Paul is a former Creative Director and Design Consultant, with a background in architecture and graphic design. He has worked in-house for Bloomingdale’s and the Gap Inc. And has consulted on numerous design projects across the globe including Mulberry (London), Anthropologie (Philadelphia), Gucci, Trussardi, (Italy), Wave (Bangkok), and Crabtree & Evelyn (London/CT). A native of Chicago, he has always had wanderlust, and through his extensive travel, has searched for beauty and design inspiration in the cities, towns and places that he has lived in and traveled to. When he came to Boston from NYC on a one-year design project, he could never imagine that we would be living here 20 years later — deciding to leave corporate life for a smaller more intimate project of his own. Over time the design history of New England drew him in, and influenced his design approach, aesthetic and the current evolution of his shop “good”.
Read More“All of my pieces start with an idea or a form that’s compelling to me, something that buzzes in the back of my mind until I figure out how it’s supposed to transform into jewelry. I’m always working to create pieces that are not only visually compelling but that also feel like they belong on the body – they should just feel good when you wear them. My favorite part is the wax carving process. It requires a combination of vision, technique and patience that challenges my abilities in a way I find very satisfying. I love putting the final smoothing touches on a wax original before sending it off to my caster to transform into recycled bronze, silver, or 14k gold.”
Read More“Knotting and weaving have been passions of mine dating back to my friendship bracelet making days in grade school and the love of sailing growing up with my dad. I’ve always been fascinated by nautical knots and the designs that can be created. Daydream Weaver started as a creative and therapeutic outlet for me and has quickly shaped into a stylish collection of accessories. Choosing shapes are the starting point and where my knotting will evolve. I lean towards bold shapes to give my pieces a modern look so my knotting will either compliment or contrast to stand out. My color palette is chosen seasonally which is always fun (and a bit stressful) to find. My favorite part by far is the prototyping of the knot design to create the piece and to see where the pattern unfolds.”
Read MoreTROUW by Kate Trouw is a collection of elegant yet playful statement pieces which can be worn every day. Made by hand in our cliff-top studio in Scotland we use non-precious materials to make jewellery inspired by our coastal location. It’s important to me that what I make is wearable and accessible – I don’t want to make art jewellery that no one can afford, but at the same time I want to be experimental and try new things, so its about getting a balance between the two. The end product has to be something that I can make in volume and a wide enough audience will want to wear! I make everything by hand here in my studio. At the moment my favourite thing is pairing up pieces of sea glass from the beach to make the Found collection earrings. A coating of resin brings the glass back to life and the colour combinations are ace.
Read MoreIf gratitude had a shape it would be a spiral — and we’re lost in a labyrinth of appreciation for our Shoppe Object community. This Small Business Saturday and everyday, we’re thinking of our independent brands, our inspired makers and artists, our peerless retailers, and everyone among us who works to keep the wheels of creation, commerce, and gift giving spinning. We’re so thankful to have enough and more, so that our spirals can expand outward to spread love and cheer this season. Give, receive, turn, turn, turn.
Read MorePollock had his first show here, as did Gorky — and some of our favorite brands for home and gift have gotten their start or made their way into the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s famed Museum Shop over the years. Known for being one of the most imitated and pace-setting museum stores in the country, the shop carries an extensive array of complementary souvenirs to the museum’s collection of more than 33,000 pieces of contemporary masterworks, as well as the best selection of brands and designers from around the world. SFMoMA and the Museum Store are both open now, with COVID precautions and limited capacity in place, so book a time and enjoy the serenity of social distancing if you’re local. We’re always keen to know what catches their buying team’s eyes at Shoppe Object, so we’re pleased to present six standouts from the Shoppe On Marketplace selected by SFMoMA’s Interim Museum Store Director Howard Thornton.
Read MoreIt’s Sagittarius season, and we need all the comic and carefree relief we can get. Take a cue from the archer’s signature hilarious, IDGAF and ready-for-anything traits, because when the world’s turned upside down, there’s no better soul medicine than laughter. From chortles to roars, laughter is up there with diet and exercise for optimum health, so we’re comfort-watching reruns of old sitcoms and finding solace in Twitter’s wittiest quips as part of our self-care this week. Winks and clever nods across cards, novelties and grin-making shapes are just what the doctor ordered.
Read MoreOk, “cute” can be an offhanded insult when used dismissively to undermine someone, but sweet stuff makes the world go ‘round – especially when it comes to things for our little ones. Tiny and delicate or squishy and puffy, wide-eyed and smiley, fluffy or feathered, there’s something about loveable goods that make us smile and keep us in positive vibes. Take a cue from Japan where kawaii is culture, and add a dash of adorable to any and everything.
Read MoreWe’re all homeschool teachers now! There’s never been a better time to make the right investments in all the books, toys and creative tools that help our littlest ones in any and all ways to learn and grow. Almost everything children do is a learning experience, and because that state of wonder and hyper absorption is so fleeting, it’s even more important to make those experiences count. Books that influence and inspire, act as mirrors and also expose them to new things are precious lessons each. Provide them with toys to treasure that are made to last and spark imaginative play, with craft kits for them to go crazy and get messy with, and with all the things they’ll love and love.
Read MoreBegun by Indus Valley peoples, Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, bathing has been a treasured, sacred and spiritual rite of civilization for thousands of years. Cold, hot, and every temperature in between, cultures and religions everywhere value bathing for reasons hygienic, ritualistic and transcendental. With family members in a Hinoki soaker in Japan, a social, thermal dip in the magnesium-rich waters of a Palm Springs resort, or just an hour of alone time in a shallow fiberglass tub in your apartment, one thing’s certain; bathing is special. Pamper, indulge and make bath time better with all the accouterments for an amazing bathroom sesh; think candles, books, salts, scrubs, herbs, brushes, rubber duckies, soaps, oils, lotions, mellow tunes or sweet silence.
Read MoreTo be frank, we’re totally onboard with the theories about Cannabis Prohibition being some larger evil scheme to keep wellness away from the people. And worse, we know the federal ban of cannabis in the US was directly related to the influx of Mexican immigrants to Southern states after the turn of the last century, who brought with them a cultural tradition of smoking marijuana in cigarettes and pipes for medicinal purposes (Americans had up until then mainly been using oil or hashish orally). So basically this fear-of-other turned into a vilification campaign of both Mexicans and cannabis (they threw hemp in there too, thanks to a W. R. Hearst-led mission to stamp out this cheaper and more eco-sound alternative to wood pulp…
Read MoreAs the season of giving approaches (how did we get here!?), just a note to remind you that tons of brands on Shoppe On’s The Marketplace have oodles of product available to ship within a week of receiving a confirmed order (some caveats apply). We’ve compiled a handy and extensive list of who’s got the quick ship goods for your shopping pleasure… Don’t forget our many made-to-order makers, also standing by now with enough lead time right to prepare orders of lovely goods for your shops.
Read MoreEarth lovers and practitioners of magick celebrate Samhain today, marking the end of harvest and the welcoming of the dark half of the year. Allhallowtide begins, as does Dia de los Muertos. Cultures have agreed for centuries that tonight, the veil between the spirit and physical world is at its thinnest - if you’re of the mind to honor and commingle with ancestors, angels, saints and lost loved ones, now’s the time. Throw a full, blue Hunter’s moon into the mix and you’ve got a doozy of an energetic night for celebration, revelation, wish making, question asking, vibe gathering, healing, recalibration and letting go. Decorate accordingly.
Read MoreThe days are getting shorter and I’m already nostalgic for the late-night sunsets and elastic days of summer. Coffee when it’s still dark out really gets me down, but I’m determined to stay positive. I’m trying hard to stick to a routine of writing my thoughts here, and keeping all of my To Do lists, big and small, jotted down on paper in journals and even pads so I can really see the day, months and even years ahead. Diary, there’s so much I want to accomplish. I know I’ve got to take small steps every day to reach any of my goals, no matter how lofty. Oh, I started dream journaling too – they got so crazy in quarantine, I’m trying to find some patterns. Fact is, I’m anxious about the future, but it helps to write it out. Right?
Ever yours,
Me
This year, maybe more than ever, we’re looking forward to the escapist, tender, warm and fuzzy feelings that the holidays bring. We need the Silent Nights, the O Holy Nights, and yes, Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe too. We love the songs, the mittens and stockings, the boughs and branches, the sparkle and the lights but what we really need right now is connection with our loved ones. Big, in person holiday celebrations might not be possible this season, so we’re planning our most thoughtful packages, carefully written notes on gorgeous cards or tags, and all the beautiful ways we can express our hope, warmest wishes and love from near or far away.
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Read MoreWhile our ever increasing addiction to our smartphones may not be any indicator, we still firmly believe in the time-honored tradition of jotting things down. Science seems to agree. Studies show that tasks that have yet to be done can cause us stress, but even identifying them, say, by recording and formulating a plan of attack, can ease anxiety. Simply writing things down will make you feel better and will actually make you more effective. So move beyond iCal and those apps for list-making, and return to the simple tools we’ve always relied on; pen and paper. From gorgeous journals, thoughtful planners, stylish pads to have at the ready and the writing instruments for letting it all out, we’ve got the goods.
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Read MoreWhat better way to wrap up Cozy Week than with a plethora of goods that almost scream and demand a gentle, soft slowing down. Rest, reset, relax and find your perfect pace, no matter what that looks like – especially on Saturdays and Sundays. A morning hike followed by an afternoon of cooking, then family game night before planning the week ahead over a cup of tea? A movie marathon with an herbal smoke and hours-long daydream sesh from beneath the sheets? A resounding yes and yes to whatever makes your days off work for you.
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Read MoreThere aren’t too many scientific studies around reflexology which sort of sucks, because not only do we love those colorful zone maps – the ones that show corresponding body parts and organs to little areas on the feet – we feel like there MUST be something to it. A good foot massage, after all, does seem to banish all bad feelings, and if we could have our footsies rubbed around the clock, we’d be happy campers. Foot washing is an important exercise in Islam, Hinduism and Christianity, and there is a long-held belief that feet embody the conjoining of body and soul, or on some level represent the outward, grounded nature of our lives here on earth…
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Read MoreProtection, isolation, an envelope made of silk in which to grow. We wrap up in blankets, booties, shawls and sweaters. We build forts of pillows, plush rugs and wall coverings to insulate. Cocooning is self-preservation and sweet relief, from the world outside and even our own noisy minds. Indulge in the finest materials and loveliest designs for ultimate relaxation, respite and growth.
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Read MorePhoebe Cates Kline dreamed up Blue Tree as “a general store, but according to me.” The former actress, best known for her roles in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (who can forget the red bikini) and the Gremlins movies, has owned and operated Blue Tree in Carnegie Hill for over 15 years, where she is most proud of the fact that three members of her staff have been with her since the very beginning. There are no rules as to what Blue Tree carries. As Phoebe puts it — “We are always re-inventing and recreating in the hopes of delighting”. If only the warmth and joy that her customers feel upon entering Blue Tree could be bottled and sold!? Instead, that comes for free. Check out Phoebe’s Six Picks from Shoppe On!
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