More than Beautiful

According to Kalon Studio's website, "The name Kalon is derived from the ancient Greek concept of ‘to kalon.’ To be kalon is more than being beautiful; it is having a beauty that both is and inspires excellence." And their pieces live up to that name. Their smart, thoughtfully designed pieces are minimal and timeless.
And Kalon Studio's commitment to sustainability is unmatched. Their finishes are people-friendly, non-toxic and food-safe. Their materials are eco-friendly, recyclable, renewable, biodegradable, and sustainably forested. Their production is low waste and energy efficient. Their products are made domestically and by hand. You can feel good about filling your baby's nursery with these thoughtful, environmentally responsible pieces. And the quality is such that these can become heirlooms in your family.

HOLLA if you love Southern Style

Holler Design is a small furniture making company in Tennessee. (if the name is familiar you may have seen them recently featured on fab.com)A collaboration of husband and wife team Matt and Melissa Alexander, two southerners who "have left home and returned with an imperative of what it means to be southern, and a desire to share that view with others."  Inspired by rural forms and textures, their pieces are rustic, minimal, and pleasing in their simplicity and how the honor the wood. On their website they write, "Our objects exhibit a 'love of making,' retain a subsequent intrinsic value, and utilize a production process that is inherently sustainable, but which is grounded more in the tradition of craft than in the ‘green-washing’ of current systems of manufacturing."

Atomic Theory

 

 

If that retro look is your thing, have I got the company for you: Atomic Living Design by Detschermitsch located near Denver in Englewood, CO. Husband and wife team Lisa and Jesse Detschermitsch have always loved the look of mid-century modern architecture and furnishings that recall the homes they grew up in. They were inspired to design and build their own line of "modern furnishings for the mid-century minded." Environmentally conscientious, they use low and very low VOC water-based lacquers and eco-friendly sheet goods wherever possible. Available for purchase online here.

Eye on the Future, Nod to the Past

Five years ago, about 30 miles north of Philadelphia, in Doylestown, PA a small furniture company was founded. Every piece uses mortise and tenon joinery, hand-finishing, no assembly line, just hand-crafted goodness made from sustainably harvested domestic hardwoods. The company is Wren & Cooper, named for its founders, husband and wife team Mariah Wren and Mark Cooper. Wren graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2004, with a BFA in furniture design and her schooling shows in the stunning retro-yet-modern pieces they turn out.

Future Family Heirlooms

In a small rural shop in Minnesota, Eastvold Furniture builds finely crafted furniture from sustainable materials. They are timeless and beautiful, at home in either a loft or a farmhouse. They are built to last in the hopes that they will be past down to future generations. I wish I was inheriting some!

Lattice In, Lattice In

The unique combination of privacy, pattern and light that lattice provides in any space can create a magical environment. The founders of LatticeStix knew this when they started their company based in San Francisco. Knowing, too, that the Eastern tradition of intricate lattice was cost prohibitive in the states, they thought "that, surely, with today’s technology it should be possible to create beautiful lattice that didn’t cost a small fortune." Now they have over 100 patterns for screens, trellis, gates, walls, doors, fences and more, that don't just hide the view, but enhance it. With wood dowel joinery that won't rust or loosen over time, these pieces are built to last, from sustainably sourced wood like Western Red Cedar and Mahogany right here in California.

Getting in the swing of things

An old-fashioned tree swing is a thing of beauty. Timeless, fun, simple. Who needs video games when you can feel the breeze as you glide through the air? The Original Tree Swing is a family owned and operated company that makes these classic swings as well as hand-crafted wooden toys in Minnesota. All their toys are made from reclaimed wood and finished in beeswax or mineral oil.

Kitchen Essentials

 

Since 1967, the Vermont Bowl Company has been making the classic wooden bowls no kitchen should be without in Wilmington, VT. That is a long tradition of high quality and craftsmanship. Founded by John McLeod, an engineer from Scotland who was on his way to Canada when he fell in love with Vermont. He stayed and turned his hobby for woodturning into a successful business. Despite the company name, they make much more than bowls. You'll find cutting boards, utensils, serving pieces, even furniture.

Imagine better play

Since 1979, North Star Toys has been owned and operated by Tim and Connie Long in Questa, New Mexico. They make each and every wooden creation in their workshop there. These deceptively simple toys invite imaginative play and creative thinking. No plastic buttons making lots of noise. No commercial characters. Just simple beautiful toys you will be happy to have in your home or proud to give as a gift.

Too beautiful for words

 

We are rarely at a loss for words around here, but looking through Thos. Moser's catalog, I am speechless. The number of incredibly beautiful pieces crafted in their Maine workshop is stunning. With unbelievable attention to detail, their works are closer to usable art than furniture. Nearly 100 craftsmen work turning sustainable lumber into these masterpieces, which come with a lifetime guarantee.