Seventy mirrors and an inkling: That was the foundation of Made Goods when it was founded by husband-and-husband team Oscar Yague and Chris DeWitt nearly two decades ago. Back then, in 2008, there was no grand plan to expand into furniture, lighting, accessories, tabletop, home fragrances, and more. Just a hunch that the world needed better mirrors.
“As a buyer, I realized companies just treated them as an afterthought, so I started to think we could create a niche company, and that’s it. I didn’t have a big vision,” says Yague. “But I was clear on one thing: the market was missing nice mirrors.”
Yague floated the idea to his husband, thinking DeWitt would shoot it down, “But he said, ‘Why not? Let’s do it,’” Yague recalls. So he packed his bags and headed to India and the Philippines to begin designing the first collection.
The assortment was full of character and interesting materials, with designs that were more timeless than trendy. As proof, DeWitt pulls out the first catalog they put out in 2009, pointing out all the pieces that are still in the line today—a full third of them, including Coco, a now-iconic piece with a ruffly faux-coral edge.
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The iconic Coco Mirror hangs above a curved Pierre Desk and rattan Evangeline side chair.
Courtesy of Made Goods -
The Venus Chandelier makes a bold statement.
Courtesy of Made Goods
“I had to fly to India to shoot the catalog because everything was really late,” says DeWitt, a marketing ace who learned his craft at big brands like Nike and Urban Outfitters. “We had young kids and full-time jobs and it was kind of a mess, but I still think it was a good first catalog.”
DeWitt describes those early years as jumping in and just figuring things out, a time when the pair didn’t want to think about things too much because there were so many “this can’t be real, it’s really fun, we like what we’re doing, and other people seem to like what we’re doing too” moments. At some point along the way, they realized that Yague’s gem of an idea for mirrors—a deep assortment full of interesting materials that no one else was using—could be expanded. “Why can’t we use these same materials on furniture, on accessories, on lighting?” wondered DeWitt.
Made Goods’ wide variety of table lamps and accent stools in one-of-a-kind materials are made to fit every style.
Courtesy of Made GoodsAnd so they set out in search of novel techniques and finishes that weren’t available in the market. “I’ll go anywhere for a good material,” says Yague, who has developed deep relationships with makers in every corner of the globe, from Peru and South Africa to Italy, Spain, Cambodia, and beyond. “Chris and I choose everything, so I don’t have to cut corners and I can have things made the way I think they should be, which means I get to work with people in a collaborative way that pushes them to expand their opportunities, too.”
Discoveries are everywhere for Yague, including in piles of waste on the factory floor. That’s how he chanced upon banana bark: After experimenting and talking with craftspeople, he realized that the striking variations within the bark could create rich brown tones unlike anything else. “I have phenomenal people helping me all over the world, and they speak ‘Oscar,’” he laughs. “If I say ‘blue, a little bit faded,’ they know exactly what I mean.”
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The colorful marquetry veneer of the Martina Buffet creates a pixelated effect. A Casey Mirror adds earthy tones.
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Made out of banana bark, the Jada Entry Table adds exotic flair. The Lourdes Chandelier is made from delicately strung beads.
Courtesy of Made Goods
It’s this cooperative spirit that keeps the pair in the game and excited to continue growing and growing the business, expanding into bath accessories with their Pigeon & Poodle brand, tabletop with Blue Pheasant, and fragrances with Thucassi. “We’re not serious, stoic people,” says DeWitt. “We’re goofy, and we get to be ourselves and enjoy what we’re doing with other good people.” They see that collaboration extending all the way to designers and homeowners. “The product always has Oscar’s DNA, but then it gets absorbed into a project and there’s this melding of influences that can be awesome and really surprising,” says DeWitt, pointing to a designer who used a group of Made Goods’ uber-glamorous Venus Chandeliers, crafted out of florets of oversized saddle oyster shells, above a pool table in a game room. “I get more excited about seeing how it’s used than anything else. It’s like seeing your kids succeed.”
The newly released Aldrich Vanity Collection, Joelle Two Birds Mirror, and an Allesandro Tall Cabinet make for a luxurious bathroom setting.
Courtesy of Made GoodsToday, Made Goods offers more than 350 materials—everything from poplar burl and olive ash veneer to faux tortoise and hand-worked leather—that designers can count on to customize their pieces. The next available-nowhere-else finish that they expect to be a hit: the pixelated, multicolored veneer on their new Martina Buffet. But in true Made Goods fashion, they can’t stop there. Yague mentions a new shell finish (“hard to work with but gorgeous”), DeWitt brings up the recent acquisition of upholstery brand Burton James (“we can’t wait to reinvigorate classic California upholstery”), and then there’s a new collection of vanities to focus on, including the Gaudi-inspired, many-legged Aldrich. It only takes a moment to understand that the world’s rooms are in luck, because Made Goods’ founders are having too much fun to ever quit coming up with the next great thing.
