What is Ideal?

Ideal is a carefully curated shop composed of unique, design-conscious gifts and accessories. The objects we choose are creative, authentic, and refined. They are inspired by the vision of talented artists and designers from around the world.

Our store was formed with our own ideal in mind: that shopping should always be a personal and thoughtful experience.

Enjoy our blog and please come visit our shop in beautiful, downtown Bellingham. If you can't make it in, we take orders over the phone - just call (360-752-5522) or e-mail info@anidealshop.com.


Thursday, May 26, 2011

ReMade Returns - Friday, June 3!

 It's one of our favorite times of year! The ReMade project is back! We're honored to once again host this showcase of student work from Western Washington University's Industrial Design program. While we sympathize with our friends up on the hill who are sweating away in the studio non-stop and subsisting on coffee and power naps, we can't wait to see the finished products. You can see them, too, next Friday - June 3. Join us during Downtown Art walk from 6-9pm to get a first glimpse of (and first dibs at purchasing) the new designs. 

ReMade is an annual design challenge for the junior class of Western Washington University's Industrial Design program. Each year students produce innovative products from consumer or manufacturing waste with a trained eye on recyclability, life cycle analysis, and design for production. By doing this, students get a fresh understanding of the designer's impact on the environment and the economy.

We don't have final product photos just yet (things are still in production), here are two detail photos to pique your interest. We'll post more photos as they become available. 






This year, 13 students focused on ReMade products that function as vessels or "holders" of some sort. In a very short two-week time frame, students found materials, designed, manufactured, and branded 15 products each. This year's collection includes a magazine holder created from carpet tiles, a basket fashioned from bicycle spokes and rims, nesting bowls formed from laminate, phone cases made from reused painter's drop cloth and much more.

 Hope to see you on Friday, June 3 from 6-9pm for a reception to meet the designers and talk with them first-hand about their work!