6 Cool Finds from My Visit to West Coast Craft

This past weekend, Joe and I swung by West Coast Craft at Fort Mason. I had never been to West Coast Craft, though a few years ago I went to a similar event with Renegade Craft. With that as my only frame of reference, I gotta tell you, WCC was crazy! The pavilion was absolutely PACKED with people (and vendors!). It was a little overwhelming trying to spend time at particular booths given the crowds, but I did come across a few new-to-me makers and artists who are producing some pretty incredible products. I love sharing smaller, up and coming shops with you, especially this time of year when unique gift giving is understandably on everyone’s mind. Here were a few of my favorites shops and items:

Elizabeth W //

This company’s Vetiver line smelled wonderful. If you’re into the earthy, woodsy scent of vetiver, you will totally dig the collection of candles, perfumes, and bath products. Elizabeth W has a shop locally in SF, and you can also order online. I also tried a few of her hand creams and really liked them, but realized once I got home that I had forgotten to check the ingredient list, so I’m not totally sure where they fall on the natural scale. I will say though — they did soften my hands immensely (the cucumber and tuberose scents were lovely).

Tempest + Bentley //

Unfortunately, the price range on these hand-crafted sweaters are a bit astronomical, but man, were these babies insanely beautiful in person. Imagine, the thickest, most plush wool ever, that somehow manages to still be really soft and inviting. Mix in super cool, of-the-moment knitting patterns, and you have a line of sweaters that even Gywneth has taken to wearing. My favorites were this fringed sweater, and this chevron knit. Here’s wishing I could splurge on one of these beauties…and in the meantime, I shall continue to ogle. 

Susan Hoff //

Susan’s structural origami totes really caught my eye when I wandered past her booth. The shape of these is so unique and interesting! They come in a variety of sizes, and would be the perfect tote to take to the market or the beach. I also liked her “knotted classic” line; all her bags are made with vintage and reclaimed materials.

Peter St. Lawrence //

Joe practically had to drag me away from a table filled with this beautiful faceted decanters. Available in black, gray, and white, I loved the simple-yet-intricate texture of these bottles. “What would you do with it?” Joe asked me. I’ll tell you what: use it as a vase. Or put olive oil in it. Or whiskey. Or just put it somewhere you can admire it daily.

Phloem Studio //

I thought it was cool how many furniture makers were at the fair. One vendor that caught my eye was Phloem Studio. Their pieces had a strong dose of mid-century modern mixed in with contemporary lines and materials. I liked this Captains chair as well as the Harbor chair — they’re interesting riffs on the wishbone chairs that are so popular right now.

Elliot Stith //

I loved Elliot’s beautiful live-edge wood serving boards, with little recessed divots for placing nuts, fruit, or anything else you can dream up for a pretty cheese board. His shop shows low quantities for the currently available boards, but if you love ’em, check in with him — he had a ton of boards at the fair, so I imagine he might be able to hook you up with the perfect piece.

As I mentioned, there were SO many vendors at WCC, so if you’re on the hunt for smaller shops to buy from this holiday season, consider their full list of vendors (which are linked!) a seriously good resource.