A Bright Idea

the good flock

written by Melissa Dalton


Around 2008, Marco Murillo noticed a trend in the design world.

“I saw people really wanting to know where their products were from, what they’re made from, and how they’re made,” he said.

At the time, the Oregon native was working as a product manager for Nike in the Netherlands. When he returned home to Portland, he found the city to have all the right ingredients to translate this idea into a business. In 2010, he founded the Good Flock, a design studio with a threefold mission.

“We wanted to use wholesome materials, work with people that we know, and try to solve problems with each product,” he said.

Today, every Good Flock creation is drafted in-house, from drawing to prototype, and then manufactured within forty miles of the studio in collaboration with a local craftsperson.

Take the Aurora Lamp: each wood base is hand turned by Tim Corcoran at Aurora Colony Woodturning, making no two exactly alike. The lamp saves space because it’s adaptable; it can sit horizontally as a table lamp or be mounted vertically on the wall.

Finding elegant solutions inspires Murillo to keep seeking them.

“Solving new problems ends up being the greatest motivator for me,” he said.

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