In collaboration with type foundry House Industries, legendary California ceramic manufacturer Heath has released a line of dimensional clay address tiles, employing House’s brilliant Neutra and Eames fonts. A charming example of American design and craft, the tiles are equally suitable as an object to display inside the home as they are for marking the outside.

This tribute to California modernism is made even more admirable when you realize the craft aspect of production, wherein each tile is pressed, hand-glazed, trimmed, and kiln-fired at Heath’s original factory in Sausalito, California.

For installation, Heath offers a simple, salvaged teak and stainless steel track-mounting system.

The tiles are $38 per number, available at Heath Ceramics.

Braun is most recognized among design aficionados as introducing German modern industrial design, based in minimalism and functionality, to the masses. In the mid-fifties, Braun created its first design department, headed by Dr. Fritz Eichler, who instituted a collaboration with the Ulm School of Design. Renowned consumer goods, such as the SK4 record player, propelled a young man named Dieter Rams to becoming the most influential designer at Braun (and one of the most important industrial designers of our time). Eventually holding the position as head of Braun’s design staff, Rams released a series of iconic, and entirely practical designs, many of which have found a permanent home at the Museum of Modern Art.

In 1971, Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs, for Braun, launched a series of travel alarm clocks and watches. Premised exclusively on function, and no-fuss design, the pieces became instantly recognizable.

A select few of these clocks and watches have been reissued by Braun, keeping with the high standards of quality and honest design, while also incorporating new designs that feel at home alongside the classics.

The fundamental principals of uninterrupted, ageless, and high-caliber industrial design are equally relevant today, and Braun’s timepieces serve as a reminder that well-thought, common materials, as well as an affordable price, do not make for design with less integrity.

Above: BN0032 Steel Band Watch, $225; BNC006 Wall Clock, $60; BNC002 Travel Alarm Clock, $25

More at: Braun Clocks

The Good Flock is a Portland, Oregon-based maker of hand-crafted accessories and technology cases. Using the simplest of materials, either waxed canvas or Pendleton wool, their pieces are both subtle, and decidedly American. The company prides itself on practicing responsible business, from relationships with the craftspeople making the goods, to environmental accountability and reasonable pricing.

Above: Pendleton Wool iPad Sleeve, $59; Waxed Canvas Dopp Kit, $69; Waxed Canvas Weekend Bag, $249

More at: The Good Flock 

In the early 1990’s, John and Carolyn Grace moved to Swans Island, off the coast of Acadia National Park in Maine. Traditionally, many of Maine’s islands were used for wool production, and the Graces made the decision to reintroduce the long-established method of wool processing and weaving with their business, Swans Island Blankets.

Using the traditional techniques of artisans before them, and with a dedication to the highest of quality standards, Swans Island Blankets became well known for not only their craftsmanship, but the sheer beauty of their blankets. By 1996, Swans Island Blankets was nationally recognized and won a Smithsonian Blue Ribbon for Craft.

By 2003, with new business partners, the company moved to the mainland, where weaving takes place in a 1780 farmhouse in Northport, not far south of Swans Island. This move, from the sheep to the looms, allowed for a boost in production as well as jobs for weavers and finishers in the Midcoast area. What was originally known as Swans Island Blankets, is now simply named Swans Island, as their output has reached beyond blankets to other woven goods, including scarves and wraps. Swans Island also sells their yarn and a number of knitting patterns.

The production process is almost as graceful as Swans Island’s final product: First, the wool is carefully chosen, each blade of grass removed from the fleece by hand, then gently washed (in order to retain the inherent lanolin), and then spun. As synthetic dyes are derived from petroleum, Swans Island only uses natural dyes produced from living things. With a multitude of variables (from the water’s mineral content, to the time of year the dye-producing plant was grown), the skill involved in the dying technique is an art in its own right. The yarn is then woven on American-made hand looms, using techniques that result in goods that are intended to last many, many years.

With a foundation of authenticity and quality distinction, married with the production of practical, utilitarian goods, Swans Island is a paramount example of the American craft principal and its importance today.

If you’re in the area, you can visit the Swans Island studio in Northport, Maine. Otherwise, their products are available for order on their website.

Above: Domestic Corriedale Wool Blankets, starting at $595