Great minds…

April 25, 2008

Patagonia launched the Footprint Chronicles back in October but has just recently added some new products. Basically, the site shows you the origin of 10 of their products and gives an indication of the ecological impact of their sourcing. It’s really well done and very much worth the time exploring it in full, so check it out!

Our own approach is somewhat similar but, maybe because we’re a lot smaller, we’ve been able to show you where every single one of our 300 objects come from and who they’re designed and manufactured by. Not so much because of the ecological impact (although that consideration is part of everything we make), but just because we feel like knowing the story behind what you own means you end up appreciating it even more.

Don’t get us wrong, it’s not a race or a contest (although our map is obviously much more appealing and I believe they may have tried to save money with their puny map pins…). Straight up, the peeps at Patagonia are a bit god-like to us in terms of what they do and how they do it. Let My People Go Surfing is required reading around here. If we could some day be half as effective in terms of leaving things better than we found them, we would think that was just fine.

Just a little poke in the ribs from a much smaller distant cousin because there’s nothing like a little friendly competition and, even if it were a race, they can’t say they don’t have the shoes for it!

Hudson Home Just Joined the Table!

April 25, 2008

Bill Poole is a great guy. Not only does he run a fantastic modern furniture store in the Crossroads Arts District in KC called Hudson Home, he likes to shake hands with the people he does business with. On a recent trip to New York, Bill made the trek out to see us in person. We spent a whole Saturday with him talking design, responsible sourcing, architecture and ticking through Teroforma’s range of objects.

We are happy to say that Bill decided to do more than just swing by for a visit. Hudson Home now carries a select range of dinnerware, glassware and linens from Teroforma. You can check out his store at www.hudsonhomeonline.com or, if you’re in the neighborhood, perhaps just stop by after one of the area’s cool First Friday’s gallery walks that take place each month. And if you see Bill, make sure to shake hands.

Happy Earth Day

April 22, 2008

We take the responsibility of being “makers” very seriously. Our focus on quality craftsmanship means that a lot of the waste inherent in higher-volume production can be eliminated. That said, our manufacturing partners focus on constant improvement in their craft and in the way it effects their employees, the community and the wider world.

Our linens are a perfect example. We work with Linas Nordic in Panevezys, Lithuania, a member of the Masters of Linen Guild and a recipient of certifications from both OEKO-Tex and ISO for ecologically-responsible production and socially-responsible management.

Their commitment to excellence is part of their philosophy and a real part of the work they do. Linen is an amazing material. Highly absorbent, linen will withstand and actually improve with use and cleaning while holding its shape. It also takes far less active cultivation than cotton, thus minimizing the amount of fertilizer required to return an adequate yield, and produces a number of useful by-products in the refining process - linseed oil and pulp (actually used in the making of US dollars) to name a few.

Poetically, as if to call attention to its practical and metaphorical beauty, the flax plant blooms only one day a year. In case you missed it, we hope our Spring/Summer linens do a good job of capturing the essence.

Todo El Mundo

April 11, 2008

We have gotten a number of requests for international shipping since our launch last month. In fact, when we switched on our web analytics a few weeks ago, we were astounded to see that our site had been viewed by people in 1,345 cities in 77 countries around the world.

After some fairly long hours and a lot of phone calls, we’ve figured out a way to ship to you wherever you happen to be. It’s tough. Most companies won’t do it because of the hassle. But, given the fact that our designers and artisans are themselves from about 14 different countries (at last count), it seemed only sensible to extend the same approach to people who want to be customers.

As of today, Teroforma is happy to say that no matter where you are, no matter what language you speak, what currency you keep, which timezone you’re in, we can ship to you.

Welcome to the table!

Back Home

April 10, 2008

The shot above is of our booth at the Boston Gift Show (and of Paul girding up for another day of retail battle).

All in all, the Gift Show was…interesting.

We fit right in next to the guy selling wooden parrots and signs for the Pirate Baaarrr (get it?).

We did manage to have a couple of chats with some really great people at some really great shops in Boston and will hopefully have news for you soon on where you can stop in to see our stuff in the flesh when you are next in town.

FYI - bypassing Fenway on opening day on your way out of Boston is not a great idea.

Booth 515

April 01, 2008

Teroforma is setting off to exhibit at its first trade show. We will be in booth 515 at the Boston Gift Show between Thursday and next Tuesday.

Unfortunately, it’s trade only.

So sneak in. Come see us. Say hello.

We mocked up our booth in the warehouse today. I know we’re biased, but we thought it looked pretty good! We’re excited, so what we lack in polish we’ll make up for in enthusiasm.

We’ll put up a few posts about our adventure - not least being a report on what looks like the worst hotel in Boston. Aahhh, the rich rewards of success…