3 surprisingly trendy Cities With The Coolest designs

executive editor Kimberley brown shares three unexpected design destinations.
Now that I’ve had some time to catch my breath after the whirlwind that is Toronto design week (January 16-22, 2017), I find my thoughts wandering back to one show in particular, presented by Toronto design Offsite. The idea itself is so fun, I wish I’d thought of it. Called outside The Box, it tasks a correspondent from select cities to choose products that offer a snapshot of the design scene there. The catch: everything has to fit into a banker’s box that is then shipped to the show’s location. This year, 11 cities participated, including style hubs such as Los Angeles, new York, Toronto and Montreal. but it was three less expected spots that stood out to me, proving once again that terrific style can be found anywhere. Click through to discover the unexpected places that made my list.

The Blue Ridge mountains that form the backdrop of this picturesque city are probably best known for offering the forest scenery in The Hunger games film trilogy, but they also inspire the talented creatives of this town’s growing makers market.

Photographer: Courtesy of Asheville

This color palette — so pretty! Asheville correspondent Marilyn Zapf is the assistant director at The center for Craft, creativity and Design. She pulled together items that attract you to pick them up and take a closer look. how much do I love those ceramic plates by east Fork Pottery? let me count the ways.

Photographer: Courtesy of outside The Box

I was all eyes for the everyone welcome mug. I think we’ll see much more activist design like this in 2017. This example was developed by Lindsay Rogers Ceramics for The democratic Cup, a collaborative initiative that aims to “stimulate dialogue, energize individual voices and raise money for progressive causes through the sale of handcrafted cups.” Hear, hear!

Photographer: Courtesy of outside The Box

If jewelry is art for your outfit, these are the Richard Serra of earrings: minimal, industrial, perfect.

Photographer: Courtesy of outside The Box

Marilyn’s guidance for things to see and do in Asheville include a drive along the Black Balsam Knob, a winding road with jaw-dropping views of the Pisgah national Forest, and a check out to OWL Bakery for coffee and sweets.

Here is the full list of designers Marilyn chose to represent Asheville:

7 lot Co.
Anna Johnson Jewelry
A little Weather
East Fork Pottery
Emily Maija Rogstad
FEHLŌ
Make Noise
The bright Angle featuring The democratic Cup
OUTRA
Shelter in collaboration with Jacob Brault
Sketchbook Crafts

Photographer: Courtesy of OWL Bakery through Instagram

This small town is home to a 150-acre historic Clay district that once offered Canada with over 75% of its ceramics. Today, the old factories are being turned into a cultural meca that includes a museum, gallery and education center. medicine Hat also has the world’s tallest tepee! originally created for the Calgary Olympics in 1988, the Saamis Tepee was moved in 1991 and stands 215 feet tall (the height of a 20-story building).

Photographer: Courtesy of medicine Hat

Given medicine Hat’s clay-steeped history, it’s only natural that correspondent Jenna Stanton focused on ceramics. She’s a ceramicist herself, and included her porcelain Tally decanter (center) and tumbler in her round-up.

Photographer: Jenna Stanton CeramicsYou’ll have to use your imagination for this one, as there was no way to take a photo of the effect: If you put on a pair of 3D glasses, the image on the flower plate by Jenn Demke-Lange of Mikind becomes 3D too.

Photographer: Courtesy of Victoria Chin through Instagram

Chances are if you’re Canadian, you’ve come across one of these in someone’s home or an antique shop. They are an icon.

Photographer: Kimberley Brown

Jenna confirms that a trip to the Medalta museum is a must. Both reproductions and pottery developed by the artists in residence there are sold at the gift shop.

Here is the full list of designers Jenna chose to represent medicine Hat:

Jenna Stanton
Aaron Nelson
Jenn Demke Lange
Noriko Masuda
Adam Lefebvre

Photographer: Courtesy of Elfshot

When it concerns design unrelated to UI and gigabytes, San Francisco tends to get overshadowed by L.A., but it’s just as deserving of attention. The area’s mix of cultures and range of industries — from sustainable wineries to the tech empires of Silicon Valley — are an inspiring mix. Did I mention the breathtaking geography? That too.

Photographer: Courtesy of world home Journal

I liked the earthiness of the materials and colors that correspondent Melanie Abrantes chose for the show. Melani is a Bay area artist who works with wood and cork. Her cork planters are just the thing to up your succulent game.

Photographer: Courtesy of Out Of The Box

Small space dwellers all over will celebrate a hand broom that’s good enough to not have to tuck away. Hannah Quinn also makes full-size brooms and dust pans and other helpful household products that are too typically overlooked for how they look.

Photographer: Hannah Beatrice Quinn

I’m particularly fond of items that have much more than one use. These leather and merino wool trivets by materials + process are also helpful as a mouse pad.

Photographer: Courtesy of materials and Process

Before you head out for a hike among the red wood trees in Muir Woods, fuel up on the best bread you’ve ever had at Tartine Bakery in the Mission.

Here is the full list of designers Melanie chose to represent the Bay Area:

Adrian Clutario
Alice Tacheny
Fire Road
Hannah Quinn
Heather Palmer 
Materials + Process
Melanie Abrantes 
Most Modest 
Silvia Song

Photographer: Courtesy of Tartine Bakery through Instagram