Meet the Maker: Noelle Whitley of Bumble & Hound
Meet the Maker is a new blog series on The Dapple featuring Q&As with small businesses, creatives, and makers who are crafting unique products for dogs and dog lovers. Know someone we should include? Email us at email@thedapple.com.
Lizzie models a Bumble & Hound bandana.
Today on Meet the Maker, we're chatting with Noelle Whitley of Bumble & Hound. We're obsessed with Bumble & Hound's adorable dog apparel, spaw products, and rope leashes, so we were excited to quiz Noelle about everything from being a Doxle (Beagle-Dachshund) mom to finding inspiration for her chic designs.
Tell us what Bumble & Hound sells.
Bumble & Hound offers luxe, handcrafted accessories for dogs and dog lovers. Our product line includes bandanas, raglan baseball tees for pups, hand-dyed rope leashes, vegan and all-natural dog soap, snoot stick, paw wax, and hand-lettered leash holders. We’re always adding new products, like hand-knit dog sweaters and cozy fleece hoodies in the fall and winter. We also love custom orders—our most recent was a set of sparkly tropical bandanas for a pineapple party!
Tell us about the team behind Bumble & Hound.
My husband Chris and I are the founders of Bumble & Hound. I’m the chief designer, but I couldn’t do it without my sweet friend Candice, who helps me bring my ideas to life. Our Doxle Maya is our Chief Product Tester, and she takes her job very seriously!
What led you to create Bumble & Hound?
We have been obsessed with our little Maya from the day we adopted her, it was love at first sight! From the very first time we held her, we knew we wanted nothing but the best for her, but we were disappointed in the selection of accessories sold in stores. I wanted something more sophisticated and higher quality than the cutesy or just plain boring items we found in big box stores. The only answer for this picky dog mom was to create my own products! I love a chic, classic look with a bit of fun, and that’s my goal for everything I design and create. Stylish and practical!
Tell us a bit about your design process.
Every single item is handmade with love in our home studio. Our design process starts with ideas of what modern dog parents are looking for, which we believe are practical and durable items that don’t sacrifice a stylish flair. Because my personal style leans toward crisp and clean, I bring that aesthetic into the products we offer. We view each one of our products as an opportunity to showcase a sense of fun—to make bringing your dog along on everyday adventures even more delightful! We start with fun fabrics, colors, and materials, and really enjoy the process of creating, and I think that shows in our final products.
We're huge fans of your Paw Wax. What inspired you to create that?
Maya is such an active little dog, and her favorite thing ever is to go on an adventure walk. After walking several miles each day, we noticed her pads were getting dry and rough. When one of her little pads cracked, we were advised to use a popular ointment containing lanolin. It worked well enough, but I hated to use something that wasn’t cruelty-free. I knew I could do better, so after some research and a little trial and error, we came up with our vegan, all-natural Paw Wax! It’s totally cruelty-free and works like a charm, and the little tin is the perfect size to put in your pocket or toss in your purse.
Tell us about your Scarf of the Month Club.
Who doesn’t love monthly subscription boxes, and being surprised by what’s coming every month! I wanted to put my own spin on this idea, so the Scarf of the Month Club was born! Each month’s box features an exclusive bandana, available only to club members, as well as a bonus surprise. Customers can choose from one, three, six, and twelve months of boxes, and just pay once so there’s nothing to have to cancel or remember to pay. It’s been so fun to put together each box!
Noelle, Chris, and Maya of Bumble & Hound
What's the most rewarding part of your work?
Honestly, everything about this small business journey has been rewarding beyond what we could have imagined! I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a work-from-home dog mom, and Maya continues to inspire me to create the best products I can. It’s such a fun and rewarding creative outlet! The day we rescued Maya was one of the best days of our lives, so rescue and adoption are very close to our hearts. In order to advocate for dogs searching for their forever homes, Bumble & Hound donates 20% of our sales to rescue organizations. Dogs give us so much love and bring us so much joy, and we feel like helping dogs in need is the least we can do in return. 🐾
Through April 2018, Bumble & Hound is offering The Dapple's readers 20% off their order with code THEDAPPLE. Shop their store here, or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
