Best Boston Area Artisans for Home Goods

With the advent of Etsy and shops like Somerville's Magpie that specialize in handmade items, it's easier than ever to support a starving artisan and buy local; the challenge now is choosing from all the great options. For home goods, look no further than these amazing Boston-area residents.

Furniture

Before you throw out that old dresser/desk/side table in search of a newer/prettier/more functional one, let Chroma Lab partners Alicia Cornwell and Tony Bevilacqua have at it. With some quick repairs and a new glossy paint job, you won't even recognize your former piece of junk. And the best part? Chroma Lab has door-to-door service, picking up your piece for rehab and returning it shiny and new.

Prints

Mass College of Art graduate Jennifer Hill of JHill Design creates bold prints that mix color, pattern and language in a way I haven't seen anywhere else. The Animal Alphabet prints are a far cry from the all-too-often sticky sweet options for children's rooms. And the Places I Have Never Been series offers up Jennifer's artistic take on the places she would love to visit but hasn't yet had the chance.

Sculpture

A Hopkins- and Harvard-educated former teacher, Abby Glassenberg began reading craft blogs and revisiting her love of sewing while on maternity leave with her first child in 2004. A decision to dive into art-making and motherhood full time followed, with a dose of writing on the side. Abby's soft sculpture birds are gorgeous, filled with personality and often made with vintage fabrics. If you want to try your hand at bird-making, Abby shares how to craft your own in her new book, The Artful Bird.

Tableware

The curvy organic shapes of Elizabeth Cohen's pottery make me want to touch it. A good thing since Elizabeth's porcelain pieces are meant to be used, not just admired. I particularly love her turquoise lined drinking vessels and sinuous nesting bowls.

Textiles

Accent pillows can help perk up drab couches, chairs and beds, but so many of them are drab themselves. Not so with the pillows from PARK by Carlos Santiago, a fashion designer trained at the Savannah College of Art & Design. After trying his hand at launching a clothing line in 2007, he retreated to the shores of the Cape to refocus on a more successful business model and the PARK pillow business was born. Purchasing only small yardage of new and vintage fabrics, Carlos creates limited edition pieces that are sophisticated and impeccable.

Paige Lewin is a Boston lifer who would love to spend her days sewing and painting, if only she had the talent. Paige spends her days in academia surrounded by hip co-eds, while at night she retreats to her life as a mother, writing about fashion, shopping and home design after the lights are out. She contributes to Boston Mamas and is the creator of Mudroom Boston. Paige lives north of Boston with her husband and two sons.