Urban gardening used to seem subversive. People planted tomatoes in public parks, strung their hops to rooftops to make homebrew and reclaimed empty lots as community farms, never mind the property owner. Yet here in one of the more thoroughly tilled cities in America, subversive has come full circle: the federal government plans to plant its own bold garden directly above a downtown plaza. As......read more
Every week, we're told, one skateboard factory produces enough waste material to fill a city bus. With Skateback, a stylish iPhone case made from skateboard wood waste, Portland-based design companies Grove and MapleXO are doing their part to put a dent in it. And the collaborative effort is no run-of-the-mill design. Available in three colorways--vibrant, calm, and neutral--the striped......read more
Launched in 2011, handmade homeware brand Nell & Mary makes a limited collection of goods for the home, all thoughfully designed and crafted from their studio in--where else?--Portland, OR. Among the company's eco-friendly textiles is a line of tea towels made from reclaimed overstock fabric and printed with original N&M artwork. Mushroom lovers will adore the Morels......read more
Photographer Jeff Luker explores themes of freedom, sexuality and youth in commissions that take him all over the country. Now based in NYC, where he moved to from Portland, OR a few years ago, Jeff frequently returns to the West to capture images in the great outdoors. Taking cues from pioneers in the medium like William Eggleston, Nan Goldin and Robert Frank, his style is relaxed and unforced,......read more
Made from natural ingredients, Portland General Store's personal care products harken back to a time when things were made in small batches, by hand. This old-fashioned wet shave soap is one of our PGS faves. With a slight, masculine scent of whiskey, the soap is blended with bentonite clay, a powerful healing clay that absorbs oils and toxins from the skin, providing a natural and luxurious wet......read more
Perennial SHFT fave Portland General Store makes finely crafted, sustainable bathroom products using no fragrance oils or chemical additives. The company's rough-cut Turkish Fig Bar Soap features rhassoul clay, which has been used in beauty and body care since ancient times. With a subtly sweet scent, the clay-enriched soap helps to reduce dryness and flakiness, while......read more
Portland General Store's Whiskey Aftershave is infused with a light whiskey scent, "reminiscent of an ol' yachtsman relaxing below deck at the end of a long day on the wild ocean, a favorite Scotch in hand." Right, okay. Actually the scent is really good, and although it's definitively masculine the list of ingredients is decidedly not -- sea kelp extract, blue-green algae, organic aloe......read more
Coffee lovers alert! The keen eyes at Cool Hunting put us on to this innovative take on the French press, and it should surprise no one that it comes from the Pacific Northwest. The Portland Press, created by Bucket, is a long-lasting, sustainable alternative to the generally fragile French press. The joe-maker replaces the French press's plastic plunger and glass beaker with wood and a mason......read more
With camping season essentially halfway through, there's just enough time to secure new outdoors accessories and get some use before winter sets in. Wood & Faulk's Camp Stool could be the one. Handcrafted in Portland, OR with American-grown ash wood and English bridle leather, W&F's stool is the perfect perch for fireside conversation. Handsome, handmade, and built to last, this is is a......read more
After years of research and testing, the husband-and-wife team of Jessica and Charley Wheelock launched Woodblock Chocolate, a bean-to-bar operation in Portland, OR. The duo meticulously sources, roasts, winnows, refines, ages, tempers and wraps each bar by hand. Now you can get a quick Woodblock Chocolate fix via a reasonably priced 4-pack from Old Faithful Shop. Included are four......read more