Maker Stories

Inside the Artist’s Studio
with Vedat Ulgen

March 10, 2016

Vedat Ulgen outside his Brooklyn studio, photos by Rachel Orlow

UncommonGoods is a place that celebrates entrepreneurs and makers and wholeheartedly embraces creativity. If you’ve spent much time shopping with us or reading our blog, you’ve seen this celebration shine through the stories we tell about our products and the designers who make them. These stories share what really makes the pieces we sell and the artists we work with unique.

While every product we sell meets standards that make it an uncommon good, every once in awhile something comes along that is truly weird. Weird in the best sense of the word: In the way that weird, new music makes you want to listen again and again. In the way that a brilliant invention makes you ponder how in the world someone actually came up with that. In the way that an eccentric person makes you want to get in touch with your own beautiful inner weirdo.

Vedat Ulgen’s Worn Sleeve Vase and Worn Jeans Stool are perfect examples of this type of “weird” design. They are totally unexpected, look one way and feel another, and are as useful as functional products as they are intriguing as art.

These designs are made from upcycled clothing, so they should be soft, right? But they have a unique texture that’s smooth and doesn’t feel anything like you’d imagine. It seems like the sleeves shouldn’t stand upright and the stools shouldn’t hold the weight of a full-grown person, but they do.

Like his products, Vedat’s studio, Thislexik, isn’t exactly what it seems. From the street, it looks like a stack of shipping containers. Get a bit closer to the five colorful containers, and it becomes clear that the stack is actually a building with a living roof and windows perfectly placed to let in enough light. Inside, Thislexik is rooted in sustainable practices, fueled by experimentation, and filled with dozens incredible designs.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Red Hook, Brooklyn studio myself recently, and as a proud proponent of the aforementioned brand of weird, I was in paradise. It’s hard to convey how inspiring this space is to someone who hasn’t been there, how cool these designs are to someone who hasn’t interacted with them, and how innovative Vedat is to someone who hasn’t met him, but I hope these photos and this interview are at least a start.

Maker Stories

This Just In-spiration: Meet Christophe Pourny

February 29, 2016

Our makers never fail to motivate us, encourage our creativity, and fill us with inspiration. So, when a new design enters our assortment, we’re always excited to learn more about the people behind the product.

What gets an artist going and keeps them creating is certainly worth sharing, and every great connection starts with a simple introduction! Meet Christophe Pourny. Christophe performs miracles of antique furniture restoration (among other things) in his DUMBO, Brooklyn studio. He and his company developed all-natural formulas for working on antique furniture, and began selling them. Having heard from clients that they were using them on handbags and shoes, Christophe & co. tweaked the products and created some that worked even better on accessories, luggage, and of course, furniture. Behold: our new All Natural Shoe Care Kit.

Maker Stories

This Just In-Spiration: Meet Eliza Todd

February 22, 2016

What gets an artist going and keeps them creating is certainly worth sharing, and every great connection starts with a simple introduction. Meet Eliza Todd, the artist behind our new Life by Definition Beer Glasses.

Maker Stories

You’ve Got This, Baby! The Inspiration Behind Haily Meyers’ No-Fuss Memory Book

February 17, 2016

It can be a heroic challenge for parents to find the time to chronicle the most important moments of their child’s dynamic first year. During those maiden days of parenthood, time and energy are beyond maxed-out by around-the-clock feedings, diaper changes by the dozen, and learning to decode and calm a fussy baby, all on little to no sleep.

When Arizona-based designer Haily Meyers became pregnant with her first child, she was overjoyed to welcome this little life into the world, and began designing baby bump sticker sets as an expression of her happiness and excitement. And like many new moms, she purchased a baby book before her daughter was born and excitedly anticipated creating a beautiful, lasting record of her baby’s “firsts.” But once her little girl arrived on the scene, Haily found herself caught up in the exhilarating and exhausting whirlwind of motherhood. She only got halfway through before calling it quits, due to the labor-intensive process (see what we did there?) required to complete the book.

As a result, Haily, like many moms, developed a case of what she calls “baby book guilt.” But rather that beat herself up over the bespoke baby book she dreamed of crafting but could never find the time to complete, she conceived a design-minded solution that would put an end to “baby book guilt” once and for all.

Maker Stories

This Just In-Spiration: Meet Shari Sweeney

February 15, 2016

What gets an artist going and keeps them creating is certainly worth sharing, and every great connection starts with a simple introduction. Meet Shari Sweeney, the artist behind our new Cherish Spring Bath Affirmations Set.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
Growing up, I was a balanced little person with regard to my creative side and analytical side. One day you could find me performing experiments with my chemistry set and the next, I was enthralled with art forms like drawing and sculpting with clay. As I grew into adulthood, I maintained this balance in college and beyond. While earning my degree in Biological Sciences, I started creating my own bath products for myself as well as friends and family. I went on to become a scientific researcher for nearly a decade, while also living a holistic lifestyle. My balanced background in science and mindful living lead me to where I am today with my bath and body care business. I have the ability to create works of art with my Bath Affirmations yet still be analytical when I’m in my lab developing new products for my business.

Maker Stories

Beach Glass Beauties: Jeanne Kollecker’s Marvelous Marble Pendants

February 11, 2016

It was a magazine article that drew Jeanne Kollecker to the arts. “About five years ago, I read an article on beach glass in Lake Erie Living,” she explains. Intrigued, the Chardon, Ohio resident decided to search for some herself on the shores of Lake Erie near her house. “I started hunting and it became an addiction. I knew right away I wanted to turn it into jewelry. You can find a piece and just say, ‘Wow, this would make a great pendant, or an earring,’” she says. She took classes on silversmithing at the local community college, and kept looking for beach glass (so named when it comes from fresh water; sea glass comes from salt water). “Then,” she says, “I found my first marble.”

The beach marble, to the uninitiated, is more or less the holy grail of lakeside treasures — made all the more desirable by the many legends of the object’s origins (more on that below). “They’re such a rare find that when you find one, you do a happy dance,” says Jeanne, who manages a veterinary office by day. “The mystery of them is so much fun.”

As a proud member of The North American Sea Glass Association, she never alters the state of the marbles she finds. “I just wash them with warm soap and water.” The various colors, sizes and finishes of the baubles make each of her pieces unique. “Everything is one-of-a-kind” she says. “No one else in the world is wearing the same piece.”

She takes us through her process — and behind the mystery of the marbles.

Maker Stories

This Just In-Spiration: Meet Suzie Thomas

February 8, 2016

What gets an artist going and keeps them creating is certainly worth sharing, and every great connection starts with a simple introduction. Meet Suzie Thomas, the artist behind our new Shades of Blue Sea Glass Necklace.

Maker Stories

Penmanship Meets Pendant: BB Becker’s Your Story Necklace

February 3, 2016

Falling in love prompted BB Becker’s first attempt to make jewelry in the 1980s; he deconstructed and transformed found pieces into charming gifts for his future bride. Today, his work is a collaborative effort that marries BB’s lovingly-designed sterling silver pendants with his wife Josephine’s graceful handwriting.

This particularly pensive medallion bears a meditation on the bonds we share with family and friends. With one corner curled over as if turning a page on your personal story, each one is engraved with a quotation handwritten in delicate cursive that reads: “The only people who truly know your story are the ones who help you write it.” A recent conversation with BB revealed how ancient art, a meaningful sentiment, and the devoted characters who fill our personal stories inspired the creation of this writerly, wearable artwork.

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