About CustomMade

CustomMade is an online matchmaker connecting Buyers who want one-of-a-kind Creations with professional and passionate Makers.

Tattoo You: Custom Projects That Start in Ink

Posted by Pedro in Custom Inspiration, For Customers on March 11, 2012

Artisan Emily Scott of e. scott originals can create custom jewelry inspired by nature, Victoriana, grandmothers’ heirlooms, and tattoos.

Yes, tattoos.

The design for “The Original,” a handmade sterling silver necklace with a vintage glass heart, was inspired by a tattoo.  Intrigued? Contact Emily and discuss your own custom jewelry design.

Your own ink, or [...]

Read more... 2 Comments

Neon Depths: Paraiba Tourmaline in Custom Jewelry Design

Posted by Pedro in Custom Inspiration, For Customers on March 10, 2012

With a vivid blue-green color like an ocean and a neon-like glow, paraiba tourmaline can make an eye-catching addition to your custom jewelry design.

The unique color of this beautiful variety of tourmaline gemstones is due to the presence of copper.  Although first discovered in the Brazilian state of Paraiba in 1989 and named after [...]

Read more... 4 Comments

Iconic American Design for Your Home: Custom Spool-Turned Furniture

Posted by Pedro in Concepts & Buyer Guides, For Customers on March 9, 2012

What is spool-turned furniture?  Although most frequently associated with antique beds and cribs, furniture of all kinds can feature distinctive lathe-turned columns that resemble stacked sewing spools.  This wood turning style has also enjoyed repeated resurgences of popularity in the United States.

As Amy Azzarito of Design*Sponge writes in “Past & Present: Spool Beds and [...]

Read more... Leave a comment

Surf and Turf: Custom Surfboards and Furniture by MakerUSA

Posted by Pedro in For Customers, Maker Spotlight on March 8, 2012

In any custom project, the customer and the artisan bring their diverse expectations and experiences to bear as they share and refine a vision for their creation.  The collaborative nature of custom work, that intersection of perspectives and skills, is particularly apparent when a team of makers is involved in the process.

The sport of [...]

Read more... Leave a comment

9 Custom Doors That’ll Have You at Hello

Posted by Marcie in For Customers, Our Favorite Custom Finds on March 7, 2012

Spring is here! The weather’s getting warmer and you’re noticing your house is looking rough around the edges. A little spring cleaning spruce-up is definitely in order. As you think about landscaping and begin picking paint colors, don’t underestimate how import your front door is to the overall look of your home.

A custom entry [...]

Read more... 5 Comments

Custom Craft, Niche Markets, and Manufacturing Revival

Posted by Pedro in For Makers, The Pro Shop on March 5, 2012

Where can you find hope for American manufacturing? In craftsmanship and custom manufacturing, according to Planet Money co-host and co-founder Adam Davidson.  In his story, “A Revival in American Manufacturing, Led By Brooklyn Foodies,” he looks at two producers for niche markets, artisanal beef jerky and custom springs, notices how even major mass-production based companies [...]

Read more... 2 Comments

Putting on the Dog: Custom Pet Accessories

Posted by Pedro in Custom Inspiration, For Customers on March 4, 2012

People aren’t the only ones who deserve a little bling.  Don’t forget your faithful animal companions.  They always make you look great, so why not give them some custom attention, too? Take a look at the striking custom pet accessories our CustomMade artisans can create.

“Every pet deserves a little bling,” writes Paula Mullikin of [...]

Read more... 4 Comments

“What Once Embraced the Fruit of the Vine” – Reclaimed Wine Wood for Your Custom Home Accessories

Posted by Pedro in Custom Inspiration, For Customers on March 3, 2012

Did you know that wine wood, the wood used for aging and flavoring wine, can be reclaimed by CustomMade artisans and given new life in beautiful custom accessories for your home?

Why use wine wood?  In addition to the environmental benefits of reusing a valuable resource, this medium has an aesthetic dimension that Randy Pearson of [...]

Read more... 2 Comments

Secret Compartments and Concealed Doors: Hidden Storage Ideas

Posted by Pedro in Custom Inspiration, For Customers on March 2, 2012

What do you see in this photo of a custom cherry seven-drawer bureau with cabinet by Bissell Fine Woodworking?  Ebony knobs, dovetailed drawers, a mitered base.  A roomy cabinet with an adjustable shelf.

Can you find the secret compartment?

Give up?  Furniture maker Richard Bissell won’t tell. “After all, if we showed how it works [...]

Read more... 3 Comments

Nathan Hunter Design: Custom Furniture That’s Something Else

Posted by Pedro in For Customers, Maker Spotlight on March 1, 2012

If you’re thinking of having custom furniture made, ask yourself this question: what do you want to create? You’re about to seize an opportunity to make something truly unique.  CustomMade artisan Nathan Hunter explains:

Clients of Nathan Hunter Design reject the cliché of purchasing mass-produced furniture.  They’ve got something else in mind – [...]

Read more... Leave a comment
12