One-of-a-kind By Design

Style Union Home (SUH) seeks to meld fashion and design into a cohesive, familiar medium – your home. With handcrafted ceramics and streamlined homewares, fashion icon and entrepreneur Kym Gold offers a range of wares and accessories, cast in an array of calming hues – pieces that add dimension and depth to homes, galleries, hotels, museums and more.

Each item offered by SUH is handcrafted in small batches by master ceramicists in Los Angeles. No molds, slip casts or mass production – each item carries its own spirit, visible in its finish and custom glaze. With SUH, Gold offers pieces meant to become heirlooms and contribute to family legacies. “Style Union Home is an interchangeable home fashion brand that allows you to build a cohesive tabletop over time,” Gold said. “We’re seeking to transform the humble bowl or platter to something that elicits feelings and rouses lost memories.”

THE BUSINESS OF MEMORY-MAKING

While entering the home goods industry may be a new venture for Gold, she’s no stranger to leading a successful business – SUH represents her sixth brand, and first outside of the fashion world. After flipping real estate and building homes, Gold decided to enter the world of home interiors but found that there were few brands to offer high-end home accessories that were practical and cohesive. Unable to find something to match her tastes, she used her know-how and passion for style to deliver extraordinary pottery and other homewares.

After a pottery throwing session with her son, Gold realized that her decades in fashion could translate into homewares. With her entrepreneurial mind in motion, Gold began designing and building by herself, searching for clays that didn’t require a fancy glaze to offer visual appeal.

Echoing the fashion business, SUH follows a production cycle matching the fall and spring fashion calendar. One of the goals for the brand lies in offering what Gold calls ‘whole-home cohesiveness,’ a quality of shared design sensibility.

Because each product from SUH is built to become a family heirloom, the idea of legacy forms an important aspect of the business, both in production and operation. Gold’s inspiration to form the company stems partially from a salad bowl found at her mother’s weekly Sunday dinners.

“My mom would make a Caesar salad in the same bowl every week served with lasagne. Now, the Nikki Gathering Bowl represents that legacy. We might not remember moments with family, but simple objects like that salad bowl can ignite such powerful emotion,” Gold explained. “In fact, our menorah has become one of our best-selling pieces, not only because it’s a menorah, but because it elicits so many feelings. It’s a year-round best seller.”

Creating ceramics that function as décor and art while remaining functional can be challenging. Gold explained that the most difficult aspect of the business has been finding skilled potters and ceramists. Because no molds or casts are ever used and everything is handmade in Los Angeles, a single product can take anywhere from six to eight weeks or longer to create.

Despite the time and talent necessary to bring products to market, Gold continues to follow what she loves – working hard, creating, and helping her team succeed. She admits that being a CEO can be challenging, but the opportunity to make a difference by hiring great people and selling meaningful products is what keeps her passionate.

“I want everyone on my team to succeed, which is why the business has been purpose-built with the most talented women I can find. I want them to be able to take me out for dinner someday,” Gold said.

Gold structured SUH to give back to its employees and to nonprofit organizations. By donating percentages of sales to nonprofits aimed at aiding and empowering women, SUH represents an exciting chance for Gold to leave a legacy beyond the success of the business. Gold’s female-powered team also mirrors her deep passion to help other female entrepreneurs make their way in the world of business.

All the ceramics offered by SUH are crafted in a Fair-Trade environment with a focus on sustainability. Beyond this, 5% of all sales from the In the Raw Collection goes directly to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

THE GOLD STANDARD

With six collections in their archives and more seasonal offerings to come, SUH remains cautious to grow organically to maintain their high standards for production. Traditional hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques are employed, and small batches of product ensure that each piece is made with intention and fired with love. No mass production – all handmade in Los Angeles.

“We’re hoping to go beyond tabletops in coming seasons; we’re building a lifestyle brand with SUH. Coming from a big family, we built memories at the dinner table, but I want to offer more products that can capture memories like blankets, rugs, napkins, pillows and more. Whatever people buy from this line, I want them to feel the heart of it,” Gold said.

With refined palettes of Blanc, Noir Blanc and Noir Gloss combinations, the streamlined ceramics range from restrained to freewheeling. Simple plates and playful, undulating pieces that mimic crumpled cloth bags are all indicative of the company’s range, which includes candles, marble platters, soap dishes, oil and vinegar sets, and napkin rings.

Customers should note that because everything is handmade without molds or casts, what they see on the website and what arrives in a shipping box will look slightly different. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, and the multi-step process of creation can mean that an order may take anywhere from four to six weeks to ship.

SUH also realizes that accidents do happen, and they offer a plan for replacement. If a customer has purchased a Legacy Collection item in classic Noir or Blanc, a replacement item can be purchased at half its current retail price.

Jet Linx clients can activate their Elevated Lifestyle discount directly online. You may also spot many of SUH’s wares in stores and boutiques across the country, from California to New York and many places in between!

LEARN MORE AT STYLEUNIONHOME.COM.