Piet Hein Eek is, quite simply, a design superstar. While he may not be a household name here in the UK, in Holland his work is the subject of museum exhibitions and huge critical acclaim. He's perhaps best known for his work with waste wood and other materials, turning what other people might see as junk into sleek, stylish designs.
He has recently completed a collaboration with Dutch interior design company Fair Forward. It is these pieces that form the centrepiece of the range we're stocking at Eighteen Rabbit. Working in partnership with Vietnamese potters, he has combined a contemporary form with traditional colours and patterns to produce a unique hybrid design which feels effortlessly modern while also keeping alive historic motifs and techniques.
Alongside these unique designs from Piet Hein Eek we have hand picked a selection of other cool designs from Fair Forward, including quirky ceramic origami birds, hip lemonade crockery and a statement pestle and mortar. We'll be expanding our range over the next few months so keep checking back to see more of these incredible pieces.
by Andrew Williams |
February 14, 2013
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We've been experimenting with videos to show more of what we're doing at Eighteen Rabbit. We hope to be able to bring you insights into the products we sell and the people who make them. Do you think video is a good way of sharing this information? Let us know! In the meantime, here's a short introduction...
by Andrew Williams |
February 04, 2013
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Valentine's Day - an opportunity to show the one you love how much you care, or just another "Hallmark Holiday" designed to keep the tills ringing after Christmas? It's easy to be cynical. After all, many of us will be opening some unwelcome credit card bills at the moment and the thought of splashing out on more gifts may harden the softest of hearts.
If you live in Hay on Wye there are a number of options open to you to show the one you love you care without breaking the bank. Of course Hay is famous for books and our shop is opposite one of the amazing "honesty bookshops" around town. For anyone who hasn't seen these, they are covered shelving displays which are open to the public and unstaffed. If you see a book you like you simply pop the amount to pay in an honesty box on the wall. At 50p for paperbacks and £1 for hardbacks it's a real bargain.
As you'd imagine there is a lot of chaff to wade through to get to the literary wheat, but if you have half an hour to spare you can find some incredible titles. A beautiful book of poetry published in 1871 for example - the idea of who might have owned this book, read it, perhaps given it as a gift themselves, is romantic enough. At a quid I think it would make a thoughtful and thought provoking gift for any young lovebirds.
Here are a few lines to give you a flavour (I've put it back now so if you're quick you may be able to snap it up).
Of course if your budget stretches a little further we have some lovely gift ideas here at Eighteen Rabbit, from our incredible Cambodian jewellery to cool tee shirts to handmade scented candles. You don't have to spend a lot to show you care, and when you buy items which have been fairly traded you're ensuring that the love spreads beyond the gift you give to the people and families you are supporting.
It's a bit chilly at the moment up at Hay Castle, so don't forget we currently have up to a third off all our knitwear. There may be snow on the way so stay warm out there! We're taking the opportunity during the quieter weeks at the start of the year to look for loads more interesting and unusual items to stock in time for Spring. We've already got some really beautiful new mango wood pieces which we'll have up on the website soon. Also on the way we have...
...more incredible jewellery from Cambodia, as well as more of our ever popular Elephant Cement accessories;
...more stock from our friends in Mexico - rugs, mirrors, and our spooky yet stylish black clay skulls!
...more clothes including a range of womenswear which will be perfect for the summer;
...Nepalese arts and crafts including some incredible copper pieces;
...some kids toys and playthings to keep our younger ethical superheroes contented.
We hope to add all of these items online as soon as we get them. And we'll have more offers and discounts for customers, so if you haven't signed up to our mailing list yet, why not join us? Or if you're more socially minded you can like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/18RabbitShop.
by Andrew Williams |
December 24, 2012
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Well, here we are at Christmas Eve. We have had a fantastic few weeks getting the shop up and running in Hay on Wye and of course on our website. We want to thank everyone who has taken the time to pop in and say hello, look us up online, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook. The support we've had has been truly encouraging and even though it is still very early days we are looking forward to 2013 with excitement. We have now confirmed with the great people at Hay Castle that we'll be here for the next few months. We hope to have lots more stock, different ranges and suppliers, and more stories to tell you about the people behind our products.
In the meantime we wish you all a peaceful Christmas and a relaxing New Year. Our shop is closed from the 25th - 28th December and during January and February we'll only be open Wednesday - Sunday. However we are here every day online!
