The Uncommon Life

Our “Paper” Catalog

April 22, 2010

Before we started on our most recent catalog, we all got together and decided that we wanted something fresh! something new! something different! And that’s when it hit us like a lightning bolt from a paper cloud: “Let’s make everything out of paper!”

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Isn’t the catalog always made of paper?” And, yes, you would be right, the catalog is always made of paper. But beyond the pages, we wanted to incorporate paper as a unifying theme throughout the book. The catalog was divided into six chapters, all of which feature sets made entirely out of paper, paste and paint. We started with six, but we liked them so much, that we decided to up the ante to 12 (“How about a cover?” “Sure it only takes two days to make!”). These paper worlds vary from the size of a book (the cover) to the size of a real-life living room complete with paper couch. In all of the scenes the only thing that isn’t made out of paper is the product.

The Uncommon Life

It Ain’t Easy…

April 21, 2010

As Kermit the Frog so wisely said, “It ain’t easy being green.” That’s especially true when you work at UncommonGoods.

Three years ago, UG packed up in Manhattan and headed south to an emerging neighborhood in Brooklyn – Sunset Park – home to amazing tacos, friendly neighbors, few trees and tons of concrete. It also houses the Brooklyn Army Terminal, a massive penitentiary-style complex that served as the largest military supply base in the U.S. through WWII and is now the headquarters of businesses ranging from a family diner to a division of the NYPD. While functional, it’s not exactly stunning.

We want our enthusiasm for our company to shine inside the office and out. So here at BAT we are doing what we can with what we’ve got. A plot of dirt among the sidewalk? We’ll take it! A corner in the lobby for a potted plant? Don’t mind if we do.

The Uncommon Life

The Little Blog That Could

April 21, 2010

I never thought this day would come.

Ever since I started working at UncommonGoods three years ago, whispers of a blog have echoed through the hallways of UG. We would have meetings about this so-called blog, brainstorm for ideas, and, then, just like that, we would decide to do something else instead.

And so, the idea of the blog was filed away. Put into a notebook for safekeeping. It became a recurring idea, showing its face every six months or so, and then disappearing once again into the background.

Right on schedule, the blog came up again in a meeting this past January. Except this time it was in a power point presentation – so you know we meant business! But besides our fancy presentation, there was something else that was different. With the help of Facebook and Twitter, UncommonGoods was no longer about us, it was about all of you. Our customers don’t just shop with us; they are our friends, our fans, the people we talk to everyday, and the people who help shape who we are as a company.

We see this blog as just one more way to break down the barriers between company and customer. A way to share our ideas and inspirations with each other. A way to have a conversation and ask each other questions. A way to learn more about our artists, designers, and, of course, our customers.

So without further ado, I am excited to introduce the UncommonGoods blog! Turns out, all we needed to start a blog – was you:)

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