A Touch of Class

Rebecca Finell started her namesake company after earning her stripes in the baby products industry. Now she’s focused on housewares and decorative objects geared toward a slightly different set: home entertainers who want modern, stylish, and unfussy items. Finell’s hunt for a durable material that could withstand the hard knocks that often come with entertaining, but also boasts a luxurious feeling, led her to silicone, a material she uses for many of her products. It has a supple, velvety surface, can withstand heat, and won’t break. 

To reflect the products’ materiality, Finell’s boxes are coated with a substance that replicates the tactility of silicone. "Everything is considered, and we’re always thinking about how to accomplish that ‘wow’ factor when you open the box," says Pearl Schenkel, Finell’s graphic design manager. "We think about the senses and what you experience. Touch is very important. Upon immediate introduction to our product, we want to have the buyer really experience that. It’s an important component of our packaging."

Many of Finell’s products have multiple utilities, such as place mats, vessels, trays, and serving boards. Misfold, a hanging origami decoration shown here, acts as a sculptural accent or as a room divider. Schenkel and Finell sought to highlight its collapsed shape in the box and wrapped it with a black band and nothing else. "We always ask ourselves, ‘Do we need this component on the layout? Do we need that element?’" Schenkel says. The vessel itself is square, which offers room around Misfold to make it easier to pull out. The top lifts off like the lid of a hatbox. "You’re waiting for the suction to release and the box to fall," Schenkel says. "Having that bit of tension as you’re pulling the lid off is really important to us. It creates that sense of excitement."