Home Goods
Here's an offering of simple home goods. Many are a part of our home; all are useful, understated and natural.
Tivoli Audio makes simply designed and easy to use audio products. And, can I just say, how about their looks? If compact, unobtrusive audio with excellent sound quality that's housed in a solid wood case is what you're looking for, then here you go. This Model One BT has radio and bluetooth capabilities. I have a feeling this little number just might be under our Christmas tree this year. Also available is this version.
Storage bins and baskets are indespensible in keeping a household of things corralled and orderly. If you choose bins that are aesthetically pleasing and made of lasting materials, all the better. This felt and leather one designed by South Carolina company, Kasefox, fills the bill.
The folks at UK company Creamore Mill are crafters of wooden goods for the home and garden. Any poster, unframed print, or kid's art would look beautiful simply hung with this oak poster hanger.
Sometimes all you need is a narrow ledge. Hung low where children can reach their face-out books; hung in the kitchen so cookbooks become art; hung in the living room for artwork or photos; or hung in the entry for notes, quotes, and keys. It's a simple solution for a clutter-free house. This oak ledge is made in England by Creamore Mill.
Unfinished pine crates have been indespensible in our home for years. We've used them for toy storage, we've stacked them to make bookcases, we've slid them beneath beds as drawers. Some are in the larder now holding our foodstuffs. The one I'm showing you here is from Ikea. I've gotten mine from Home Depot and Michaels. If you're needing pine crates in your life, buy them from those sources, they cost much less than they do here.
Hang it by the back (or front) door, hang it in the bathroom, hang it in the closet, hang it in the kitchen, just hang a peg rail somewhere. Sometimes the simple peg is all that's needed to keep things from being tossed to the floor. This peg rail is made from oak by Creamore Mill.
Simple and classic, with a white face and easy to read numbers, this aluminum wall clock would compliment any home. Made in Japan.
Put a hook right where you need one. We have several wrought iron double arm hooks in the loft to catch all manner of boy gear. In the bathroom, we use vintage iron hooks, similar to these, in lieu of a towel bar - a great way to hang more towels in less space. Here, also, is a single arm hook.
The classic beeswax candle is the most-used candle in our house. All-natural and free of additives, beeswax has a subtle honey scent and improves air quality. I love the color. Bluecorn Naturals, a Colorado company, is who I purchase from. They also offers tapers, pillars, and tea lights. Hmm. Looks like there's a problem with the photo link to the votives on the other end. Here you go.
On our bed right now are Whisper Organics white bed sheets. Made with 100% GOTS certified long staple organic cotton, these sateen sheets have a soft, silk-like finish and are naturally hypoallergenic. The fitted sheet has deep pockets with elastic around the entire perimeter. Included in the queen set is a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, and two standard pillow cases. Made in India from Indian cotton.
In the middle of a particularly determined cold snap last winter, I sourced a perfect-condition vintage wool blanket in creamy-white for our bed. We couldn't believe the difference it made. It was something like what you might expect from down, without the puff and fluff. We'll never go another winter with out it. This blanket from Pendleton is made in the USA from 100% virgin wool, and it's washable!
Years ago, at a flea market in a small Alaskan fishing village (of all places) I found a giant hand-carved dough bowl. It has moved from one end of the country to the other with us and currently sits on the floor of the living room full of books and magazines. This smaller one, sourced from Mexico, would look beautiful on a bookcase shelf, counter, or table filled with dried hydrangea, pine cones, a mass of blooming paperwhites, or a heap of fresh fruit or winter squash.
Get a large belly basket, put it near your sofa, and fill it with throw blankets. That is all.
This ticking striped coconut fiber doormat has been on our uncovered porch for over a year and I'm amazed at how well it's held up against sun, snow, rain, and wind. When it finally conks out, I'll get another. Handmade in India.
If you're just strating out, I recommend: quality bed sheets, iron hooks, beeswax candles, baskets, bins, and crates of your choice, and a door mat.
P.S. A reader asked if I would link the copper wire fairy lights I hang during the year's early months. Here you go.