I am not currently producing textile work, but may return soon.
Ouno Design is an artisanal design studio in the Pacific Northwest producing deluxe fashion and decor accessories from salvaged, recycled as well as new sustainable materials. We are loosely in the westcoast modern style (warm, soft or organic modernism), combinging the principles of serious design with an environmental ethic. Ouno sources materials that are simple, chic, natural, timeless, sensuous, modern, and naturally futuristic - with an emphasis on the best of midcentury modern, 60s and 70s. Everything Ouno produces is 100% handmade here. Products are high quality. Ouno pillows are substantial, well-stuffed and continue to look great over time. Ouno believes in the environmental value of heirlooms - beautiful, well-made things that will last a very long time and that will always be fashionable regardless of trends.
Ouno is absolutely committed to recycling/upcycling and to green, safe, sustainable practices in contemporary design.
Ouno (pronounced "OO-no") is a name in both Finland and Japan, countries whose design traditions we most admire.
The website is at www.ounodesign.com but it currently functions only as a blog.
A NOTE ON SUSTAINABILITY vs. GREENWASHING We are as green as we can manage to be. Virtually all of our fabrics/textiles are vintage or salvaged and are acquired from a "rag house" which is where old textiles go to die... these are the hidden sorting houses where vintage fashion stores pick from, where Value Village and Salvation Army dump anything that doesn't sell, and where old discarded textiles from many other sources are sorted for recycling or shipment abroad for charity. At these clearinghouses we source old upholstery, curtains, coats and scarves, wash them with organic soaps and cut around stains or wear or tears, and then fashion new items by hand. We like older materials because their quality is so often superior to newer textiles. When we use brand new materials it's usually just our threads and zippers (old thread and zippers are unreliable), occasionally stainless steel hardware, and - for reasons of hygiene and legality - our pillow fillings. We source the greenest new materials we can find, and these supplies are improving all the time as practices improve. We use vintage buckles and loops where possible. When we make items out of sheepskin coats, for example, we use every single bit... all the fur, the cuffs and hem, buttons, pockets and linings. As greener supplies become available, we adopt them. Currently we're anticipating bamboo and other new fillings for our pillows, but we are skeptical. These materials still come from far away: we are not yet assured that they are truly "green" and we don't like the energy expended in transporting them great distances. If you have questions or suggestions regarding our practices, please contact us.
A NOTE ON OUR PRICES: Our prices reflect the sheer amount of labour in our products (sleuthing, salvage, cleaning, deconstruction, treatment and reinforcement) and the deluxe craftsmanship and quality of our materials. Unlike virtually all other pillows on the market, we virtually NEVER use secondary backing materials: the front and back are of the same material. We think pillows and bags don't look right otherwise. Our pillow inserts, threads, and zippers are of the highest possible quality. Our feather inserts are sterile and premium grade, and our pillowcases are not loose but rather are properly stuffed.
SHIPPING TO THE USA FROM CANADA is easy, trouble-free, inexpensive and fast! And ordering your zippered pillows (ie. everything but fur pillows) without the pillow insert (stuffing) can reduce those fees further still. Since all our products originate and are made in Canada, they are customs exempt under NAFTA.
Some of the technologies we use are necessary for critical functions like security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and to make the site work correctly for browsing and transactions.
Always on
Personalized Advertising
To enable personalized advertising (like interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. Those partners may have their own information they’ve collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won’t stop you from seeing Etsy ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.
Personalized advertising may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have a right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in our Privacy Policy., Help Center, and Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy.