Author: Unison

Thoughtfully crafted and beautifully designed home products are what we’ve come to expect from Philadelphia studio Edgewood Made. Its founders, George Dubinsky and David Short, wanted to address contemporary needs “through low impact heirloom quality goods,” and began producing a range of products for the modern home whose design is at the crossroads of nature and manufacturing. Edgewood takes products from conception to production

With design backgrounds from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Dubinsky and Short strongly believe in the importance of well-made, uniquely designed goods that not only make sense from an everyday use standpoint, but keep whoever is using them in touch with the products’ origins.

Pulling wood from our inventory.

A post shared by Phila. PA (@edgewoodmade) on Jun 26, 2014 at 7:00am PDT

The Edgewood Made Black Wood Board and the Cheese Cutter and Cheese Knife all feature zero 90 degree angles. This is accomplished through a hexagonal cross-section handle that takes nature for its inspiration:

“In nature there are no right angles,” their site states. “Anything that is an acute angle in nature eventually is worn down to an obtuse angle. Most things that come from woodworking machines have ninety degree angles to them, as that is the easiest way to process material. In an effort to get a way from the machined look, while simultaneously referencing nature and creating something that feel comfortable in ones hand we created the edge detail that appears on the cutting board. This detail appears on much of our furniture and other wood products.”

“Natural reactions and forms that come from nature especially come from wood, are at the core of what inspires us.”

Cutting board on its jig right after being machined on the #CNC

A post shared by Phila. PA (@edgewoodmade) on Mar 3, 2017 at 3:13pm PST

The rich, dark color of the Edgewood Board and cheese tools is achieved through natural oxidation. This natural process is aided through a solution Edgewood creates themselves using steel wool and vinegar. It is food safe and a product of the natural reactions of the wood. All their wood products are then finished with an all-natural, food safe oil. The finish provides a durable protective coating to the surface and penetrates deep into the wood, ensuring a longer lasting product.

“We utilize nature as our inspiration and manufacturing as our medium.”

One of the best features of the Edgewood Board is that if used as a cutting board, the cuts will slowly gray, creating a brilliant sunburst effect. If the preference is to maintain the bold dark walnut throughout, one side can be used for cutting, and one for display.

Co-founder David Short explained the Edgewood Made process to us:

“Virtually every aspect of our work we do ourselves in our shop. The wood comes in as raw lumber from a company in western Pennsylvania. We surface the boards into rectangular blanks. From there they are put on our CNC Router. We had a custom bit created to cut the edge profile, and with this bit the shape and edge detail is created. From there we hand sand and finish the whole board and at the end laser engrave our logo in.

“We have vintage machines that we have brought back to life from old factories and pair these machines with some of the latest technology as well as our hand skills. With out an understanding of wood and traditional woodworking nothing we do would be possible.”

Look for new Edgewood Made products in the Unison Spring Collection.

We at Unison love to work with small businesses that are creating beautiful things. This week, we want to turn the spotlight on Moglea.

Moglea (MOH-glee) is an independent design and letterpress studio in Audubon, Iowa that creates handcrafted paper goods. Its owners, Chad and Meg Gleason, believe in the importance of production performed by hand. Their printing is done on a century-old Heidelberg Windmill Letterpress (the “Windmill” is an American nickname originating in its rotating gripper that grips and releases the paper stock).

“I complete dozens of paintings to test out compositions, color combinations and textures,” co-founder Meg Gleason says. “This is a crucial part of our creative process, and these paintings help inform the look and feel for each new collection. We feel that that Moglea customer is anything but traditional, so we like to make unexpected but welcome color palettes.”

Unison carries an array of Moglea products, from hand-painted compositions to holiday ornaments. We are proud to highlight our exclusive print, “So Many Things”, a 36″x48″ digitally printed masterpiece of color and shape, about which Gleason says “This piece is inspired by those feelings of risk, regret and hope that juxtapose and give us wisdom as we make the hard decisions in our lives.”

The two painted pieces are No. 14 The Explanation, and No. 12 Crescendo. Each is hand-painted by the Moglea studio on a birchwood panel in beautifully evocative textured layers.

The Unison Creative Director describes Moglea as “an absolute breath of fresh air — modern, bright, beautiful, artistic — a true stand out,” qualities we hope you will see shine through in every Moglea piece in our collection.

Unison carries three varieties of Moglea holiday ornaments: Holiday Dot, Whitewash, and Snowfall.

We’re delighted to have brought these dip dyed and hand painted ornaments into our holiday collection and look forward to the beautiful creations Moglea produces in the future.

Unison neighbor Metric Coffee has been brewing unique, well balanced, and clean coffees since 2014. We’ve recently teamed up with them for a fall giveaway, and wanted to learn a little more about the coffee shop we visit every day, so we chatted with Matthew Steinbrecher — Manager of Metric West Fulton & Workshops Educator.

Q: How did Metric get started?

A: Since we were already occupying our current space on West Fulton, it made sense to put our first cafe location within our headquarters. Doing so not only provides visitors a direct view of the entire operation, but allows the cafe to become a ‘test lab’ of sorts – what is happening up front is a direct reflection of the work being done in back, with new offerings constantly coming in.

Down the line we’re looking to bring back our weekly coffee cuppings, Home Brewing workshops taught in Spanish, latte art classes, and more roasting tours and demos.

Hosting has been a part of humanity’s global culture for millennia. Everyone wants their home to have a comfortable space for a guest, so we’ve selected our favorite items to make a house guest feel at home and taken care of.

First things first:

A bench provides both function and comfort. Your guest can drop their bags on the modern and stylish Mesh Gray Bench. With its striking but subdued pattern that goes well with any decor, this solid pine bench will withstand the test of time. We suggest the Natural Nido Basket as an attractive and easy way to store extra blankets or pillows underneath. Speaking of which…

Minnesota-woven wool from one of the last vertical woolen mills in America, which means these blankets are made entirely in the mill, from raw cotton to finished product. They’re machine washable, fade resistant, and the best part? Wool is an active material which reacts to changes in body temperature, so it will keep your guest warm when they’re cold and release heat when they’re hot.

The pillows are the Unison Chambray Stone and Flannel Indigo, both made of 100% Portuguese cotton and guaranteed to make anyone staying overnight want to cozy up to them.

But what about a quilt?

What better way to welcome your guest than with unique and cozy bedding. Made of 100% cotton and reversible from navy blue to light gray, this quilt is warm enough for winter and cool enough for summer. If you’re in Chicago, then this has an extra benefit, as it is an exclusive Unison collaboration with the city’s iconic Inn at Longman & Eagle.

And finally:

The essential nightstand. Imagine dropping your bags after a weary day of travel, sitting on the bed and seeing cheery flower cuttings and a glass of water (or whatever you prefer), already waiting for you. Bring the look together with an appropriately sized tray and add the final touch with a classically elegant table lamp for easy nighttime reading.

Bring sophistication to the table with the Canal White Table Lamp. The Canal has an elongated dome, adjustable shade, and metallic finish to provide just the right touch of style. We love the Gather vase collection for its simple lines and thin but durable design. They’re the perfect size for a side table or nightstand accent. The Grid Tray pairs a classic Unison pattern with form and function, as maintaining a tidy table with it is a breeze. The table itself? Modern design, minimal footprint. Save space and look chic with the Tri Side Table (available in white or black).

There it is! Pick your favorites and check “cozy guest room” off your list.

Paige Adams from the food blog Last Ingredient is no stranger to Unison. She’s shared her pizza on the grill with us, fruit infused water recipes, spring salads, and sensational Easter recipes that can be made all year round.

Now she’s paired Unison cook and dinnerware with cozy recipes for fall. Her weekend takeover of our Instagram yielded some beautiful photos and delicious dishes, including Sweet Potato Poblano Soup, Acorn Squash Salad, and a Pear & Almond Tart. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Poblano Soup

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, roughly chopped
1 poblano pepper, deseeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1-1/2 pounds), peeled and diced
3 cups vegetable stock
Chopped cilantro, pepitas and yogurt for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until they start to soften. Stir in the poblano peppers, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and stock. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Carefully transfer the soup in batches to a blender to puree. Return the soup to the saucepan to reheat. Divide into bowls and top with cilantro, pepitas and drizzle with yogurt.

Acorn Squash Salad

Serves 4

For squash
1 acorn squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For dressing
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

For salad
5 ounces mixed baby greens
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Cut off the top and bottom of the acorn squash. Halve it lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice the acorn squash and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange the squash slices in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Roast the squash for 25-30 minutes until tender.

While the squash is roasting, make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until fully combined.

To assemble the salad, toss the squash, mixed baby greens, pomegranate seeds, walnuts and goat cheese with the dressing.

Pear & Almond Tart

Makes one 10-inch tart

For crust
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For pears
3 cups water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 Bosc pears, peeled

For almond filling
6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
3/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Confectioners’ sugar for serving

For the crust, pulse the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the yolk and vanilla extract and mix until the dough forms. Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the tart shell for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

For the pears, bring the water, lemon juice and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the pears, reduce the heat and simmer until the pears are tender, about 15 minutes. Let the pears cool in the syrup. Slice the pears in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and stem and cut crosswise into thin slices. Press the pear halves to slightly fan out the slices.

For the almond filling, mix the butter, almonds, flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract in a food processor until smooth. Spread the filling into the tart shell. Place the fanned pear slices on top. (It helps to use an offset spatula to keep them together.) Bake 45-50 minutes until the almond filling is set and golden brown. Cool the tart on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

See more from Paige at LastIngredient.com!