Designer Tyler Hays established his signature luxe-rustic look at BDDW, his handmade furniture company in New York. More recently, he's delved into the world of trading blankets, stoneware mugs, and rural economic development as the rescue owner of M. Crow & Co., a general store in Lostine, Oregon, not far from where he himself grew up in the Wallowa valley trapping mink and building go karts.
"The Crow family tenaciously ran the store for 107 years," he says. "In 2012, I purchased the store to prevent its closure and the loss of an iconic memory of my childhood." Since then, he has been stocking it—and the M. Crow & Co. online shop—with his own work. "I am basically making from scratch the things I want or need and making extras and trying to sell them." His wants and needs? A self-described "awkward collision" of goods, from toy bows to ceramic pickle jars, all peerlessly crafted, stitched leather detailing often included—and beyond pricey. If you ask us, the American answer to Henry Beguelin has been born.
Above: Hanging Bud Vase of blown glass and leather, oak "hanging puck" included; $275.
Above: Striped Boiled Merino Wool Blanket, 65 by 50 inches, knit in Hays's other outpost, his Philadelphia studio; $700.
Above: Pair of Douglas fir plywood-encased Audiophile Speakers by Phila Audio Corp; $450.
Above: Stoneware Coffee Mug, $48, made from Wallowa County, Oregon, clay, and glazed with ashes from M.Crow's wood-burning stove.
"I have designed many of the products around locally gathered materials because my ultimate goal is to make the products there (currently, I make them in my Philadelphia studio)," says Hays.
Above: Bandsaw Blade Steak Knives of carbon steel with handles available in four woods (from left; black walnut, osage orange, toasted maple, and American holly); $65 each.
Above: Thin Cutting Board with leather covered handle, available in cherry, oak, and oxidized oak, from $210.
Above: Hays concocts his Bear Fighter's Hair Fixative "using only locally gathered materials: pine tar, beeswax from our hives, and oils we expell ourselves from local grains and other wild natural ingredients." The container is made of Wallowa County clay; $120.
Above: Waxed Canvas Tote with leather pocket, cord handles, and an interior tie closure in plaid; $450.
Above: Copper Hanger, 2 by 2.15 inches, bronze screws included, $45.
Above: Linen Beach Blanket with Leather Weights; $420.
M. Crow & Co. is at 133 Highway 82, Main Street in Lostine, in northeastern Oregon; it's open seven days a week.
We're longtime fans of Tyler Hays and BDDW; see some of our favorite designs here and check out his answer to the World's Most Beautiful Ping-Pong Table.
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