While designing furniture and eccentric fixtures for the cozy, yet compact confines of their historic home, James Waldron and Nicole Whittington decided to launch their own business.
Waldron and Whittington spend a good portion of their days at full-time jobs, roasting coffee, slinging espresso, and bartending at the central Phoenix Lux Coffee Bar, among other obligations (Waldron also designs interactive play stations for children's libraries with the Burgeon Group).
But whenever the two have spare time, they can be found creating work inspired by the local community and their passion for using reclaimed materials. And so Handmade Riot, a local source of handmade furnishings, toys, and custom designs was born.
"So far, it's been a lot of late nights in the shop sanding, cutting, designing, and assembling after working a 10-hour shift," says Whittington. "To be honest we're still finding our bearings."
While Handmade Riot is still in its infancy, but the two are off to a solid start in their battle against "mass-produced items easily consumed and discarded."
Handmade Riot's Etsy page showcases two recent items for sale -- wooden postcards and a "Floating Honeycomb Shelving Unit, which can be bought in a set of three or five.
Stick around for future posts on Handmade Riot as the two are gearing up for a launch of new products for Crafeteria 2012.
