Seattle Culture
The Coolest Handcrafted Furniture on Capitol Hill
Furniture company Brackish makes their items out of salvaged materials
By Jennifer McCullum June 15, 2015
This article originally appeared in the July 2015 issue of Seattle magazine.
Designers Andy Whitcomb and Forest Eckley are redefining the term “homemade” with their handcrafted furniture company, Brackish. Their made-to-order line, from bar carts to bookshelves, features wood and some metal salvaged from buildings that have been torn down blocks from their Capitol Hill studio. “It’s bittersweet because we hate seeing older buildings go, but love getting the material so we can build on that history,” Whitcomb says.
The pair is also part of the neighborhood’s future: They opened their first shop (with two other partners), Glasswing, on Melrose Avenue in late 2013. The artisan store/gallery space features locally and globally sourced men’s and women’s clothing, home goods, including pieces from Brackish, Italian wool chore jackets, Bangladeshi market bags and terrariums that customers can DIY in the shop’s small design studio. “We want the shop to be a place you’re excited to walk into,” Eckley says. Furniture prices upon request, available by appointment at brackishdesigns.com or visit Glasswing. Capitol Hill, 1525 Melrose Ave.; 206.641.7646; glasswingshop.com.