PMO Designs "Bone n Cozy" cups are handcrafted by young Canadian talent and handknit by their moms. Photo: Jessica Cumberbatch
There's just something about the winter that seems to inspire creativity. Walking through the 'Handmade' section of this week's New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF), on the hunt for new handmade wares, made me wonder how many were born on colorless winter days like this one. A good number, I would guess, since what I found was at once cozy and bright and totally clever.
Check out some of this year's thoroughly inspired handmade offerings at the NYIGF:
The design duo behind The Green Glass Co. use reclaimed and recycled glass bottles to make fun housewares like this coat rack (above) and tumblers (below). I also especially liked their bud vases made from bottle necks and sealed to contain water. Coat rack, $72.50 and tumblers, $32.50 for a set of four.
Florida designer Christian Lee's felt-on-burlap creations are as vibrant as they come -- they are super sweet, too. Each design, is named after a member of her family like the shower curtain named "Mary Gracious" above, who Christian describes as, "Bold, confident, full of beauty." Shower curtain, $178.
This hand-knit chess set is the work of i golfini della nonna, whose collection of knit toys are 100% cotton and 100% adorable. Look for them at retailers like Garnet Hill, Moss, Anthropologie and Takashimaya.
It was love at first sight between me and this collection of embroidered home goods by textile designer Charlene Mullen. The intricate landscapes she's managed to create on pillows and throws and other housewares, like the lampshade above, are simply stunning.
Ever wonder just what to do with that unwieldy stack of old newspapers and magazines you've collected over the years? Los Angeles design team The News had a few ideas. Their collection of recycled paper goods are laminated and then sew together into a wide range of items from throw pillows (above) to placemats and coasters (below). Pillows, $18-$36; placemats, $6; and coasters, $3.
I've never been a huge fan of the whole log-cabin chic, deer-head-on-the-wall aesthetic, but if you tweak that concept a bit by replacing deer with, say, safari animals, paper maché and a team of artisans in Haiti, I'd seriously reconsider. Case in point: These handcrafted wall ornaments (above and below) by Aid to Artisans, whose grassroots approach to home designs employs artists all over the world.
These avian-inspired pendant lights by Brooklyn-based Perch! Design are handmade ceramic and come in seven different colors. They emit light through the belly, wings and tail of each bird, and can be either hardwired or lit with a plug and switch. $192 each.
Read more about this week's International Gift Fair:
- Smart Designs at NYIGF
- Making the New Look Old from Good Bones, Great Pieces
