Home Decor – The Goods

Gift Guides

Dream Designs for the Home Decorator

November 28, 2016

They were into reclaimed wood before it was cool. They can cruise through the Craigslist “free” page and wind up with a charming vintage coffee table that would probably cost thousands brand new. Stepping foot into their not-trying-too-hard-yet-still-dripping-with-effortless-style apartment strikes visitors with envy. It’s hard having a dream home decorator for a friend, whether they do it for a living or it’s just the way they live. Don’t fret, though – we’ve put together a guide of some of our choicest home design finds so you can give them a gift worthy of their already carefully curated collection.

The Uncommon Life

10 Easy to Grow Succulents for Every Home [Infographic]

October 6, 2016

With spring on the way it’s time to spruce up your gardening game. If you’re hoping for an easy and beautiful indoor garden sanctuary try succulents. Succulent plants come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, suitable to all kinds of interior spaces. Easily identified by their juicy leaves and stems, these plants aren’t just pretty—they’re designed to hold water during droughts. Good news for the forgetful gardener: succulents are resilient, hardy, and versatile.

But with thousands of varieties to choose from, it’s hard to know which types of succulents are right for your indoor space. Low levels of natural light and cooler temperatures mean you’ll need to adjust how much water and fertilizer you use. Some adapt to hanging planters and terrariums better than others and some indoor succulents can even be toxic to your pets. When you get right down to it, there is a lot to know about succulent care! That’s why we’ve researched and compiled a list of 10 favorite indoor succulents to brighten up your home as the spring sunshine begins to brighten our days.

Design

Shirt Tales: Personal Shirt and Message Pillow Stories

August 1, 2016

Personal Shirt and Message Pillow | UncommonGoods

Most of us have an old shirt in the back of a drawer that we just can’t bear to get rid of. Maybe it doesn’t fit quite right anymore, or maybe it just doesn’t work with your current wardrobe, but throwing it out or even donating it just doesn’t feel like an option. Maybe that shirt is from an unforgettable concert or a big game. Maybe it’s from a special day, like that tuxedo shirt from your wedding that means a lot, but will probably never be worn again. Or maybe it’s a shirt that was passed on to you by someone special. Just because you don’t wear it anymore doesn’t mean you can’t show it off. Turn it into a Personal Shirt and Message Pillow to give your old shirt a new use.

A few folks on our team had t-shirts with sentimental value, and now they have brand new pillows stuffed with memories (and synthetic, goose-friendly down).

Maker Stories

Inside the Maker’s Studio with Splyt Light designer Jason Krugman

May 13, 2016

Splyt Light Designer Jason Krugman in his Brooklyn studio, photos by Rachel Orlow

There’s an exciting energy that runs through Jason Krugman’s workspace in the New Lab at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The open, industrial space fosters cross-pollination of ideas in an environment where science, technology, invention, and art meet. Nearby, an experimental collaborative of architects works on design and material concepts that seem drawn from science fiction—from mushroom bricks to human shelters made from cricket colonies. In the midst of this fantastic innovation, Jason and his partner, Scott Leinweber, created the Splyt Light, an innovative new lighting design that lets consumers build their own unique fixture from a kit of modular parts. We visited Jason’s light-filled space for a look at where Splyt was born, and a conversation about his work sculpting with light and finding ways to share that exhilarating experience with others. Continue Reading…

Design

Uncommon Design School:
Spring Cleaning Inspiration
from Marie Kondo and William Morris

March 23, 2016

Spring is a time when many people’s thoughts turn to spring cleaning, the traditional tidying and ritual ridding of the clutter of winter. Accordingly, this uncommon design school session considers two views on weeding out—philosophies to guide the often difficult decision of what to discard and what to keep in your home.

On the Other Hand Clock

Design

8 Spring Cleaning Tips To Clean and Organize Your Way into a Fresh Season

March 15, 2016

Woo-hoo! Warmer weather is just around the corner, meaning, well, yes, barbecues and bikinis are on the way, but also… ’tis the season for home organization and spring cleaning. ~~Fooey~~ Yay!

Looking for simple solutions for how to organize your home and keep your house clean? (Some of us believe that not cleaning is the simplest solution of all, but we really shouldn’t go there.) We’ve collected some good ideas, ranging from de-cluttering tips to a weekly cleaning schedule. These 8 steps will help you easily and effectively spring clean your way into the season. When you’re done, you can celebrate with some well-deserved cocktails or wine. (Of course, it would never, ever occur to us to suggest a bit of tippling while you’re cleaning. Nor have we ever done this ourselves!)

Shibori Doormat with Bootscrape

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.

Design

5 Simple Steps for Entryway Designs Made Easy

February 25, 2016

Whether it’s a coveted job interview, the cover of a book you want to buy, or even the interior design of your home, first impressions matter. Since your entryway is, architecturally speaking, the first “impression” of your home, it needs to make a statement. Think of it as a snapshot of your unique sense of design and what your home represents to you. And if that sounds like too much pressure, don’t worry. Here are some easy design steps to help you through the process of creating an entryway that screams you.

The first place to begin is simple: look at your space and think about your needs. Is there enough room for a chair and table, or will you need to focus all the attention on wall hangings? Does the area feel small and dark or blank and impersonal? When you walk in the door, do you drop your keys, mail, shoes, and umbrella here, or do you already have an organized spot for your things? Questions like these will help solidify the function of this room, which will give you a list of “must haves”—and from there comes the fun. Time for creativity to take over and start decorating from the outside, in!

Photo by Gabrielle Blair, Design Mom
from The Treehouse: Hallway Turned Mudroom

1) Begin with your walls and floor. If color is your thing, don’t be afraid to go bold. Choose a loud hue or even a high-drama wallpaper that pops the second you walk in the door. If that makes you dizzy to even think about, keep it straightforward. White is always classy and never bores when paired with the right accessories. If you go this route, a colorful or textured rug will add warmth to your entryway without being too in-your-face.

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