of the San Miguel streets (and taco stands), and her darling little “sister,” Carlotta, were lucky finds indeed, and without them, there would be no Stray Dog Designs.
Picking up Ballard Designs as a client way back when—I’m pretty sure we met Helen Ballard and team at our first-ever trade show in Atlanta in 1995—was pretty darn exciting and made us feel highly important, like we might actually be on to something.
Somewhere in the early 2000s, we started getting oodles of press (thank you, Elizabeth Mayhew, Tori Mellott, Jane Dagmi, Samantha Emmerling, Natalie Warady, etc.) and we were thrilled beyond belief to be frequently featured in the slick, stylish, to-die-for design bibles of the day. House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Home, Country Living, Southern Living, Coastal Living, HGTV Magazine, Veranda, Domino—you name it, we were in it at one point or another, and we were honored, grateful, and dizzy with delight to be in each and all of them.
But there are two features that definitely made us feel extra glamorous. In the Fall 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, there was a full page depicting me and some of our best-selling wares in an article devoted to female designers and entrepreneurs. And our house got a little spread (including the cover!) in the March 2011 issue of Country Living. That was fun and flattering.
Tell us how you became the designer of a home decor company. Did you love to create as a child? Have you always been interested in home decor, color, and whimsy?
Quite by accident, as I mentioned above and as depicted in the “Stray Dog Story” on the website. Just a complete fluke, honestly. But yes, I did love to draw as a child and was always drawn to creativity and the arts, decorative and otherwise. Nothing makes me happier than being completely engrossed in some ridiculous arts and crafts project—from fashioning a quick, kooky costume for a fete to festooning the mantle for the holidays. I am, and have always been, drawn to anything that has a homespun, handmade, one-of-a-kind feel to it. I also relish a lively, personable interior. So I suppose the answer is yes, I have always been interested in decor, color, and whimsy.
What inspires you?
Everything and anything. I believe inspiration can be found in all sorts of places, and, heaven knows, we have visual stimuli flooding our inboxes and Instagram feeds at a dizzying (dare I say numbing?) rate these days. For me, it’s mostly found in nature. God/Mother Nature/The Supreme Being (whatever floats your boat) really puts the "create" in Creation. It saddens me knowing that we are systematically destroying our inherited paradise (and endless fount of inspiration) with our greed and apathy.
*Who* inspires you?
Greta Thunberg, David Attenborough, Jane Goodall. Any and all climate activists that are devoting their lives to protecting our planet.
What do you do when you’re not working?
I wish I could say I’m a part-time climate activist, but that would be a big, fat lie. Mostly, I’m busy being greedy and apathetic. However, I do enjoy taking walks, going to yoga classes, working in the yard, doing the crossword, and avoiding household chores.
We know you love to read. What are some of your favorite books?
Golly, that’s a big, daunting question. All-time favorites would include Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, and Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset.
Truly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, off the top of my head. Looking at it, I see a definite theme that makes me giggle. I also love all the Victorian classics, most anything by Evelyn Waugh, Flannery O’Connor, and Eudora Welty. E.F. Benson’s Mapp and Lucia novels delight me to no end, and I find Nancy Mitford’s books about her kooky and fascinating family highly entertaining as well.
Favorite place you’ve traveled in the last year?
Last spring, we visited Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, and absolutely loved it. I would gladly return and stay longer, or even forever. Around this time last summer, we were in Leland, MI, and were captivated by the beauty and charm of "big lake living." I highly recommend this area to anyone who hasn't experienced it and would visit again in a heartbeat. Closer to home, we've recently traveled to Athens, GA, a few times as our daughter, Franny, is attending UGA. Athens is a delightful Southern town with beautiful old houses, great restaurants and bars, and excellent junk shopping.
What are you digging right now (shows, podcasts, books, music)?
Currently, I feel like we're in a bit of a show rut. We recently finished the second season of House of the Dragon and haven’t decided on our next series yet. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.
We rented a movie from Amazon the other night called Ghostlight, which I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend.
I’m currently reading How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair. I was intrigued after hearing the author interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air and am quite taken with it so far.
Although I’m not really a podcast listener, I aspire to be one someday. For music, I’ve been on a Cowboy Junkies kick lately, clearly feeling nostalgic for something.
What’s your favorite Stray Dog piece right now?
