MĀKGOODS WAS CO-FOUNDED BY TWO LONG-TIME FRIENDS, CHAD AND STERLING.
We both grew up in Idaho (in different towns) and we both eventually ended up in Texas for graduate school. Texas has a way of grabbing you tight and holding you close, so after graduation we both decided to stick around and grow our families and careers. As the saying goes, we weren't born in Texas but we got here as soon as we could.
We didn't know it at the time, but both of us ending up in Houston was a big deal. Chad tells it like this:
Shortly after graduation, my family and I moved to a Houston suburb for a new job. When furnishing and decorating our home, one particular room was particularly boring. We wanted wall art that was interesting and dimensional. Our search was unsuccessful; everything we found was just as boring as the room. It was all similar in shape or color, and most of it could be found in half of the homes in our neighborhood.
We wanted something unique and dimensional, and I only had one option: fill my garage with gigantic power tools and make something myself. At great length I made a wall sculpture out of 2x4s. Having never made an original thing in my life, this was a significant accomplishment! We were constantly asked where it was purchased and it was surprisingly gratifying to say, "I made it!" To this day when I look at that creation I think of the personal meaning behind it.
The creative process and end result were incredibly powerful for me. I wondered if there was a way to help others solve the same problem, but without having to haul lumber, fill a garage with power tools and invest in hearing protection.
I needed a gifted designer. I called my friend Sterling, who has a degree in fine art, a graduate degree in architecture and years of professional design experience. I've never known a more talented person. An early morning call was all it took. Sterling was in.
Modular Art Kits
We wanted to offer modern, completely customizable products for people that don't have the resources of serious, "I'm going to build my own casket" DIYers or the know-how of professional designers and architects. And we wanted to use materials that were real, the best we could find.
We're inspired by minimal, geometric, modern design. We started designing kits composed of modules, or pieces, that add interesting dimension, can be arranged and finished in any way and are easily mounted on the wall. We call them modular art kits. Each kits' modules are based on a grid, making it easy to see and arrange patterns and compositions that make sense for your space. And they are all made of the best materials we can find.
It's simple, we'll manage the hard work of designing kits, sourcing and storing materials, building parts and cleaning up. You do the fun part of creating original art with real materials.
