Store

Wander inside this West Seattle home-and-garden oasis, and the soothing sound of trickling fountains puts frantic shoppers at ease. Green, leafy trees and soft lighting complement brilliant bubble glass, earthenware pottery and grass basketry.

First an online mail order catalog, Basic Green Box has grown to include a brick-and-mortar store complete with retail space, a craft room and an outdoor patio garden.

Owner Charlotte Wintermann says products must have three attributes: quality, uniqueness and an element of timelessness. Almost anything you find at Basic Green Box has passed this test, from the Italian wall sconce planters to the Turkish tumblers and scroll candelabras.

This store also offers project classes to inspire customers to create their own professional-looking items, including tabletop fountains, serving trays and centerpieces (which happen to come as "kits" inside green boxes, hence the store name).

Designed to be made at home or at an in-store class, the projects use natural materials people tend to have around the house, encouraging the use of creative resources versus going out to buy more materials.

Kits are designed for the non-crafter who likes to decorate and create, but doesn't have time to spend coming up with ideas, gathering materials and going through the whole trial-and-error process.

"People look at something like (the tabletop fountain) and don’t think they can make it themselves," says Wintermann. They are surprised that they can create this wonderful, soothing element for any room. And when friends come over and compliment them on it, they can reply, 'Thanks, I made it myself.'"

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By Lori Hinton
Special to NWSource