Kiosk has been described as a “curiosities” and “oddities” store, but it is more of a curated collection of everyday objects from around the world. Alisa Grifo, a set designer, and her husband Marco ter Haar Romeny started the store in 2005, after being inspired by the items they found and liked while traveling abroad. Two new collections (each collection features a different country) come out each year. They buy from markets all over the world and sometimes directly from factories and manufacturers. The items are selected for their simple designs and practical use, including household items, toys, pens, and tape dispensers. Each item has a label written by Grifo, explaining the object and a story about it. Grifo and ter Haar Romeny also wrote their own travel guides for countries they have visited. Although the idea behind Kiosk may seem innovative, it is based on the principles of Stewart Brand’s “Whole Earth Catalog,” published from 1968 to 1971. The Catalog, like Kiosk, listed books and objects of interest, with phone numbers of the companies that produced them.
