Frederic Alcantara is something of a marriage maker, fostering mutually beneficial relationships between Moroccan artisans and western marketplaces.

Alcantara, who had graduated from college with a degree in biochemistry, found himself advising artisans on entering the western marketplace — and in doing so formalized his role from ad hoc consigliere to designer for Aid to Artisans, a powerful platform for promoting artisans while also safeguarding the integrity of their work and the design traditions that inform it.

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Hilton helps ambitious if under-experienced plant parents care for their green friends and create peaceful havens within their homes.

Plant stylist Hilton Carter is on a mission – and that mission has evolved as he’s grown his community, ministering to would-be plant parents on Apartment Therapy and authoring two books: Wild At Home and Wild Interiors, released just last month.

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Itza Wood showcases products made of exotic tropical hard woods from the Peten Jungle to help fund social initiatives – like employment and education – that enhance economic growth in this remote region of Guatemala.

The company is led by a mother-and-daughter team: Philadelphia native Suzanne Babarczy and her daughter Eliza, who spent much of her childhood in Guatemala, where Suzanne founded The Jungle School with her husband Mario.

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Custodian founder Erin Rouse was inspired by Shaker design to begin her custom-made broom company, while Forager Co. Founder Bryan Norris found inspiration for his exquisitely wrought dust pans and brooms

by collaborating with a community of Amish craftsmen. Although geographically hundreds of miles apart, Erin and Bryan are united by a shared passion for turning plain, utilitarian tools (like brooms) into objects that are also beautiful and thoughtful. And they both love the purposeful act of sweeping.

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Not to be confused with amphibians that lounge on lily pads and leap impressive distances, floral frogs are flower stem holders that keep displays of flora and branches securely and firmly in place.

These functional frogs have been around for hundreds of years and come in many sizes and designs, from mushroom-shaped and cone-shaped to oval, flat, or elaborately decorated with animal and fish motifs. They’re crafted in diverse materials like polished metal, stone, glass, and ceramic.

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Animaná founder Adriana Marina began her company with the goal of making positive changes in sustainability and social development within the fashion industry

and works with local artisans in Patagonia and the Andes to create high-quality baby alpaca fibers for heirloom products meant to last for generations. Munkh founder Bayarmaa works in a parallel manner with Mongolian goat herders who produce some of the world’s finest fibers from sustainable goat cashmere.

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In the spirit of finding silver linings, we believe that working from home can help improve productivity, boost organization, and enhance contentment.

How do you transform a corner of your kitchen, a quiet spot in your bedroom, or a nook in your living room into an efficient home office? Add thoughtful, practical design inspired by nature. Begin with these five tips.

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Lancaster County native, Bryan Norris, is the founder of the company, Forager Co., a small batch clothing and leather goods company that incorporates foraged materials into designs.

Bryan Norris spent much of his career traveling the world while working in the fashion industry. When he left fashion to return home to rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, he found that the world came to him. The name of his small-batch clothing and leather-goods brand — Forager Co. — speaks to that influence.

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Hilary Robertson, the Brooklyn-based stylist, author, and creative director, recently collaborated with Bloomist to design a new collection of EcoFaux™ botanicals,

as well as a series of Brancusi-inspired vases that are made to stack. The vases are hand-crafted exclusively for Bloomist in small batches and slip cast in Brooklyn by Japanese ceramist, Michiko Shimada.

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This season, Bloomist had the good fortune to collaborate with creative consultant and prop stylist Ayesha Patel.

Included within the shoot were pitchers created by craftsmen in New Delhi, working as part of the SYZYGY collective. Pitchers figure favorably among Patel’s favorite pieces.

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