Red Squirrel Design was founded by Harriet Taylor-Thorpe, a long time resident of Boston. She has worked in the field of decorative painting since the early 1990s, in both private homes and public spaces.

After spending her childhood in an artistic island community in Florida, Harriet and her family moved to Fairfield County, Connecticut. Then she headed north to Boston to attend the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.

During her studies, she became intrigued by the fine oil painting techniques of the old masters which included egg/oil emulsion, underpainting, glazing, mosaic, fresco, and egg tempera.

Always one to find inspiration around her, Harriet had her first encounter with decorative painting during a visit to New York City in the 1980s. She met the owner of a decorative finish shop in the West Village and was fascinated by her methods and techniques — and by the transformative properties of something as "simple" as paint.

After a period spent restoring antique furniture, Harriet spent ten years working as a decorative painter in the greater Boston area. She founded Red Squirrel Design in 2001.