Do good. Go local with handmade baskets, rugs and reclaimed wood accessories.
Hold this
Several years ago, a group of Bhutanese refugees to Atlanta found a new purpose for one of the South’s old problems. They began weaving the thick, invasive kudzu vines into stylish and sturdy baskets and selling them.
Available in various sizes and shapes, the baskets are made from locally harvested materials, including kudzu, bamboo and wisteria. Prices range from $10 to $100-plus. Sales of the one-of-a-kind baskets help support the eight families who make them.
Buy baskets at seasonal Atlanta-area farmers’ markets and stores, including Roost Gifts & Décor (shop.roost.net) near Emory University, Homegrown Decatur (homegrowndecatur.com) and Bella Cucina (bellacucina.com) in Virginia-Highland.
A good selection of baskets can also be found at the Trinity School’s “Spotlight on Art” artists’ market, Feb. 4-9, in Atlanta. Admission is free. For information, check spotlightonart.com. For information about the group, visit or email bhutanbaskets@gmail.com.
Floor show
For more than five years, Lisa Wise mulled the idea of developing a local rug-weaving business — using recycled materials — that would train and employ homeless and low-income women.
As executive director of the nonprofit Initiative for Affordable Housing in Decatur, Wise was well aware of the struggle many of her clients faced to find and keep jobs. In 2010, Wise started re:loom — weaving a better life, which now employs 10 people.
Using old-fashioned floor looms, weavers take donated clothing, fabric, linens and plastic bags and turn them into colorful rugs and art pieces.
The upcycled rugs come in a variety of sizes and colorful combinations. Prices start at $130 for a 2-foot-by-3-foot rug to $250 for a floor runner (30 inches by 70 inches). Custom orders for larger rugs also are available. Other popular products include place mats (four for $40), silk scarves ($75), shoulder bags ($60) and hammocks ($250), made from golf shirts. All sales support the re:loom program.
Find rugs at http://reloom.org or at the re:loom store, 1434 Scott Blvd., Suite 200, in Decatur, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or Saturdays by appointment. Call 404-299-9979.
Knock on wood
Brian Preston believes in recycling materials — and in rebuilding lives. After Preston discovered a group of homeless craftsman living in the Georgia woods, the Villa Rica man started Lamon Luther, a reclaimed furniture business in Douglasville.
Named after his maternal grandfather, the company started with one employee last January. Now it has six — all with housing and a consistent income.
Using tossed-out building materials, Preston and his team of carpenters design and make unpretentious furniture and accessories for homes, workplaces and restaurants.
Made from pallets, the chalkboards are one of the company’s most popular products. Available in two sizes, chalkboards are $29 and $78. With their simple design, the farm tables are also a hit. Made from barn wood, the tables are $750 and up.
A new offering is the kickstand, which features sized-right slots for your iPhone or iPad. Made from reclaimed oak, the holder is $45. For information, visit lamonluther.com.
Best of the South
Do you have favorite finds from around the South that you give as gifts, buy for your home or rave about to friends? If so, please share them with us. Send your suggestions to: ljerkins@bellsouth.net. Please include your name and contact number.
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