When the holiday season starts creeping up on us, so does that nagging feeling that it’s time to get out the ol’ gift list. This year, spend more time drinking eggnog while streaming holiday classics and less time wondering, “Does [friend or family member] already have this?” If you pick up a gift from this list of our newest goods, you’re sure to steer clear of an accidental double-up.
With more than 4,000 uncommon goods to choose from, it’s not easy to pick favorites. It’s certainly fun trying, though. Our blog team took a look through our collection of product roundups to make this list of the items that got us the most excited.
Mason jars aren’t just cute, they’re also perfect planters for your hydroponic herb garden.
Mason Jar Indoor Herb Garden – $20 Buy Now »
Made from bendable brass-plated steel, these furry (and scaly!) friends adjust to hug the stems of your favorite indoor tree.
Plant Hanging Animals – $22.50 Buy Now »
Sure, you could take a look at the stars by walking outside at night, assuming you don’t live in a big city. But these glasses make for an even more fun way to track the location of each constellation.
Stargazing Wine Glass Set – $30 Buy Now »
Brooklyn Grange Co-Founder Ben Flanner in their Brooklyn rooftop farm, photos by Theresa Hensley
What do you expect to see when you step foot on an urban rooftop? “A farm” probably isn’t high on the list, but if you make your way to the top of Building 3 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, you will, in fact, find yourself surrounded by edible greenery. That’s due in no small part to the work of Ben Flanner, President & Director of Agriculture at Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm, where the peppers and herbs that give our Rooftop Garden Hot Sauce its unique flavor are grown. Getting hungry?
The Brooklyn Grange fields atop a building in the Brooklyn Navy yard make up the world’s largest rooftop soil farm.
As if “President & Director of Agriculture” weren’t impressive enough, Ben’s also one of Brooklyn Grange’s co-founders; he started the venture with Vice President Anastasia Cole Plakias and Chief Operating Officer Gwen Schantz in 2010. Armed with a background in management consulting and financial marketing—neither of which, you may notice, are farming—Ben took quickly to his new line of work. “Creating more green spaces in cities is ecologically, socially, and economically valuable on so many levels,” he says. “Personally, though, the idea to start farming was spurred by my love of agriculture, vegetables, and all of the many challenges and hats worn by a farmer.”
Danielle in her studio, photos by Theresa Hensley
Industry City is a strange place. Just one stop north of our headquarters in the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal, it’s the closest thing New York has to an office park: a 40-acre expanse of old warehouses filled with artists’ studios, chocolate factories, and cafes where a cup of coffee could set you back a cool $14.75 (yes, really). Somewhere in those six million square feet of space, designer Danielle Trofe is hard at work. Or at least we imagine she is. She certainly was when we arrived to tour her studio, a sunlit space filled with pothos and other plants and objects made from her signature material, mycelium.
If you’re browsing our blog and you’ve heard the word “mycelium” before, chances are you already know that Danielle is the creator of the Mushroom Lamp, an eco-friendly answer to high-end lighting. If you haven’t, you might be interested to know that Danielle’s lamp is made with a shade grown—yes, grown—from mushrooms’ roots and a base handcrafted with salvaged ash wood. It’s sleek, sophisticated, and makes planet Earth happy, too. But of course, it’s not the only thing Danielle makes. In her studio, you’ll find everything from hanging lamps shaped by hand over time to a large sign that says “grow” in playful cursive script. And that one word kinda sums it up, doesn’t it? Danielle’s a designer whose objects really, truly grow, changing shape, size, and texture over time until they’re juuuust right.
The Mushroom Lamp | UncommonGoods
On a gorgeous, unseasonably balmy May day, we visited Danielle in Industry City and asked all about the stuff she makes—whether it’s safe for folks with mushroom allergies (yes), whether it’ll fall apart if you get water on it (not right away, but don’t pour water on a lamp, please), whether you can eat it (technically you could, but again, please don’t), and more. Read on for our full Q&A, plus more photos of Danielle’s stunning space.
Jill Davis in her Pawtucket, RI, studio; photos by Jessica McDonough (unless noted)
Upon entering Jill Davis’ open, bright studio space two things were apparent. Firstly, I didn’t expect such petite glass beauties to come from such a big personality, and secondly, I wore way too many layers of clothing. We seemed to have a longer, wetter, grayer winter in New England than I remember from past years so visiting a warm and inviting space was ever the more sweeter at the tail end of a dreary season. We visited Jill and her team at Henrietta Glass in their Pawtucket, RI, studio to see where some of UncommonGoods’ most beautiful (and best-selling) glass items, like Jill’s Wishing Balls and Birthstone Wine Bottle Stoppers, are created. Read on to take a look at her process, learn how she collaborates–and celebrates–with her team, and find out where she finds inspiration in and beyond the walls of her creative space.
There’s little we love more than snacking in the Marketing department here at UncommonGoods. We even have a weekly rotating snack schedule, which means that Wednesdays are everyone’s favorite days—days to gorge on bagels, cookies, fruit, or soft pretzels with a variety of vegan dipping sauces. (Ugh, this content creator’s mouth is watering now.) It was only natural, then, that we’d all go positively loco for artist Meghan Cochran’s Doughnut Art Portraits, which celebrate twelve different types of everyone’s favorite pastry. Decked out with frosting, sprinkles, and glazes of all types, they look good enough to gobble up. And yes, if you’re wondering, that is a French cruller.
We spoke with Meghan about her background, her career as an artist, and her inspiration—that is, her two daughters, Eva and Elle. Read on for our Q&A session with Meghan, complete with sneak peeks at new paintings and pictures of smiling kiddos with real live doughnuts. Hungry yet? Don’t worry; you will be soon.
Jewelry designer and sculptor Sue Beatrice in her Sea Cliff, NY, studio; studio photos by Cassie Tweten Delaney
Have you ever looked inside of a modern watch? Despite being able to do much more than tell time, today’s “timepieces” look surprisingly simple when you crack them open. But, as artist and jewelry designer Sue Beatrice showed us, that wasn’t always the case. In fact, for centuries clocks and watches were loaded with teeny-tiny parts: wheels, pinions, bearings, and nearly microscopic screws. To say Sue is enamored with timepieces is an understatement. Her collection of antique clocks, watches, and their components is massive. When asked how many pieces she thinks she has, she can only reply, “Way too many to count.” So what does she do with all of those gorgeous gears? She turns them into remarkable little sculptures. Some of those sculptures even end up as eclectic-yet-elegant jewelry designs.
Sue’s jewelry isn’t all made from itty-bitty parts, but it is all lovingly designed with great attention to detail. Her Love “Nose” Necklace is so cute it’s pretty much impossible not to smile when you see it. Her Origami Menagerie Necklaces look almost like they could be made from actual paper. (Shiny paper; they’re sterling silver!) And her Stargazer Necklace captures a map of the constellations. Of course, we carry a few of her delightful designs made from clock parts, too.
Origami Menagerie Necklaces, photo by UncommonGoods Creative Team
Content Creator Hadley poses with her spa-ready wares.
Create Your Own Bath Bombs and At Home Tranquility Mask Set
I’m a sucker for anything you can slather on your face that promises baby soft skin or smaller pores or… well, I won’t lie, I’m mostly in it for the baby soft skin. I’m also a sucker for any excuse to light a candle, put on a podcast, and take a warm bath, but that’s a newer obsession of mine. I’d been looking for something new to Gift Lab ever since I gave our Homemade Tortilla Kit a (very successful) trial run, and when I noticed our At Home Tranquility Mask Set and Create Your Own Bath Bombs kit, I was supremely intrigued. One can never have too many masks—just ask my medicine cabinet—and hey, who can resist a fun, fizzy bathtime accoutrement? Not me. And so a new Gift Lab was born.
Armed with our At Home Tranquility Mask Set and Create Your Own Bath Bombs kit, I’ll be able to host a successful girls’ night that ends in soft, supple skin for all and the promise of a relaxing soak once you retreat to your tub. Plus, the Create Your Own Bath Bombs kit is kid-friendly, so it’ll be super easy to use… and will maybe even help me reconnect with my inner child (or something like it).