Gift-giving can be a hard, even grueling, task. How can you be sure you pick something your recipient will actually love? One way of making your gift count is by personalizing it. A personal gift will most likely be cherished. Luckily for us, we don’t even have to be crafty. Gift brand, Hereafter, aims to create products that can […]
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]]>Gift-giving can be a hard, even grueling, task. How can you be sure you pick something your recipient will actually love? One way of making your gift count is by personalizing it. A personal gift will most likely be cherished. Luckily for us, we don’t even have to be crafty.
Gift brand, Hereafter, aims to create products that can be held, appreciated, and remembered. Founded by designer Yvonne Leung, the small brand offers handcrafted wooden keepsakes that are both unique and sustainable. Their products include hand-bound journals, Christmas ornaments, and wooden cards. They also include customized and personalized items (our favorite is their wooden keepsake boxes).
The items are made in Hereafter’s studio in LA. “Most Hereafter products start out as slats of wood,” explained Leung in an interview with Etsy’s blog. “We laser cut the slats with the designs and break them down into individual pieces. We also hand-stain our walnut keepsake boxes to make sure the engraving pops against the dark color of the wood.”
According to Leung, her business grew over time, beginning with a simple idea: making a unique wooden card, made to last. She then started selling her products at local craft fairs, after which she expanded with sales to online shoppers and store owners. “At first it was all me, but now I know what I’m good at and I have a team that helps me by doing the things that they’re great at,” she relayed. “For me, it’s inspirational to give other people creative freedom. Usually I’ll have a seed of an idea in terms of what I want to see this season, and then I collaborate with my team to bring those ideas to life.”
Over the past decade, the business has grown its product line, created new designs, and introduced special offerings that help people find gifts of love for almost any occasion. As a small company, they also look at their impact on the environment from the moment a new product or design is considered through development, manufacturing, sales, and delivery.
They’ve also committed to donating at least $1 from each online purchase to timely initiatives including social justice, civil rights, women’s rights, and international aid. All in all, their products make for the ideal gift.
Shop for their unique keepsakes here and here.
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If anything, this past year has taught us the importance of taking care of our immediate environment—our home, that is. And while a total home renovation comes at a hefty price, making your living area a little more inviting doesn’t necessarily mean breaking the bank. Designer Tatiana Nedialkova argues that beautifying your living space can be […]
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]]>If anything, this past year has taught us the importance of taking care of our immediate environment—our home, that is. And while a total home renovation comes at a hefty price, making your living area a little more inviting doesn’t necessarily mean breaking the bank. Designer Tatiana Nedialkova argues that beautifying your living space can be as easy as changing a tea towel.
The founder and artist behind the small home goods brand Softer + Wild aims to transform everyday items into magical
flashes of inspiration that add a colorful twist to your home. With her products fabric-oriented, selected designs include tea towels, oven mitts, and aprons. Working closely with textile designer Paula Downes, Nedialkova (who comes from a background of graphic design and illustration), draws and designs the unique screen printed patterns.
Having studied at Chelsea College of Art & Design in London, Nedialkova is based in Britain, where she also produces her line of products. An admirer of simple, clean, beautiful interior design, the brand’s designs are Scandinavian in style with patterns including botanical and naturalistic themes. Another source of inspiration is Bulgarian folk tales.
One of the brand’s more popular products is its unique oven mitts. “They don’t have the typical shape—they’re kind of a long, double glove,” explained Nedialkova in an interview with Etsy’s blog. “In terms of patterns, the nordic design is a best-seller, especially on the oven mitts,” she added. “I think people like it because the design is so different from what you usually get on a product like this. My botanical prints also do well. They have this timeless floral appeal; there’s something really classic about them.”
And while Nedialkova’s add that extra something-something to your home, they also make for the perfect gift. “I’ve made things in the past and given them as gifts to friends,” she notes. “And then when I visit a few years later, it’s really nice to see the objects being part of their environment and habits and life. In the same way, it was very exciting when people started to buy my art—to think it really ends up in someone’s home and can transform their space in some way.”
You can purchase yourself a Softer + Wild item on their online store or via Etsy.
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London-based designer, entrepreneur, and cognitive-behavioral therapist, Natalie Manima, understands the importance of a vibrant, positive environment. “A house is more than just a mere shelter,” she quotes John Saladino on her website, “it should lift us emotionally and spiritually”. The mastermind behind the home goods line Bespoke Binny, Manima embraces the notion that “home is where […]
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]]>London-based designer, entrepreneur, and cognitive-behavioral therapist, Natalie Manima, understands the importance of a vibrant, positive environment. “A house is more than just a mere shelter,” she quotes John Saladino on her website, “it should lift us emotionally and spiritually”.
The mastermind behind the home goods line Bespoke Binny, Manima embraces the notion that “home is where the heart is”, stressing that a home is a reflection of you is essential to your wellbeing. “I’ve always been into home stuff,” she admitted in an interview with the Etsy blog. “I love watching renovation shows on TV. So I started making things for my own home”.
After getting positive feedback from her friends, she decided to start selling her creations, launching her Etsy shop in 2013, and going to craft markets and trade shows. According to Manima, she decided on a home decor line after seeing African prints used in clothing, but not in home goods.
Her intuition proved right. These days her brand is thriving and includes a variety of home goods, such as lampshades, pillows, throws, aprons, and oven mitts—all made to add a splash of color to your home. Being of Ghanaian descent, Manima’s products are inspired by Africa, using African prints.
“I think that not enough people know about the beauty of African prints,” says Manima. “I’m going to get on my soapbox now—I think they get seen as something seasonal, for summer, or something tribal, in terms of fashion. They’re not seen as something to wear for everyday. But these prints are for everyday!”
In addition to African prints, she also uses wax prints – fabrics that have patterns that are printed on over the wax. “They are like batik, and they have errors on the fabric that are considered beautiful—the imperfections are part of their beauty,” she notes.
Visit her online store and follow her on Instagram for more:
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