AVENUE Magazine January 2012

Owner Emery Milneaux states, “While the name ‘Commoner’ came to me right away, as a play-on-words of my attached coffee house ‘Common Grounds,’ I feel the name’s more than just a pun.

Commoner’s a place where I’m able to challenge preconceived notions about common objects by putting my own twist on them - for instance, a framed needlepoint from Grandma stitched with expletives, or a dead tree within a snow globe that is monochromatic in color and not made of the expected polished wood and shiny brass.

I can assure you, none of my customers are average, and I want them to feel as though they’ve stumbled upon an urban flea market of sorts. I hope they find the vibe funky, playful, and charming.”

Playful certainly sums up Commoner’s vibe with such novelties as the Vice Jars, which come in a set of five. At first glance they appear like the sort of canisters marked “Flour” or “Sugar” that you’d see in any kitchen. But a closer look reveals that these jars hold some pretty delicious vices, labeled “Uppers,” “Downers,” “Prozac,” “Ambien” and “Ganja.”

Aside from being comic and ironic, there’s an almost (but not quite) unapologetic tone about them that is deeply satisfying.

“The Vice Jars alert your friends