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New Home Goods Brand Releases Radically Simple Products, One at a Time

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Piaule shines a spotlight on overlooked household items

For those easily overwhelmed by choice, even buying basic home goods can turn into a panic-inducing affair. If that’s you, a new homeware brand, Piaule, can provide a remedy. Focused on designing one quality product at a time, the half-year-old company has just two items in its catalog so far, the second of which—a 3-piece tableware set shown above—begins shipping this week.

In December, Piaule officially launched with its first product, a minimalist bath towel made by a century-old Japanese towel maker, using a Japanese cotton that makes the Piaule towel lighter, thinner, and faster-drying than the typical bath towel. Measuring 25 by 51 inches, it’s also noticeably more compact than common bath towels, which tend to run around 30 by 56 inches.

That may be smaller than some folks would like, but according to Piaule co-founder Nolan McHugh, it’s all intentional. "We tested a variety of sizes and decided this was the optimal balance of minimalism and effectiveness," he writes via email. "We wanted it to be exactly the size you need, and nothing more."

For its second release, the New York City-based brand worked a tad more locally, collaborating with a Portland, OR-based ceramicist on a cup, bowl, and plate made of porcelain. These pieces appear to have odd dents and curves, but MuHugh says those, too, were deliberate tweaks made to improve how the shapes feel in your hands.

Moving forward, Piaule will unveil new products one by one. If the first two are any indication, future offerings will continue to highlight the often overlooked objects embedded in our daily lives.