Better Tools for Living: Casa Gonzlez and Gonzlez in Madrid
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Have you noticed how mood-elevating a great dustpan can be? Here at Remodelista were eternally on the hunt for the best versions of everyday essentials. Who has the interestand staminato spend months tracking down the worlds best light-switch covers? we wrote in our first book. We do.
Over the years, weve discovered a few standout sources, such as Labour & Wait in London and Everyday Needs in Aucklandyes, were willing to travel (or to admire from afar). Our latest favorite find? Casa Gonzlez &Gonzlez in Madrid (with thanks to @the_shopkeepers for tipping us off).
Set in a tiny two-room storefront in the citys boutique-filledSalesas district, the emporium is devoted to the useful and the well-made. Its owned by childhood friends Maria Rosa Amor Gonzlez, who previously worked in the art world, and Javier Carrasco Gonzlez, the in-house interior designer. We search the world for timeless, functional products with a story, they say, noting that most of their wares come from family-owned manufacturers who use natural materials. Looking for plastic-free household tools pretty enough to put on display? Come browse.
Photography courtesy ofCasa Gonzlez &Gonzlez (@gonzalezygonzalezstore).
Above:Javier modeled the look of the shop after tiny, stuffed old corner stores from the 19th century. The sign translates as Everyday Items: Genuine and Functional Timeless Goods.Maria Rosa is shown here carrying a Portuguese woven tote with Otto, the shop pup. Above: The offerings range from English dipped beeswax tapers (2 to 14.90) to German rattan carpet beaters (12) and Japanese brooms (17.50). All of the prices listed here are from the shop, but wares are also available from the outfits newly launched online shop. Above: The shop fittings are a combination of custom-made and vintage. Above: Stainless steel Korean teapots (29.50) share a shelf with Portuguese olive oil decanters (10.90) and lunch containers (21.50). The glassware is French, and the enamelware is by Falcon of the UK, a longstanding Remodelista favorite.The custom graphite and other paint colors are from MC Pinturas.
Above:Elevated on metal legs, old French bread trays, shown on the right, are used as display tables. Above: Purchases are wrapped in brown paper tied up with string. Above: Made in America since 1929: Huberds Shoe Grease (15.50), a beeswax-based waterproofing treatment. Above: Kitchen accessories are arrayed around a concrete sink counter. The zellige backsplash tiles and brass bridge faucet are both Moroccan. The under-shelf brass sconces(45) are a Gonzlez &Gonzlez design. Above:Javier was determined to re-create a Shaker peg rack because of its utility and because it perfectly sums up the spirit ofGonzlez &Gonzlez, Maria Rosa says.The enamel pendant lamps are vintage.
Above: Scrub brushes (from 3.50) and Marseille soap (4.30) are the shops best sellers. Theyre displayed in a wooden case that came out of an old shop near London. Above: Among the pantry offerings: Le Parfait jam jars with hard-to-find black lids (2.20). Above: The shops brooms (17.50) and zinc buckets (49) are made by a small workshop near Tokyo.Gonzlez &Gonzlez is located at 68 Calle Pelayo.
Three more spots to know about for household staples:
- Labour & Wait in Shoreditch
- Objects of Use in Oxford
- Elevating the Everyday in Auckland, New Zealand
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on February 21, 2018.
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