About Housework
Founded by a husband and wife team in search of a better and plastic-free future, Housework is an experimental retail project dedicated to the concept of a holistic household – a living space in which all aspects of all objects are given careful consideration. Consideration as to how they were made, by whom, with what materials, from where, with what physical impact on the maker, the user, the Earth, with what emotional impact on those same beings, and then ultimately their functionality, durability, and end of life.
From practical staples such as Climate Beneficial™ wool sponges and plastic-free naturally dyed hair ties to impactful heirlooms like handwoven, naturally colored organic cotton bath towels and artisan-made sustainable hardwood furniture, all goods at Housework are unified by their focus on not just aesthetics and production ethics, but their material impact on our bodies and the body of Mother Earth.
We are endlessly searching for the best plastic-free clothing and home goods, with an attention to details like stitching thread, glaze, finish, and other elements often ignored in typical product evaluations. Synthetic and toxic compounds are ubiquitous in modern production practices and have become such a standard part of the contemporary expectations of designers that our research often leads us to pre-industrial technologies and processes which employ creative and effective solutions to problems for which the answer couldn't simply be "plastic."
While we have the strictest material & production requirements of any retailer we're aware of, we still run into areas where our ideal solutions are not widely available enough and a compromise must be reached, which is part of why we disclose all of the 'ingredients' that go into each and every one of our products. Housework, like all of us, is a work in progress, aspiring to an ideal we can only hope to fully realize in the not too distant future.
As a holistic business, we seek to reflect our ideals throughout Housework. From our repurposed, recyclable, and compostable shipping and packing materials, to our in-depth product and materials research, to our prompt order fulfillment and customer service. There is so much noise in today's retail world - we would like to bring some peace and quiet to the table.
