About FabMo

 

Have you ever thought about what happens to all those large and small samples that help you figure out the color of your couch or curtains, the wallpaper in your guest bedroom, or the tiles in your kitchen?

Before FabMo they ended up in the landfill.

Here is what happens now:

  • Weekly pick up
    Every week we collect samples from nearly 60 showrooms at the San Francisco Design Center. These are new, unused samples of exquisite textiles, leathers, wallpaper, tiles, carpets and more.

  • Sorting
    Each week a team of volunteers sorts the materials, and organizes the fabric samples by size. It’s a treat for the senses, with a dazzling array of color, pattern and texture.

  • Twice-monthly public events
    These materials are made available to creative people from around the Bay Area at our public shopping days. Most events happen at our Sunnyvale location, but we also occasionally visit other locations such as Santa Cruz.

  • Creative reuse
    The FabMo community of artists and crafters turns them into one-of-a-kind creations to sell, to give, to support charities, or simply to enjoy.

  •  Landfill diversion
    Through these efforts over 70 tons of high quality materials avoid the landfill and become artwork, furnishings, decorations, apparel, jewelry, accessories, toys and many other sometimes weird but always wonderful creations.

The People Behind FabMo

A small army of volunteers works hard to give the materials FabMo collects a second chance at shining. If you want to know more about our volunteers and how you can help, please take a look at our Volunteer information.

A question we hear frequently from “newbies” at FabMo is, “How did FabMo get started?”

This is the part where we acknowledge our founders, Hannah and Jonathan Cranch. During a now legendary visit to San Francisco more than 20 years ago they witnessed designer samples being thrown into large trash containers. Their reaction was: “We can do better than that!”

They talked to the showroom managers, who agreed to collect these samples for pick-up.

The rest, as they say, is history: every Monday to this day, a driver and a volunteer drive to San Francisco, collect the samples, and bring them back to our warehouse. The first driver was Hanna, and the first warehouse was the Cranch living room and garage. FabMo has long outgrown that garage and now occupies a warehouse in Sunnyvale. Here the materials are stored, sorted, and made available during our twice-monthly shopping days.

Did we pique your interest? There are many ways to get involved!

When these designer samples are no longer needed, the showrooms set them aside for FabMo.

When these designer samples are no longer needed, the showrooms set them aside for FabMo.

Pickup is a workout, but exhilarating.

Pickup is a workout, but exhilarating.

FabMo founders Hannah and Jonathan Cranch.

FabMo founders Hannah and Jonathan Cranch.