Intimately Crafted: Custom Leather Storage Goods from an LA Artisan

After working as a graphic designer for several years, art school graduate Sonia Scarr yearned for something “more visceral,” something to craft with her hands. Now, with her LA-based company, Scarr, she designs and creates custom leather goods, from boxes and bags to magazine racks. Per Scarr’s belief that “hand-crafting creates an intimacy between maker, product, and customer that cannot be found in mass-manufacturing,” nothing is made with a machine. Here, our favorite leather storage goods from her collections.

Scarr’s pieces are custom-made. For more information, contact [email protected].

Photography courtesy of Sonia Scarr.

Above: Scarr’s magazine rack, made of a vegetable-tanned leather sling on a steel frame, and in collaboration with Popvlvs, is slim enough for even the smallest reading nook.

Above: Scarr’s geometric Giza shoulder bag is made from one piece of leather. We imagine it hung from an office wall to store pens and pencils.

Above: Folding camp stools are ideal for small-space living. Scarr refurbished this classic version, found at a local thrift store, with a leather seat and leather-strip fasteners.

Above: The Banjo Bag is 11 inches across and makes a statement slung over a shoulder or hanging from a wall hook.

Above: The Pennant Belt Holster is an ingenious design for makers: X-shaped loops threaded onto a belt keep tools at the ready. Affixed to a wall, the triangular pouch turns into eye-catching storage.

Above: Made of calfskin and diagonally stitched with white thread, Scarr’s Cafeteria Clutch is “an update to the classic paper bag.”

Above: We think these custom lambskin-lined wooden boxes would be perfect for storing jewelry on a nightstand or for storing notepaper on a desk.

Above: Finally, a stylish solution for under-bed storage. Scarr’s leather utility boxes feature red stitching, and the largest size, shown here, is big enough to hold linens and towels.

A touch of leather adds texture and dimension to small spaces. For more, see our posts:

• California Cool: Commune’s New Collection for West Elm
• 10 Easy Pieces: The New Pale Leather Lounge Chair
• DIY: A Wall-Mounted Leather Knife Rack