Despite the unfortunate name, Etsy isn’t all popsicle-stick sculptures and kitten sweaters. Enter: Debunking Etsy, a bimonthly column profiling all the wonderfully talented craftsmen who use the site to peddle well-built, hard-wearing and handsome goods for your home and person.
Ah, the wall-mounted basketball hoop.
Mortal enemy to living room vases, proud companion of dorm room doors. It’s the interior counterpart to the trampoline, an unnecessary accessory equally responsible for accidents and fun.
Slowly but surely though, the indoor hoop is mounting a respectable comeback. Ikea got in on the action a few months ago. And here’s a patently ridiculous 24-karat gold and black maple hoop from Killspencer that sells for over a grand.
We prefer an option somewhere in between. The ideal wall-mounted hoop shouldn’t employ plastic or … gold; it should feel homey and familiar, it ought to remind you of shooting on one of those faded rims that hangs off the front of a barn.
Enter: Blue Fox Furnishings. A Colorado Springs-based woodshop headed by Zach Allen, Blue Fox got its start by making wall decor pieces out of pallet lumber. About two years ago Allen built a basketball hoop for a family member using that same pallet. It was a natural hit; even the shop was pleasantly surprised. They made a few more and began offering them to the public. People loved ‘em. Ball is life, remember.
While those original hoops were made of pallet, Allen has since shifted to sustainably forested white pine from the Pacific Northwest. The pine retains the quality of the earlier hoops, and relieves Blue Fox of breaking down hundreds of pallets a month — a tiresome labor. Future hoops might even include beetle kill pine (also known as “blue wood”) a method of harvest preservation especially relevant to Blue Fox’s native Colorado.
All hoops are built to order, and you can expect shipment three to five days after the purchase date. If you’re looking for special customization, be sure to let them know. Below, some of our favorite hoops from Blue Fox’s collection, along with a couple bonus goodies from the shop.
On the left, Blue Fox’s classic (and best-selling) weathered gray hoop with an added rustic frame. And on the right, the wood hoop with a little teal frame flair. Both are stained and coated in a semi-gloss varnish. Choose between standard, medium and large for the backboard and rims. (25×18″, 31×21″ and 37×25″ … and 9″ diameter, 10.25″ and 12″.)
Same deal as above, with more variations on the design. The black rim and net is a nice, understated change of pace for any worried that the orange might ham it up too much in an apartment/TV room/man cave.
For a little bit extra: a holder with three foam basketballs. A good-looking, practical way to stow the balls tucked away once finished getting buckets.
BONUS: Blue Fox makes beer caddies for ferrying three or six beers. Both come equipped with a bottle opener. They also offer a bevy of wall decor, from state flags to butcher charts (all painted by in-house artist Moriah Lehman). And let’s not forget this delightfully random Lego tray.
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