Founded by Komal Kehar, the designer and architect behind New York City-based practice MIRA PROJECTS, the newly opened common things store is a treasure trove of things you didn’t know you needed. Occupying a compact unit of approx. 200 sq.ft. (19.6 sqm.) on the ground floor of a six-storey residential structure, the interior design, by Kehar’s own design firm, is both innovative and playful. The front section with the window contains a unit with pantry items, while the middle contains an enclosure with a house-shaped insert and slotted wall. The back of the store is maximised as much as possible—a closet was removed to make room for a kitchenette, and bathroom shelving was added.
The house shape is accentuated by a vibrant Yves Klein blue which is also captured by a number of objects that can be found around the store. So, what’s on the shelves at common things? Interestingly, the tightly curated merchandise, which is sourced from across the globe, is reflective of Kehar’s own diasporic background as an Indian-Canadian. As such, the store is brimming with exceptional items, from decorative thrones made from upcycled oil barrels and shapely beeswax candles, to chromatic textiles inspired by the craftswoman of the Bauhaus era. The hybrid array of merchandise reflects Kehar’s own fascination with cross-cultural themes and storytelling with objects. © superfuture
common things
76 East 7th Street (East Village)
New York, NY 10003
Telephone +1 646 3459693
Thu-Sun 12pm-6pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
