PORTLAND, OR, May 08, 2014 –
Walnut Studiolo is a homegrown Portland, Oregon studio known for handcrafting high quality, leather and wood cycling accessories. In five years of business their innovative designs have been recognized by the cycling community, and featured by media outlets throughout the U.S. and abroad. This month the company received new honors by being selected for inclusion in MOMA’s first retail collection of up and coming designers, who launched their products through successful Kickstarter crowd funding campaigns.
The MoMA Design Store will showcase Walnut Studiolo’s bike frame handle, The Little Lifter, in-store and on-line, in a suite of products brought to life by Kickstarter. The collection, Kickstarter@MOMA, features 24 products from 20 international designers and launches online May 13th, in conjunction with NYCxDESIGN—New York City’s official citywide celebration of design. The collection will be available online until June 16; the brick and mortar shop is open for business regular hours May 16 – 24.
“So many of the most impressive, new, and innovative products we have been finding lately kept leading us back to Kickstarter,” said Emmanuel Platt, MOMA’s director of merchandising. In a statement issued by MOMA, the discerning design shop elaborated on the collaboration: “These objects evince the qualities of Good Design ascribed by the Museum in their innovation of function, use of novel materials, and technological advancement. By involving the public in the creative process, Kickstarter uses the power of community to help designers take great ideas from concept to reality.”
Walnut Studiolo’s Kickstarter campaign for the Little Lifter was launched in July of 2012, adopted by more than 500 backers, and raised nearly $20,000, exceeding their goal by $16,000 at 550% of the funding request. Since then, their product line has evolved to include home décor and lifestyle accessories, ranging from a leather six pack holder, to leather and wood drawer pulls, and pocket travel games. From their humble beginnings as a bootstrapped startup in 2009, Walnut Studiolo has grown their offering from a single cycling product on Etsy, into a thriving small business with 3 employees, offering a product line of more than 40 handmade items sold through Etsy and their own e-commerce site. Each product is designed by owner and founder Geoffrey Franklin and produced by hand in his home studio.
As the company celebrates their five-year anniversary, their sites are set on growth while remaining true to their Portland, Oregon roots and core values of craftsmanship and sustainability. Five new products will be introduced in 2014 as part of their Gimme Five! campaign, and sales come from near and far. International customers represent 25% of the company’s sales, with purchases made by enthusiasts from all 50 states and more than 45 countries.
About Walnut Studiolo
It all started with Geoff’s Dad’s 1978 Bianchi road bike and Geoff’s daily bike commute. As he rode he was flooded with inspirations for new products to improve his ride. When he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he started making his own under the name Walnut Studiolo. Having grown up around horses on his family’s ranch working with leather came naturally. To Geoff, the bicycle is the modern day horse, and his products represent the associated tack that should go with it. Five years later, over 35 Walnut Studiolo products are handmade in Geoff’s Portland, Oregon workshop and sold to discerning bicycle enthusiasts and lovers of fine craftsmanship around the world through the company’s website: www.walnutstudiolo.com. See a short video about Geoff’s handmade design process here.
