Building Patina·April 7, 2026
Why We're Building Patina
The furniture industry is broken. Designers spend hours sourcing, consumers get generic recommendations, and makers struggle to reach the right audience. We're fixing that.
The Designer's Eye
Notes on design, craft, and building something new.
From Leah's desk at Middlewest Studio — product discoveries, sourcing stories, and honest updates on building Patina.
Design Thinking·April 5, 2026
The Designer as Intelligence Layer
Most platforms replace expert judgment with algorithms. We're doing the opposite — encoding designer intelligence into a system that makes everyone's choices better.
Maker Stories·April 3, 2026
What We Look For in a Founding Maker
We're selecting 15 maker partners for launch. Here's what matters to us — and why brand size isn't on the list.
The Designer's Eye
A biweekly letter about design decisions, product discoveries, and what we're building.
From Leah's desk at Middlewest Studio.