A Mother/Daughter Commonplace Shop Bringing Art and Beauty to Everyday Life.
photos by Paige Green
When Laural Reid was opening her shop back in 2013, she took inspiration from the early 20th century hobby of creating commonplace books. Kind of like the Pinterest of their time, commonplace books were a type of journal used to collect and organize thoughts, quotes, artefacts, and recipes around a shared theme that the owner found interesting or inspiring.
Laural envisioned a physical space embodying that same spirit of curation—a place where thoughtfully chosen goods could echo the inspiration found within the pages of a well-loved notebook. Today, that store, Good Gray – A Commonplace Shop, is a living, breathing commonplace book, co-owned by Laural and her talented daughter, Lily.
Located in a sunny Victorian building in downtown Penngrove, the shop is a special spot where Laural and Lily can share their love of craftmanship, nature, and home. With sun streaming through a wall of windows, the spacious store feels like a breath of fresh air during stressful times.
Referencing a commonplace book, Laural explained, “I try to make the store a gathering of all those things that are useful or educational or functional for your life.”
The shop is roughly organized into different household areas—kitchen + pantry, bath, mudroom, and art + office. “I generally don’t carry things for the living room,” said Laural, “This store is for the rooms that we work in. Lily and I choose things that appeal to us and hope our customers will like them, too.” She added, “A customer commented that Good Gray brings art to the practical world. I appreciated that and I hope that’s always the case.”
Laural borrowed the name Good Gray from the term “Good Gray Poet” used to refer to Walt Whitman, the influential American poet known for exploring the themes of democracy, equality, nature, and humanity. The Reids’ philosophy extends well beyond commerce: it is rooted in connection and creativity. Customers are encouraged to linger, to ask questions, to discover something new and unexpected.
Sharing the Good Gray space is Lily’s endeavor Apprentice Studio, offering her exquisite, hand-knit sweaters, hand-crafted accessories, as well as other curated clothing. Her annual line of knitwear includes roughly 35 unique, hand knit pieces.
Apprentice Studio is easily integrated into the Good Gray store. “It’s fairly rare that our customers shop just one side of the store,” shares Lily. “I’m younger so I make sure to have a broader range of clothing.” She further explains, “I call my personal style elevated basics. I don’t carry frilly things, but I’m aware of my customers’ desires and I work hard to find classic, ageless pieces.”
The knitwear collection drops every October and is a combination of Lily’s designs along with pieces to complement them. “I don’t do custom work but can take requests for custom colors” adds Lily. “I work all year on it, and I love it. It’s an amazing job and a privilege to have it. I’m very grateful to have a successful business in Sonoma County.“
With Laural nodding in agreement, Lily states, “We see every kind of person in the shop and really get to know our customers. They have been very kind to us.”
For the past seven years, Laural and Lily have hosted the Holiday Book Flood, borrowing from an Icelandic tradition of book giving for the holidays called Jólabókaflóð. The tradition originated during the shortages of World War II, when paper was one of the few materials that wasn’t heavily impacted, so the Icelandic government encouraged everyone to give books for the holidays.
The tradition starts on Christmas Eve with Christmas dinner, followed by an exchange of books and special chocolate, then reading late into the night. “Hosting a holiday book flood was a bit of a risk at first, just because no one had heard of it,” says Laural. “But people really responded, and now they look forward to it.”
The Yule Book Flood is a way to do something a bit different for the holidays. And, as Laural shares, “A book and bit of chocolate or other accessory is a meaningful gift that isn’t super expensive.” Lily joins in, “The books we choose include a lot of art, a lot of education, and a lot of creativity. It’s something that people can do together or bond over.”
The Good Gray Book Flood also includes a selection of cool chocolates, cozy blankets, teas, sheepskins, hot water bottles, and cashmere beanies, everything needed to enjoy a dark winter night with loved ones. Lily adds, “It also really helps us anchor our holiday sales every year. We love it.”
” The books we choose include a lot of art, a lot of education, and a lot of creativity. It’s something that people can do together or bond over.”
On any given day a shopper will find everything from Japanese dishware, a selection of enamel ware, beeswax candles, to wrapping paper, gift cards, and lovely portable watercolor sets. “We work hard to offer a broad range of products and prices. You can find a beautiful gift here for $15,” says Laural. “It really is a labor of love and comes from the heart.”
Every corner of Good Gray seems to tell a story and is an invitation to slow down and savor the tactile pleasure of browsing. It is a reminder that even everyday activities can become artful expressions.
Good Gray
goodgray.com | apprenticestudio.com
707-755-4535
9591 Main Street, Penngrove
November Hours: Wed-Sun | 11am–5pm December Hours: Tues-Sun | 11am–5pmBook Flood begins Wed, Nov 19