Sourced and Collected Goods

We loved the slow sourcing of goods for our own house as we remodeled and spent nearly all our funds.  At first, we’d save up to purchase the box store decor item that would make our home just right.  We liked the slow grow approach but within a few years we realized those items we saved up to purchase didn’t excite us anymore.  Maybe they were practical and maybe they served us everyday, but they eventually didn’t feel special. And if a product didn’t hold up overtime, it was extra disappointing. Those items were supposed to look new and represent the perfect home, like the catalog or website the company portrayed, but that wasn’t our experience.

Fast forward several years, when we had enough things to fill our home to live or host a good life with family and friends.  We began to collect more specific, harder to get, artisan made goods. We started to collect things that brought up memories of nostalgia. We started to collect things that excited us in design, or had a story from the maker, or that we experienced while traveling. We quickly realized that those more carefully sourced goods contributed greatly to our life at home.  Sounds shallow to say that material things made us happy, but they did.  The beautifully made pitchers placed on the table meant that nobody had to leave the convo for water (or a cocktail, let’s be real!), sending the message that we're here for the conversations and make yourself at home. The lanterns lit up around the property allowed for light to travel through the night sending the message that guests could stay as long as they wanted.  The candle burning in the center of table during the day for a quick snack can revive you for your next task. The things that we worked to carefully source were suddenly part of a the making of memorable stories. We could repeat that feeling time after time.

Sometimes these items weren’t noticed by others, and that was okay as long as we were present in the moment and they added value to our experience. Overtime, as the goods showed patina, we can remember the moments they enhanced our home experience. The maple wood salad bowl soaked with oils and the dented rim will remind us of every dinner party that filled bellies and nourished minds. The linens stained with wine spills remind us of a tipsy moment or a dramatic hand gesture during the telling of an embarrassing situation or funny story.

We have sourced some of our favorites, some from way back and some new. All of what we sourced isn’t about the status symbol or trend but all can make a statement at any given moment. We do have a lot of favorites so we wanted to start by choosing items that are familiar to you in how they serve a purpose but different in way of design, material or color or texture. Textiles will be nicely woven with long lasting threads that get softer (and better) with each wash.  Enamelware will be manufactured with old techniques to ensure bomber quality but wear slightly leaving a reminder of something old from your past. Wood spoons will be hardwoods and patina like an heirloom piece from years past. We think these items are (or will be) considered bespoke and have staying power in your home. We have a whole line up to start and can’t wait to add more when you discover you appreciate them too!

Our Studio Goods

With the remodeling business experience, we acquired some decent wood working skills while completing custom work for clients.  Along the way we purchased a bunch of tools, watched a lot of videos, bought a library of books, collaborated with other skilled craftsmen and practiced (hours upon hours). Before we knew it, we had a workshop and actually started dreaming about the day we could make product that suited our aesthetics and needs. Obviously, making a product would mean a whole new slew of learning would need to take place.

We started with concepts that we felt didn’t exist. Or, maybe they existed but were missing a particular detail. As an example, there are plenty of good blanket ladders out there but we wanted ours to mount to a wall with ease of install, fit heavier and thicker quilts and yet still look like a work of art. This imagination quickly led to designing on paper and later with SketchUp to make to-scale drawings. Making prototypes with cardboard or scraps, testing prototypes for use and performance, getting feedback, re-making prototypes, researching and testing finishes, and eventually becoming satisfied with an end result.  And then making multiples in the final material in a timely manner. And then figuring out how to delicately store, package and ship. It is always process, believe us, to get each just right.

These goods are derived from our own minds and our workshop. We hope you appreciate the minor imperfections and signs of touch that went into each object handled from picking out lumber to the last coat of finish.   We also hope you notice the details and realize they matter or work for you too.

Our intention was to create cohesion between the made-in-house goods and sourced goods, from style to material to quality. Again, these goods are meant to last and patina and have staying power in your home.

These products will launch in the future, once the rest of the shop runs smoothly.

This is our first STORIED product. A blanket ladder. Coming soon to the shop.

This was the first “prototype”, if we can even call it that. We were gifted an old ladder picked up from a vintage market. It was leaning against the wall holding blankets for a long time. And then we got new furniture and needed the floor space. We loved it and wanted to keep it around so the solution was to cut it up and mount it.

We didn’t think much of the solution until people started asking us about it. And then we got the idea to design one that really made sense. We mapped all the details out in SketchUp so the cuts were planned perfectly and there was no wood wasted. In this process we also planned joinery, mounting options, finishes, etc.

This is our second prototype. We wondered if it could be made wider to house larger blankets like quilts. For reference, this is a king size blanket. We like the spacing between rungs and the option to have multiple sized blankets. Our conclusion is to offer multiple sizes since all home and needs are different.