At Remodelista, we love to discover budding talent; fostering unknown designers is one of the most rewarding aspects of what we do. And I myself love have made some great finds, including in my own neck of the woods, via Etsy.com. For those of you who also like to support independent artists and new ventures, here's a selection of gifts from some of our favorite small studios, many of whom have shops on Etsy.
N.B.: To make sure we've got everyone on your list covered, we're posting a new gift guide every weekday from now until Christmas. See all of the Gift Guides to date in our archive.
Above: Designer Charlotte Bravo's Maryland studio, The Vintage Vogue, was born out of "a love for handcrafted objects" and a set of skills picked up while studying interior architecture and design. Her Dipped Wood Trays are satisfying simple designs. They're available in white or gold leaf and come in three sizes: eight inch, $32; 12 inch, $50; and 14 inch, $60.
Above: Boston workshop Pilgrim Waters, a business run by artist Suzy Pilgrim Waters and her computer animator husband Keith Waters, has long had an avid local following—you can find its designs at the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum and ICA gift shops, among other places—and is beginning to reach a wider audience. Made from an ultra-soft wool and silk blend, Suzy's Merino Boulders Throw, 96 inches long and 60 inches wide, is available at Horne, $498, as well as directly from Pilgrim Waters.
Above: Light and Ladder is a Brooklyn design collective that exhibited at the recent Remodelista Market in New York. The brass Parallax Bottle Opener, part utilitarian object part sculpture, is just one of the many useful pieces in the Light and Ladder collection. The bottle opener is available in a duotone finish for $65 and in a satin finish for $75.
Above: Portland, Oregon's Pecan Workshop was founded by construction worker Joe Busch as a way to make use of all of the "dumped and doomed" wood he was seeing pile up in dumpsters. We particularly like his Handmade Wooden Stools, which are 18 or 25 inches tall, $95 each. They're also available in custom colors and sizes.
Above: French-born designer Sophie Truong now makes her home in Boston, where she fashions original bags and purses for her line, Stitch and Tickle. Made by hand from supple leathers, Sophie's creations include this classic Simple Leather Tote, $295, which measures 13.5 inches tall and 12.5 inches wide, and comes in six shades (cognac is shown here). Her small clutches and purses start at $60.
Above: We've been admiring the understated elegance of Bobby Koerper's lighting for a while now. This handmade, modern Brass Wall or Ceiling Light is available through the Kansas City, Missouri-native's Etsy shop, Polite KCMO; $40. Choose from standard or candelabra base. Also available in steel for $40.
Above: Designer/stylist Shelley Jacobsen of Jac and Jill channels her love of Scandinavian style and the natural splendor of her native British Columbia into these Cotton Flour Sack Pillow Covers made from flour sack towels that she hand dyes. Available in 13 colors, they measure 12 inches by 18 inches; $24.40 per cover (insert not included).
For more Etsy discoveries, see 10 Favorite Nautical Finds and Lighting: Earth Sea Warrior on Etsy.