TGM NEWS

Pulling the Thread: Discovering Kush Rugs

KUSH RUGS at TGM: 

TGM is hosting gorgeous KUSH Rugs!

Brian and Rebecca are co-owners of KUSH rugs. Their showroom is situated a short five minute walk up 13th Street from THE GOOD MOD's showroom on Burnside.

They have developed their impeccable eye and delicate hand by way of scanning the globe in search of these spectacular rugs. They have traveled to countries such as Afghanistan, Turkey, India and Nepal to curate this exquisite collection of beautiful and whimsical rugs. 

A few things we have learned about these incredible rugs: 

The whole process is done BY HAND! This includes: "shearing the sheep, spinning wool, dyeing yarn, hand-tying each knot onto the warp and weft, and finally hand-washing the rug before it ships to the United States." 

Wool is one of the most durable, resilient, and cleanable fibers used for floors. They produce a natural chemical which helps to prevent stains, which is why it is important NOT to clean with solvents. Instead they suggest vacuuming and using clean cold water (sometimes with a drop of Dawn dish soap.) 

Beyond wool and cotton many rugs feature a fiber called banana silk. This fiber starts from the stalk of the banana plant and is then processed multiple times to give it the look and feel of silk. 

This rug is one of a kind Saison: Nova Blue | 9'x12':

This one can be ordered in various sizes and colors Maxamillion: Slate | 8'x10': 

Come check them out in our showroom! 

LED Signature Wall for Pollinate

We recently completed a second project for major Portland ad agency Pollinate. For their entrance area they requested a color-enhanced signage piece recessed into their wall. We created a 10-plus-foot tall steel-framed door with reclaimed wood and a laser cut rust patina steel panel that carries the client's logo. 

Set behind this signature wall are network-controlled LED strips, which can interactively change colors based on input from sensors. We programmed them so that the color that glows through the wood panels gradually shifts through the spectrum: Barely noticeable upon first glance, the changes happen over the course of approximately 3 hours. Watch a timelapse video below.

Working with microprocessors and programming panels was a great exploration and we look forward to doing more of this in the future. We're glad Pollinate liked it too!

"Everyone (staff, clients, random visitors) LOVES the sign/door! It’s a really great piece to walk off the elevator and see. Thanks again for another amazing piece of work!" - Laura Runkle, Pollinate

Art by Shohei Takasaki at The Good Mod

The Good Mod is now featuring artwork by Shohei Takasaki.  Come visit our showroom at 1313 W. Burnside St. and you can view more of his work on his website.

Designing the Pollinate Pitch Experience

The last few months have been massive for the team at The Good Mod, with many big new projects secured, some fully underway, and one of our largest ones to-date just completed: the conference room and pitch stage for Pollinate, a fast-growing interactive branding and advertising agency in Portland, which was just recently voted 2015 Advertising Age Northwest Small Agency of the Year.

photos by Arthur Hitchcock

Concept

The prompt was straightforward: develop lighting and a conference table to seat 15 people comfortably in a fairly small space of 21 feet by 18 feet. Goal was to provide an arena for multi-directional presentation that navigates both digital and analog work, while delivering an intriguing experience for Pollinate’s most important clients.

Taking inspiration from the energetic aesthetic of the agency, lead designer Brock Odalovich and owner-designer Spencer Staley decided to push Pollinate’s momentum to the extreme: surrounding the presenter with crystalline slabs of sheet metal visually breaking out of the ground, the design’s dramatic vortex explodes under a sci-fi inspired spotlight.

The table

The table’s major challenge was to seat that many people with enough leg room in such tight space, and identifying the need for maximum floor space for multi-directional presentation. Lead designer Brock Odalovich's solution was a horseshoe-style design with a base-less cantilever table that is sturdy and still allows for enough floor space around the presentation pit.

The base was created out of 1200 pounds of individually laser cut and hand-welded asymmetrical pieces of sheet metal. Special feat was the integral joinery in order to make the table base break down for a standard residential elevator. The tabletop iced the cake: 15 pieces of differently adjoined veneer pieces framed by oak hardwood edging visually extend the cascading facets of the steel base.  

The light

Hovering above, Spencer Staley’s lighting design extends the crystalline language of the table with five individually shaped pyramidal boxes clustered into a star-shaped chandelier.  Exploding into sharp angles, the 300 pound LED light piece is capped with removable shade panels covered in technical light diffusing fabric—all results of exciting new experiments in the use of materials. 

 

"From the initial brainstorming session to the final installation  we couldn’t have ask for a better experience working with The Good Mod. The creativity they brought into our showcase conference room leaves a powerful impression on our clients as they come to visit. We can’t wait to work with them on another project!" 

- Laura Runkle, Pollinate

TGM field trip: Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.

The Good Mod was recently invited to tour the factory of Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., a Portland-based interior products company focusing on vintage and contemporary light fixtures, home accessories, furniture, and hardware. Having only been to the saliva-inducing showroom with perfectly arranged vignettes of slick and stylish, yet cozy and unusual home goods, it was exciting to see what goes on behind the scenes, through the factory doors...

Schoolhouse, founded in 2003 out of owner Brian Flaherty's basement, now employs just over 100 workers in the four-story, 125,000 square foot building that produces anything from light fixtures, clocks, hardware, to cushions and bed spreads—and shares the space with graphic design print shop Egg Press. 

We had a chance to visit with Colin Jones, Marketing Coordinator, and get some insight into Schoolhouse's facilities. We witnessed production methods at hand, and even caught up with some old friends—vintage pieces that have made their way from The Good Mod to the offices of Schoolhouse Electric. What a fun and inspiring tour.

Light fixture production and the process of applying patina

The Prop Room at Schoolhouse Electric, filled with eclectic vintage pieces for photos

Photos by Arthur Hitchcock