Home Decor – The Goods

Fall Giveaway!

October 7, 2011

ETA October 10, 2011: Congratulations to our Fall Giveaway winner, Joanna Z!

Joanna said, “I love the smell of ripe apples on the trees, the crisp, cool mornings, and pumpkins showing up at every grocery store, every produce stand, and on just about every front porch.”

Thanks to all who entered for your fabulous fall stories!

Colorful leaves, warm beverages, new fashion, and Halloween. What’s not to love about fall? To celebrate our admiration for autumn, we’re giving away some of our favorite fall goods! Read on to find out how you can win.

Vawn and Mike Gray aren’t novices when it comes to creating kiln-formed glass art. In fact, they developed their own process to turn old glass bottles into fused-glass masterpieces using an energy efficient, computer-controlled oven.

We love Vawn and Mike’s recycled glass nightlights. Their Recycled Pelican Nightlight and Recycled Sandpiper Night Light are so popular, we added another bird to the lineup, just in time for fall!
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Design

Comments of the Week

September 30, 2011

Last week’s favorites, Modern Cat Scratch Frames and Fortune Teller Napkins are still going strong in our community voting app, but we’ve also added a few new items for your voting pleasure this week!

Our community is speaking up to share their feedback on a cozy hoodie that keeps your phone comfy, extra padding for your baby’s little knees, and more potential uncommon goods.

We fully support your efforts to make your cat a lover of the arts. Thanks for the comment, Judy!

Design

Comments of the Week

September 23, 2011

This week our voting app is loaded with bold handmade jewelry designs, a fortuitous frill for your next dinner party, and home decor both you and your cat will love. Here’s what our voters are saying about these dynamic new designs.

Hmmm. Perhaps if we carry this Modern Cat Scratch Frame Christy can place the first order and finally have an excuse to get that cat she’s always wanted!

Don’t worry, Laura, these Fortune Teller Napkins are something of a cross between fortune cookie fortunes and table linens. No cooties involved!

Although Laura isn’t enthusiastic about the future of these fabulously folded cloth napkins, Elena has another view:

Either the ‘e’ key got stuck down, or Elena really, really loves this product! Either way, thanks for the comment, Elena!

Thanks for the feedback, Xena. Perhaps those with brass allergies won’t be jumping on these lovely Bar and Circle Brass Necklaces, but, fortunately, those folks have options! Artist Kathleen Plate also makes stunning pieces in sterling silver.

We love Kathleen’s jewelry, which is handmade from recycled glass bottles. Janine’s comment says it well:

If you agree with Janine that Kathleen’s 5-piece Brass Lariat Necklace is perfect for UncommonGoods, or want to weigh in on these other potential products, visit our voting app and leave some feedback of your own!

Design

Scratch That!

September 22, 2011

Shannon said: “If they come in more than one color it would be pretty cool to use as an art piece that kitty can enjoy”

Lisa said: “Interactive art for felines! Tres cool.”

@HurryHurryATL weighed in via Twitter: “@UncommonGoods Would it have to be hung at cat’s eye level? And a trend is born.”

Shannon will be pleased to know that this fun frame also comes in black. The functional feline accessory allows you to save space by nixing the traditional scratching post, while guests in your home will look twice at this chic modern wall art before realizing that the center is a nylon fiber insert, made for your kitty’s playful paws.

Although it does have to hung within your cat’s reach, eye level might be a bit low. Make that cuddly critter stand on tip toes and get in a good stretch!

If you love the Modern Cat Scratch Frame visit our community voting app and let us know if you’d prefer purple or black.

Maker Stories

Terra-bly Delightful Design

September 22, 2011

Ed. note: Next month we’re hosting a ceramics design challenge here at UncommonGoods, and we can’t wait to see all your beautiful, clever and unique creations. But ceramics can be a somewhat broad category. If you’re wondering what sorts of product entries we’re looking for– well, would it be fair to say everything? We love pottery and ceramics– plates, cups, vases, decorative objects, all of it. Especially pieces that make you start talking. And there’s no doubt that Michael Terra’s designs are conversation starters.

If you’re a frequent reader of our blog, check out our product stories, or subscribe to our emails, you’ve probably noticed that we don’t shy away from wordplay. So, when we heard that ceramicist Michael Terra’s new products were taking puns to the another level–the third dimension–we couldn’t resist.

“I like looking at what everyone else is doing and then look in another direction and look at what no one else is looking at,” Michael explains. “I love puns at any time, and as I was thinking about word conversions I realized that there was a multiple way of seeing/hearing the sounds of language that we use everyday.”

His Writer’s Block and Ceramic “Reading” Glasses play on the multiple ways we see and hear language.

Design

Good Fortune

September 22, 2011

Heather said: “I love this idea. Among other things, these would make a perfect hostess gift. Very unique; very creative, and a definite converstion starter. I will be disappointed if these aren’t available for sale!”

Lisa said: “I love conversation-starters like this when I’m entertaining!”

Deb said: “LOVE! These are awesome, they’d be super cute for a dinner party.”

Featuring original text and illustrations by Lea Redmond, these Fortune Teller Napkins let you relive the good ol’ days of elementary and junior high school without the fear of catching cooties.

Instead of offering the name of the classmate you’ll marry, these clever cloth napkins open to show words of wisdom. Check out this video to see how they work, then visit our community voting app to tell us whether you see these Fortune Tellers in our future.

Maker Stories

Pillow Talk

September 19, 2011

Ed. note. We’re pleased and excited to announce that Jono Pandolfi will be a guest judge for our Ceramics Design Challenge, coming soon. If you have dreams of selling your pottery or ceramics on UncommonGoods.com, get ready to enter!

A few years ago, Jono Pandolfi was working with Chef Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park, an upscale restaurant on Madison Avenue in New York City, collaborating on ways to present the food to accentuate its delicate nature. Although he was hard at work on some abstract designs, when the Pillow Plate popped into his head, he knew he was on to something.

“I pretty much abandoned all of the other ideas at that point, because I knew that the pillow would be perfect for what he wanted to do,” says Jono, who works in porcelain, ceramic, and silver in his New Jersey studio.

Maker Stories

Beauty in Boulders

September 9, 2011

New York City designer Anna Rabinowicz studied Industrial Design as an undergrad, went on to earn an MFA in Design and an MS in Engineering from the Product Design Program of Stanford University, and has a background in technology and medical device design. Of course, with this high-tech, industrial background, it only made sense that Anna’s next step was to start working with multimillion-year-old stones.

Anna works with agate, an exceptionally strong mineral formed from cooled lava as it changes over millions of years. The volcanic rocks look average from the outside, but crack them open, and you’ll see something extraordinary–beautiful patterns of color created by water rising and falling within the bubbles in the rock over time.

The stunning stone has been incorporated into jewelry for centuries, worn and treasured to symbolize truth and inner beauty. Now, in this age of technology, Anna uses her knowledge of modern design and production to bring the age-old talisman to a new generation. Her Agate Drop Necklace is a way to own millions of years of natural history for only $120.

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