Product Care

Every piece is built to live with you for years, handled, hung, set on the mantel, passed down. A little attention keeps it that way. Here's how to care for each material we work with.

The Basics

Most of what we make is natural material: wood, hide, wool, metal, dried botanicals. Natural means it has character, and it means it doesn't love standing water, harsh chemicals, or hard knocks. Keep these few habits, and nearly everything else takes care of itself.

Dust Gently

A soft, dry cloth is almost always the right tool. Skip the all-purpose sprays unless a section below says otherwise.

Keep It Out of Direct Sun

Long hours of direct sunlight fade dyes, hide, and finishes over time. Bright but indirect light is kindest.

Mind the Moisture

Framed mirrors handle steam, but run your bathroom fan while you shower to keep humidity down, and always wipe up spills before water pools or sits.

Lift, Don't Drag

Set pieces down rather than sliding them. It protects both the piece and your wall, shelf, or tabletop.

Live Signs

A little routine keeps your live sign looking sharp.

Clear Fronts

The clear fronts lift out and can be cleaned with glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth, then set back in place.

Inside Elements

Dust the interior with a can of compressed air, keeping a safe distance and angling the spray indirectly so it never blasts the elements straight on.

Standoffs

If a standoff ever works loose, snug it back down with a Phillips screwdriver. Just to firm, not forced.

Basic Care

Our wood pieces are sealed, but still very much wood. They breathe with the room. Dust with a dry, soft cloth in the direction of the grain. If a piece needs more, use a barely-damp cloth and dry it right away; never let water sit.

Keep wood away from heat vents and radiators, which can dry it out and open the grain.

Hide is durable and forgiving. For everyday care, brush or shake it out and vacuum gently with the brush attachment, following the direction the hair lies. Blot spills immediately with a clean, dry cloth. work from the outside in, so you don't spread the spot.

Never soak a hide or run it through a machine. For a stubborn spot, a little mild leather cleaner on a cloth, then air dry away from heat. Keep hide off prolonged direct sun, which lightens the natural markings over time.

Wool is naturally resistant to odor, wrinkles, and light staining, so it asks very little of you. Air pieces out between uses and shake or brush them to keep them fresh; most don't need cleaning nearly as often as you'd think.

Spot-clean spills promptly by blotting, not rubbing. For a full clean, follow the care tag: many woven pieces are best dry cleaned, while some are gentle-cycle or hand washable in cool water, laid flat to dry. When in doubt, dry clean. It's the safe choice for a piece you want to keep.

Moths go after wool, and they like dark, undisturbed, slightly soiled spots. A little routine keeps them away for good:

Store wool clean. Moths are drawn to body oils and food traces, so launder or dry clean before any long storage.
Let pieces breathe and move. Shake them out, refold them differently, and rotate what's on display a few times a year.
Use cedar or lavender, not mothballs. Both deter moths without the chemical smell. Refresh cedar with a light sanding when the scent fades.
Store in breathable cotton, never sealed plastic. Trapped humidity invites both moths and mildew.

Leather develops a patina with age, that's the good stuff, not wear to fight. Wipe with a dry or barely-damp cloth as needed, and condition once or twice a year with a quality leather conditioner to keep it supple.

Keep leather out of direct sun and away from heat sources, both of which dry and crack it. Blot spills right away; let water dry naturally rather than forcing it with a hair dryer. Avoid saddle soap and harsh cleaners unless a piece specifically calls for them.

Some of our metal develops a living patina by design; some are sealed to stay bright. Check the piece before you reach for polish. For sealed or coated metal, a dry soft cloth is all it needs. Polish can strip the finish.

For raw, unsealed brass that you want kept shiny, a dedicated brass polish on a soft cloth brings back the glow; buff dry afterward. If you love the aged look, simply leave it be and let it darken naturally over time.

Ceramic and stoneware are the easiest pieces here. Wash with warm water and mild dish soap, and dry with a soft cloth. Unless a piece is marked otherwise, treat handmade ceramics as hand-wash only and keep them out of the dishwasher and microwave.

Glazed surfaces resist stains well; for stubborn marks, a paste of baking soda and water lifts them without scratching. Set pieces down gently; the one thing stoneware won't forgive is a hard edge.

Clean the glass itself with a soft, lint-free cloth and a little glass cleaner sprayed on the cloth, not directly on the mirror, where it can seep behind the frame and damage the backing. Wipe the frame separately by hand, following the care for whatever material it's made from above.

Framed mirrors handle a steamy bathroom, but the same moisture rule applies: run the fan while you shower and wipe away any standing water. Hang from a rated hook or anchor. These pieces have real weight, and you want them to be secure for the long haul.