Q Please tell us about Blend.

We look for “locality” in Korea and renew the tradition. We tell local stories through handicrafts with local craftsmen and natural materials. We design goods using natural materials and have made cutting boards and jam knives with Uljin golden pine trees, humidifiers and baskets with Damyang bamboo, wallets, glass strings accessories with Gangneung black bamboo.

Q What made you develop brooms with reeds from Seocheon?

Korean brooms come in various shapes and materials, such as reed, sorghum, and bamboo. Each artisan has a different specialty. I worked on a broom project with masters living in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do and Suncheon, Jeollanam-do. As I did market research, I learned that Seocheon’s reed brooms are gradually disappearing into the back of history due to the aging of artisans. Blend intends to carry on the broom tradition by modernizing the Seocheon reed broom design. There is a reed field in Sinseong-ri at the Geumgang River’s estuary, where Seocheon-gun and Gunsan-si meet. Unbloomed reeds harvested in August are boiled in saltwater to increase the sterilizing effect and harden the stems. They are dried in the shade to preserve their bluish color and then weaved to soften the texture to effectively remove dust.

Q How did you modernize the Seocheon reed broom?

Usually, the broom handle is finished with twine. We replaced the twine with plastic and waterproof tarpaulin to add decorative elements. We added a leather strap and made a copper dustpan. It has been reduced in size for easy storage. The broom is designed to be inserted into the dustpan for space-saving storage.

Q What improvement did you make through the award?

The positioning part, which we recognized from the outset, was also pointed out during the award’s consulting session. The topic was “how to provide consumers with a broom experience.” Most of them are using vacuum cleaners, and there is a perception that brooms are outdated. Therefore, we needed a new image and usage. When the broom is not in use, it is placed like an objet on the veranda, the corner of the room, or the living room wall. The scene of tidying up after arranging flowers or removing food debris using the broom was posted on social media with photos and videos for promotion.

Q What is your goal with the Seocheon reed broom?

I want to develop various reed broom designs. I want to display Blend’s products, including brooms, someday. Seasoned artisans and young craftsmen are working together to keep up with contemporary trends. Handicraft can craft functional objects. If people are a little more open-minded about handicraft, they can asily find goods to their taste.