The art of mop buckets

the art of mop bucketsThe art of mop buckets

This morning, I saw a beautifully designed mop bucket in our bathroom, all ready for business.  Linda, being a big Target' fan, I was guessing it came from there.  She confirmed that it's a Michael Graves design.  Honestly, I don't shop.  And I don't keep up with who the hottest designers are.  But even I have heard of Michael Graves. 

It's almost shocking just how far design has come in my lifetime.  From a few people who have an appreciation for it, to the masses.  From museums to Target.  From paintings, now to mop buckets.

That doesn't mean I'm on board 100%.  Yes, I think the design of that mop bucket is exceptional.  And, to bring creativity into the mundane job of mopping, is quite amazing.  On the other hand, is it functional?  Does it work well, or better?  Was it purchased only because it's beautiful?  (I'll ask Linda when she comes upstairs).  Or did we really need another one? If we tossed the previous (mop bucket) that was working perfectly well, we'd certainly be adding to mass polluting of our environment - for art's sake.

Then, we've got the how was it made, from what was it made, and where was it made?  Gosh, that alone could probably take a theises or two.

I was always good with questions.  Never had many answers.  But I think if we as consumers could slow down a moment, before making each purchase, and ask ourselves (or the label) a few of these questions, it might be a good start (even if we don't find many answers).  Remember, awareness is the first step toward sobriety/or is it recovery/or is it change????

The art of mop buckets

Robin Wade
Robin Wade Furniture is a celebration of nature—a melding of a forward thinking commitment to the environment and a quiet, harmonious design aesthetic. From his "slow studio" in North Alabama, award-winning wood artist Robin Wade designs and crafts one-of-a-kind handmade furniture. Years before a piece is ready to enter a client's home or a gallery, the process begins—naturally—with the tree. Sustainably harvested, each specimen of hardwood is flitch sawn into natural-edge wood slabs, debarked by hand with a draw knife, and stacked to dry, usually for years, before the final cure in the kiln. From here, Wade and his team use both hand and power tools to bring Wade's vision to life, and then finish each piece with a hand-rubbed oil blend. Each organic furniture creation by Robin Wade Furniture balances the raw, natural beauty of environmentally, locally sourced hardwoods with minimally invasive, clean lines—a juxtaposition Wade calls both rustic and modern. “I haven’t yet found a better artist than nature,” he says.
robinwadefurniture.com
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