FEATURED DESIGNERS
Studio Gorm, Eugene, OR, USA
Partners Wonhee Jeong and John Arndt met while pursuing MFAs at the acclaimed Design Academy Eindhoven in The Netherlands. Their eclectic backgrounds include a BFA in ceramics, a BFA in sculpture, studies at a fine woodworking academy, and the study of the Japanese tea ceremony. This unique combination of experience is evident in work which is carefully considered, beautifully crafted, and warmly human. They have worked with architecture office MVRDV, Studio Bertjan Pot, Droog Design, and have shown their work at the famed Salon de Mobile in Milan. Jeong and Arndt are professors of design at The University of Oregon.
Iacoli & McAllister, Seattle, WA, USA
Fond of steel, sandblasting, and giant table saws, Jamie Iacoli & Brian McAllister put a fair bit of grit into their products, but their use of punchy, high-gloss colors makes their industrial style look friendly. The team pays great attention to the fine details of finishing by making all their high-quality products in the U.S.. Iacoli & McAllister founded JOIN Seattle in 2008 with the mission to promote and advance design in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
iacolimcallister.com/
Von Tundra, Portland, OR, USA
With a strong foundation honed at Oregon College of Art and Craft, Dan Anderson and Chris Held bring warmth, efficiency of form, and integrity to their handcrafted objects. More than just builders, these thoughtful and multi-talented designers have designed everything from juice carts to rustic communal dinners in the desert. Now they've launched a collection of furniture close to Woonwinkel's heart, with a coffee table modeled after the store's fixtures that Anderson and Held built by hand.
vontundra.com/
Studiomoe, Portland, OR, USA
Studiomoe creates elegantly simple furniture that draws inspiration from the clean lines and graceful joinery of Scandinavian and Japanese design. Due to their straightforward design, Studiomoe's pieces thrive in any setting. Each piece is handcrafted from sustainably harvested materials in Portland, Oregon. Designer Andrew Moe hails from a long line of woodworkers– a background that is paired with a design education in studio art from Princeton and furniture design from Massachusetts College of Art. Studiomoe opened in 2005 and launched their Oslo line at ICFF in 2009. Since then, they have been featured in such design publications as Dwell, Metropolis, and Interior Design.
studiomoe.com/
Ladies and Gentlemen, Seattle, WA, USA
The lady is Jean Lee and the gentleman is Dylan Davis. Together they share a passion for collecting vintage objects. Discontent with simply collecting, they started making things that repurposed or embellished existing vintage pieces. Not so much prim and proper as they are crafty and clever, Ladies and Gentlemen added cheeky original designs to their product line and immediately became darlings of the blogosphere.
ladiesandgentlemenstudio.com/
Esque, Portland, OR, USA
While working side by side at Urban Glass in Brooklyn, Justin Parker and Andi Kovel discovered a common vision that led to Esque Studio. With solid art theory, technique, and a prestigious apprenticeship with Italian masters in their back pockets, the two immediately began breaking the rules. The studio is known for new forms and concepts in glass, sometimes pushing the boundaries of politeness, but leading to exhibitions with ground breakers such as Damien Hirst, Claes Oldenburg and Kiki Smith. In 2007 they were named as one of Time Magazine's Design 100, who lauded their artistic vision and green practices.
esque-studio.com/
Pigeon Toe, Portland, OR, USA
Lisa Jones spent years working in the organized worlds of graphic design, marketing, and video installation until the urge to get her hands dirty compelled her to launch Pigeon Toe. Reaching back to her roots as a 9-year old ceramicist, she took up throwing clay once again and launched a home decor collection deemed by Sunset Magazine as perfectly giftable. Committed to sourcing materials and talent locally whenever she can, she's the consummate collaborator, a trait she sees as particularly Portlandian.
Caravan Pacific, Portland, OR, USA
Caravan Pacific is a Portland-based company dedicated to crafting classic American lighting. By using quality materials, expert craftsmanship and inspired design, they strive to make lighting and home goods that endure the test of time and are worthy of being passed on to future generations. Founder Shannon Guirl is a former television editor who turned to wood turning and ceramics to cure a creative itch and found a new passion in designing mid century lighting. With the aid of a successful Kickstarter campaign and a team of skilled craftspeople in Portland, she was able to launch Caravan Pacific, a small company that focuses on creating products that will be cherished as much as they are used.
Makelike, Portland, OR, USA
Designers Topher Sinkinson and Mary Kysar will design anything. And will likely be recognized for it. Projects ranging from film and video to packaging for clients as diverse as Converse and Kiehl's have earned them accolades in iDn, Surface, The New York Post, Emigre, Art Director's Club, Type Director's Club, and Communication Arts Design Annual 2005. Eager to get their hands on yet another medium, the studio ventured into home decor, launching quirky, nature-inspired collections of wallpaper, tea towels, and pillowcases which are as nice to touch as they are to look at.
Nell & Mary, Portland, OR, USA
Nell & Mary was founded in 2011 by Krista Stovel, Leah Stovel, and Avery Bloom, who have a collective background rooted in interior design, fashion, art, sustainability and manufacturing. They sought out to create a collection with a refined, unique aesthetic while remaining environmentally and socially conscious. Every piece in their line is cut, sewn, and screen-printed in their own studio in Portland, Oregon. They source all of their material, which is either deadstock or organic, and screenprint with water-based inks. They find a wide range of influences for their unique patterns, including imagery from Scandinavia, Japan, the Pacific Northwest, and the mid-century.
Spacecraft, Portland, OR, USA
Portland-based 3D design studio, Spacecraft, is a collaborative effort between Ben Ediger and Todd Isaacs. Together they merge traditional materials and techniques with clean lines so that the end result is a range of designs that stand the test of time. Spacecraft is part workshop and part idea factory whose work includes hand-tooled furniture, fixtures, interiors, and even unexpected art-based events.
Takara, Portland, OR, USA
Takara is a global-inspired jewelry collection designed by Jen Goff, who finds inspiration in traditional craft techniques and meditative working processes. Each piece is handmade in a small workshop in Portland, Oregon. The materials used are chosen because of their rich colors, which articulate a vital connection to the natural world. Jen’s background is varied and her travels have taken her all across the world where she has explored photography, worked on farms and gardens, and studied medicinal herbs before ultimately settling down in Portland to make jewelry. Jen’s working process is intuitive and expresses a desire to connect beauty with everyday life through objects of personal adornment.
