ReForm School Breaks the Rules to Create a New Class of Cool, Green Design

reform-school-house

Okay, when I threaten to send my daughters to reform school, this is not at all what I’m talking about. This fanciful emporium at 3902 Sunset Blvd. (in the hip L.A. Silverlake neighborhood) is earning major gold stars, not demerits, for its forward thinking and commitment to responsible design.

Most girls would be thrilled to go to this ReForm School, a store and web shop founded by Billie and Tootie (see below) who met in high school and dreamed of opening a retail business focusing on the four R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle and rebel. Call it the Breakfast Club goes organic!

billie-and-tootie-reform-school

The irreverent duo peddles an artful assortment of hot home decor, including embellished vintage pottery by Esther Derkx, soft rocks and felted birds by Tanya Aguiniga and those hemp pillows we adore by mother-daughter team Shelly and Mary Klein of KStudio.

“Sustainable design is a huge focus for us and green living is important to us, not only in business but in our personal lives as well,” say the owners. “We wanted to be eco-friendly without being too in-your-face about it. The last thing we wanted was to be another shop selling all things hemp and bamboo (not that we don’t love hemp and bamboo).”

Featured Below: Improved Pottery by Esther Derkx, who screenprints quirky images onto vintage crockery in such a perfect manner; Handcrafted felted birds by L.A. artist, Tanya Aguiniga; Rain hemp pillow by KStudio; and a tea towel by Third Drawer Down, entitled Trivia’s Pursuit by Karla Pringle.

esther

tanyabirds_1

kstudio

tea

I also love the reclaimed wooden objects for home, such as the decorative stools by Zaishu made by various craftspeople around the world, and the seriously stylish retro-inspired Magno Wooden Radio by Singgih Kartono, who sculpts from sustainable wood.

zaishubamb_11

magno_11

Wait, the bell didn’t ring just yet. Class is not dismissed, you naughty kids! I want to let you know that this site also has some lessons to teach on pretty organic scarves, trinkets, bath products and books.

Just remember to bring your credit cards to class. You have to pay the price for the high quality and original design, but you will see, it is well worth the investment when compared to the cheaply made, mass-produced junk at those other schools. I give ReForm School an “A” for Atta Girl! Keep up the good work.

Luanne Bradley

Luanne Sanders Bradley is the West coast Editor at EcoSalon and currently resides in San Francisco, California.