Handcrafted Modern

Established in 2024 and situated at 120 Ponsonby Road in Grey Lynn, Auckland, Handcrafted Modern is a design-led homeware store built around a simple but deeply felt conviction: that in an ephemeral, disposable world, there is enduring value in objects made slowly, by hand, with care. The store represents skilled artisans from across the globe who bridge traditional techniques with pioneering practice, bringing together textiles, ceramics, woodwork, glass, and more under one considered roof. Its philosophy is a love letter to the culture of handcraft, creating space for makers who quietly weave and forge and sculpt old stories into new expressions, and extending an invitation to all who share a desire for a gentler way of being in the world.

When founder Katrina Hodge approached 1/1 Studio to develop a visual world to launch her new store and showcase her curated offering, creative director Natasha Mead led the project from the ground up. The resulting brand identity carries an enduring appreciation for all things made manually, patinated, and perfectly imperfect throughout every touchpoint, from the maker's mark to the typographic system. The printed matter extended that thinking with particular care: the thank you card was letterpressed onto Fedrigoni Rust, a paper selected for its recycled wood and cotton fibre content, which gives it a rich texture and visible threads. It arrives housed inside an offset printed origami envelope, hand stamped, which unfolds into a reproduction of the Richard Serra Verb List, a work of conceptual art about making and doing that feels like a quietly perfect reference for a brand rooted in craft.

Handcrafted Modern exists across two spaces: a physical retail store where hand-painted signage greets you at the door, and an online store that immerses you in the world of the makers it represents. The website, with digital design by Luke Hoban, extends the brand into the digital realm by drawing from print and materiality to give the browsing experience a sensory, gallery-led quality. Copywriting was handled by Anna Ker.

The result is a website that holds the same values as the objects it sells: nothing feels rushed or generic, every detail has been considered, and the overall experience quietly communicates that the things worth having are worth taking time over.