Signs of Time
A love of people and place led the Staggs to launch their Northwest-centric sign-making business
Staggs & Staggs Sign Co. began like many creative ventures do, as a fulfilling side project for local couple Eric and Alycia Staggs that continued evolving as word spread and demand grew.
The couple, based in Nine Mile Falls, now sells their handcrafted metal signs, both original design series and custom orders, to a mostly local fanbase who proudly hang the location-inspired art inside their homes and businesses.
Showcasing a love for the Inland Northwest’s landmarks is the primary inspiration for many of Staggs & Staggs’ designs, with simple typography and rustic, worn finishes making each handmade piece look like relics from another era. Popular designs feature names of local places like Priest Lake and Long Lake, lists of Spokane’s historic neighborhoods or streets and the geographical coordinates of Spokane and Gonzaga University, among other Northwest-inspired themes.
“Taking something that’s contemporary and making it appear that it’s 50 years old; it’s really fun to do,” notes Alycia.
It helps that this rustic, industrial and vintage-inspired aesthetic continues to be a popular design element across style trends, including the mid-century modern revival and contemporary farmhouse look.
Many of Staggs & Staggs’ locally themed pieces can be purchased in person at the Pop Up Shop (159 S. Lincoln) in downtown Spokane, while custom orders — for pretty much any design customers can think of, the couple say — can be ordered by contacting the studio directly, through Facebook, Instagram, Etsy or by email. Popular requests include signs bearing a newlywed couple’s name and wedding date, or a family’s favorite spot to recreate near water or woods.