Photo by Leslee Bassman
Photo by Leslee Bassman
Photo by Leslee Bassman
Photo by Leslee BassmanRollingwood business designs functional and artful housewares
With product names such as Grip, Slide and Orb, Finell Co.'s line of contemporary, luxury household goods is anything but conventional.
Following two successful trade shows in Chicago and New York last winter, the Rollingwood company's housewares are destined for Barney's department stores by August, founder Rebecca Finell said. Collectic Home and Urban Space has been selling Finell's products locally, and Finell plans to launch handbags in June, she said. Lighting, furniture and jewelry with the same neo-luxe look are planned for future product lines, she said.
"It's more of a lifestyle [we are selling] than housewares," said Finell, who uses and tests all products before they are sold. "If you like my housewares, then you'll probably like my handbags. If you like my handbags, then you'll probably like my jewelry line."
She stumbled upon the idea of creating artistic, functional pieces for the home while enrolled in an industrial design program at Arizona State University. As a young mother, Finell said she did not like the bath products that were on the market for children. She produced The Frog Pod— a green scoop in the shape of a frog that can be used to rinse out smaller bath toys and store them by adhering to a bathtub wall, Finell said. In 2004 the item was marketed by Finell's inaugural company, Boon, along with other innovative and colorful children's products, she said.
