HANDMADE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Maker House sells unique artisan wares that highlight creativity
“In its simplest definition, maker culture is one meant to reignite the artisan spirit. It pulls communities of any career or skill level into making something with their very own hands, from calligraphy to furniture to technology.” —Inventionland.com
Growing up in Kingston, Gareth Davies often accompanied his mom to local craft shows and his grandfather to antique markets, fostering a lifelong love and appreciation for quality artisanship and creativity.
“The `maker movement' is part of my DNA,” says Davies, 40, the owner of Maker House Co. in Ottawa's Hintonburg arts district, located west of the downtown core.
His mother, Carolyn Davies, was a skilled quilter and seamstress and his grandfather, Lorne Casey, worked as a furniture refinisher. Davies still remembers the pine cone Christmas trees Casey used to make for his grandchildren during the holidays.
Founded in 2015, Maker House on Wellington Street West stocks a curated collection of unique wares from more than 200 makers across Canada. You'll find everything from beeswax candles, quirky wall art and woodturned bowls to pottery, organic soaps, and furniture made from reclaimed wood. And, of course, there's plenty of decadent homemade chocolate for the festive season.
“We believe it's better to buy from your neighbour. This cycles your spending back into the community,” says the father of two, who just happens to be a skilled furniture-maker himself.
“Each product is made with the intention to last generations, rather than be replaced every few years.”
A big fan of Etsy, the American e-commerce giant that sells a wide range of handmade and vintage items, Davies saw the opportunity to open a store specializing in handcrafted homeware, fine foods and bath and body products as a way to “bring the maker movement to main street retail.”
“People want to connect with makers — they want to buy more than a product. They want something with a story behind it,” says Davies of the increasing consumer interest in handmade goods over mass-produced merchandise from big-box stores and multinational e-commerce outlets.
“We believe the true value of an item should account for its origin, life cycle, and of course, its story.”
Every product he sells includes the maker's name and where it was made, so “you can know the story of your stuff.”
Take the 100 per cent virgin wool blankets from Macausland's Woollen Mills in Prince Edward Island. It started as a sawmill in 1870 and is now the only mill in Atlantic Canada still producing traditional wool blankets.
Described by Davies as an heirloom that can be passed down from generation to generation, the quality blankets sell for $138 to $258.
If it's homemade honey you crave, Matthew and Alicia Ott of Bee Savvy Fine Foods have plenty of tasty concoctions to stuff your family stockings.
Located in Arnprior, about an hour west of Ottawa, the husbandand-wife beekeepers harvest honey with no preservatives then add an infusion of citrus, turmeric or hot pepper to deliver a taste sensation. Priced from $8.95.
For that birder on your wish list, look no further than the Wacky Warbler from nearby Carp. From small chickadees to life-size egrets, their bird silhouettes are made of rusty, reclaimed metal that can be mounted to a tree or propped up in a garden as funky art. Starting at $12.95.
Still at a loss of what to buy Dad or that finicky friend from the office? What about a cheese board ($89.95) made of rich Acacia wood with a colourful resin handle from Lynn & Liana Designs, a family run business in Steinbach, Man.?
Or maybe a set of four marble drink coasters ($34.95) imprinted with cast favourites on the popular Yellowstone TV series from Versatile in Almonte?
“Everything we sell is useful— it's to be used and have a life,” says Davies to explain his eclectic inventory of functional art.
For added convenience, shoppers can fill their cart from the store's online Wish Book featuring more than 3,000 Canadian-made products.
Best part is they're gifts that keep on giving.
Davies donates two per cent from all sales to local non-profit organizations.