Mångata Design is an interior design company which takes its inspiration from Scandi design and lifestyle. The brand was founded by Sarah Leanne Trappe, an artist born and raised in the North East, who studied for her BA in Fine Art at Nottingham Trent University, before qualifying with an MA in Philosophy while recovering from spinal surgery to treat severe scoliosis.

Sarah continued to write and, as her health improved, she began creating with other media again; she found therapeutic enjoyment working more sculpturally and started working with wood and then clay and cement. Sarah found that her outlook on life had shifted, and she yearned more for calm and nature whilst simultaneously being drawn to rugged aesthetics.

Sarah launched her brand, Mångata Nottingham, whilst still living in the city, however she has since relocated herself and her rebranded business, Mångata Design, back to the Northeast. Following her desire for a rugged, natural landscape, Sarah found her new home in Seaham, on the beautiful East Durham coastline, a town defined by its dramatic, cliff-top position, and panoramic sea views.

Though Sarah lives further north, she found that the creative hub, the BIS, located on Hartlepool’s Whitby Street, was best suited for her still new business. Mångata Design began officially trading from the BIS in December 2021, and the centre gives Sarah a versatile studio space, with access to both modern facilities and to the creative community which she is now a part of.