Sacramento? Yeah, we know that's a bit of a drive (I should know...I went to college at nearby UC Davis, and the drive up is a snore), so Alex Marshall Studios is offering ATLA readers a special 25% discount on all merchandise. No special code needed...readers who click through to her site will automatically have the discount applied upon checkout!
Thanks Alex and Joshua for the special deal!
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The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
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Comments (4)
Haha, oh Boomer....you know we always do mass and class options here. If you like the Target lamps, great. If you'd like to support independent designers/businesses, you've got a choice now too. Options are always good.
As someone who works in the mass merchandise industry and has seen how those "originals" are made in Chinese factories, I don't think these are "overpriced" at all. That's a completely relative value system between handmade items and factory produced product. There's a place and market for both.
It's a dangerous game discussing the term "original" as black and white as implied, since there's hardly any design that could be defined as wholly original (including the Persian rugs you love, or the 50's inspired items you've noted). In fact, it’s a bit disingenuous to throw around the term “original†in the same breath as any of the mass merchandisers, since even pro-design retailers like Target are notoriously calculated about knocking off “original†designs from smaller companies and design houses. Also, just because you yourself saw something first “everywhere else†doesn’t mean it wasn’t originally inspired by another source.
There are inherent qualities and variations between handmade and factory assembled products that many people would appreciate (yes, I'm one of those people who actually does appreciate something is handmade) and are willing to pay the price for it. Something can share the same shape and appearance of another, but the quality of a product is in its details. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Alex’s products are created with more time, care and with a better finish than the “originals†you’ve mentioned at Target or any mass retailer. And if you look at Alex’s total catalog, it becomes quite clear those lamps may resemble something you’ve seen before, but they’re completely aligned by an aesthetic and finish uniquely her own.
It's a dangerous game discussing the term "original" as black and white as implied, since there's hardly any design that could be defined as wholly original (including the Persian rugs you love, or the 50's inspired items you've noted). In fact, it’s a bit disingenuous to throw around the term original in the same breath as any of the mass merchandisers, since even pro-design retailers like Target are notoriously calculated about knocking off original designs from smaller companies and design houses. Also, just because you yourself saw something first â€everywhere else†doesn’t mean it wasn’t originally inspired by another source.
There are inherent qualities and variations between handmade and factory assembled products that many people would appreciate (yes, I'm one of those people who actually does appreciate something is handmade) and are willing to pay the price for it. Something can share the same shape and appearance of another, but the quality of a product is in its details. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Alex’s products are created with more time, care and with a better finish than the originals you’ve mentioned at Target or any mass retailer. And if you look at Alex’s total catalog, it becomes quite clear those lamps may resemble something you’ve seen before, but they’re completely aligned by an aesthetic and finish uniquely her own.
I own a set of the "small" mugs from Alex. Their heft, the unusual handle, and the glaze are very unique and "original". You really have to see her pieces in real life to truly appreciate them.
I honestly doubt you can find the same quality of ceramics at a Target or Ikea.
Every single time I've used the mugs for guests, I've gotten compliments about them because her stuff CAN'T be found in other places. And whenever I drink hot cocoa from these mugs, it makes me feel warmer inside.
I also used to throw pottery and know how difficult it is for Alex to incorporate some of the accidental features into her designs. She's a very practiced artist and I think the pictures on her site do not do the designs justice. Before criticizing her originality, you really have to see her stuff live, hold her plates, and eat off of them. It's an experience you can't gain from Target-ware or from viewing 2D pictures.