We’re Paper Knife Creative, a Los Angeles-based design studio working with chefs, restaurateurs, and the creators of all things delicious.

 
 
 
 

Sheila Buchanan

Founder & Creative Director

A lifelong student of art, culture, music and modern creative movements, Sheila brings her thoughtful sensibility and clever creative edge to each of her projects. Designing for over two decades, she has become a beloved name in the hospitality, consumer packaged goods, and creative industries for her ability to cut through the noise to get to the heart of what a brand wants and needs to become.

She has collaborated with renowned chefs and successful restaurants like Chef Jeremy Fox (Birdie G’s, Rustic Canyon, Tallula's, On Vegetables), Chef Christopher Kostow (The Charter Oak), Zoe Nathan (Huckleberry, Tallula's, Rustic Canyon), Chef Arnold Eric Wong (Eos, Bacar, The Treasury, The Beehive), and Chef Bryan Ng (The Spice Table, Cassia), among others.

 
Graphic Design Studio

The Studio

Since our studio's establishment in 2004, we have been dedicated to transforming our clients' ideas into compelling stories through purposeful design. We don't simply stop at creating a logo, but instead craft a comprehensive brand narrative that spans across a wide range of design elements, from print and packaging to web design.

To ensure the highest level of quality, we collaborate with a skilled team of photographers, illustrators, printing experts, and web developers, who all contribute to the success of our projects.

Our expertise and guidance will guide you through a smooth and enjoyable creative process, culminating in a final product that you will be proud to represent.

 

 
 
 

We get to work with the coolest clients.

 
 
Chef Phil West head shot

"I can’t begin to tell you how professional, responsive and creative you have been. It is a pleasure to work with you and I can’t wait for our next collaboration."

– Chef Phil West, The Beehive, Third Rail, The Treasury, and Range, San Francisco, CA

 
 

Food + Restaurants
Annesso Pizzeria
Augustine Wine Car
Baltaire Restaurant Brentwood
The Beehive Bar
Birdie G’s • Chef Jeremy Fox
Blowfish Sushi to Die for
Caffe Luxxe
Cassia Rice & Noodle Kitchen
The Charter Oak • Napa Valley
Co-opportunity Market • Santa Monica
The Coffee Company • Westchester
The Dutchess • Ojai
E&O Kitchen • San Francisco
El Paseo (Sammy Hagar)
Esters Wine Shop & Bar
Fig & Magpie
French Blue Napa Valley
Greens Restaurant • San Francisco
Hawks Provisions + Public House

Huckleberry Café
JAX Winery
Larchmont Bungalow Café
Milo & Olive
Nicolas Eatery
Peet's Coffee & Tea
Poco Dolce Chocolates
Raison D'etre Bakery
The Red Room
Restaurant Delfina
Rustic Canyon • Santa Monica
Rustic Canyon Family
The Spice Table • Chef Bryant Ng
Saola by Chef Hannah An
Simplethings Restaurant
SmartyPants Vitamins
Sweet Rose Creamery
Sushi Note
Tallula's Restaurant
Toscana • Brentwood

Entertainment
2S Films (Hilary Swank)
Disney+
Empire Props • Vancouver
Handsome Charlie Films (Natalie Portman)
Campfire Studios (Ross Dinerstein)
Kang-Rosenblatt Productions

Fashion + Retail
Daryl K
Dita Eyewear
Sanctuary Clothing

Interiors
Lori Backen Interiors
Roughan Interior Design

 

Our Clients have made headlines in:

 
 
bon appetit logo
goop logo
food&wine logo
james beard foundation logo
the new york times logo
 

“Rustic Canyon’s Jeremy Fox opened Santa Monica’s hottest restaurant (Birdie G’s) of the year” – Los Angeles Times

 

Ready for a creative partnership?

 
 

Follow us on the ‘Gram

🥃✨ Excited to share our latest packaging design project for Lodestar Whiskey! ✨🥃⁠ ⁠ Founded by cousins Anna & Wendelin, Lodestar Whiskey emerged from a shared passion for whiskey, culminating in a blend that defies conventions. By combining Str
Flavors From Afar was established in 2018, by Meymuna Hussein-Cattan, as a catering company employing refugee chefs, after cuts were made to government funding for refugee programs. ⁠ ⁠ Christine Castro Hughes of @darlingstudio and I, worked together
Nonna Mercato is a neighborhood market & café in Long Beach, CA which offers high-quality and delicious California fare with French and Italian influences, led by Chef Cameron Slaugh.⁠ ⁠ Fun and distinct branded packaging details, for the
Nonna Mercato is a neighborhood market�& café in Long Beach, CA which offers high-quality and�delicious California fare with French and Italian influences, led by Chef Cameron Slaugh.⁠ ⁠ We created a high-quality, antique meets contemporar
Nonna Mercato is a neighborhood market�& café in Long Beach, CA which offers high-quality and�delicious California fare with French and Italian influences.⁠ ⁠ We created a high-quality, antique meets contemporary, creative and vibrant bran
Menu designs and collateral for @the_charteroak.⁠ ⁠ The Charter Oak offers a celebratory "family-style" dining experience. It’s food is deliberate in it's simplicity, which allows the Napa Valley bounty to shine. The restaurant is led
We created a brand identity system for The Charter Oak with various logo configurations for the client to be able use on different sizes and types of collateral.⁠ ⁠ @the_charteroak offers a celebratory "family-style" dining experience. It&r
@the_charteroak offers a celebratory "family-style" dining experience. It’s food is deliberate in it's simplicity, which allows the Napa Valley bounty to shine. The restaurant is led by Chef Christopher Kostow of the Michelin three-st
@campfirefilmtv is a prolific and premium production company known for its breadth of scripted and unscripted storytelling, for both feature film and streaming platforms. ⁠ ⁠ Ross Dinerstein, the Founder and CEO, approached us to create a fresh new l
Website design and development for @annessopizzeria. ⁠ ⁠ Once we've set up a solid foundation of the visual brand identity, we are then ready to begin creating other collateral and marketing pieces, keeping all the design aspects and elements of the
Menu, coaster and deli paper design for @annessopizzeria.⁠ ⁠ #restaurantmenudesign #restaurantbranding #menudesign #graphicdesign #artofthemenu #sheilabuchanandesigns #losangelesgraphicdesign #printisnotdead
Annesso Pizzeria serves delicious Italian food in a modern and elevated, yet comfortable, family-friendly environment.⁠ ⁠ We were delighted when Chef Jimmy Pardini approached us to create the branding for his new restaurant, Annesso Pizzeria, sister