Design Trends 1: Artisans -The Hand-Crafted Experience

Tips and Advice

I love seeing artisans at work! I recently had the opportunity to visit a hard-surface fabricator in our area. Here are a couple shots of the machinery they use to make countertops. These are some highly skilled individuals.

countertop manufacturing

It really makes me appreciate how special hand-crafted items are and how happy I am to bring them to my clients. I was reminded of how many other amazingly skilled artisans we have right here in the greater Chicago area. Scroll on for a look at a few of the unique artisans in the design industry I have had the privilege to work with directly, including some videos of their hand-crafted processes:

  • Tithof Tile & Marble

Tithof Tile & Marble is a local stone fabricator and tile boutique with talented craftsmen. Below is a sample of the stone fabrication process that happens at their Wisconsin location:

Tithof Tile Fabrication Collage

You can learn more about the process on the fabrication page of their website.

  • Atelier Jouvence

We’ve brought you a look at the custom stonework of Atelier Jouvence in our blog Cool Collaboration, showcasing a gorgeous fireplace mantle for my client’s home. I loved working with Sonia and Olivier Dumont and find the artistry to be exquisite. Here’s a look at Olivier Dumont working on a hand-carved engraving at the Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing, Olivier in his workshop, and a close-up of a hand-carved fireplace mantle.

atelier jouvence collage

And here’s a video of Olivier Dumont on WGN-TV’s House Smarts showing a little “how-to” for stone carving:

HouseSmarts “Stone Carving Ep163 with Atelier Jouvence” on Youtube.

 

  • F. Schumacher & Co.

Schumacher carries a comprehensive collection of fabrics, trim, wallcoverings and furniture in their many locations around the globe, including here in the Chicago area. Below are a few pieces from a couple of their collections:
Schumacher Collage

Here’s a short video from Schumacher’s Vimeo page showing the process of creating one of their hand-crafted wallcoverings:


Screen-Printed by Hand: the Citrus Garden Wallpaper from Schumacher on Vimeo.

 

  • Samuel and Sons

We have showcased the gorgeous work of Chicago’s own Samuel and Sons in our previous blog Passementerie. Here’s a fresh look at just a few of the thousands of options available from their custom and semi-custom collections:
Samuel and Sons collage

And here is one of their custom collections, Bejeweled by Lori Weitzner, featuring all hand-crafted designs by artisans around the globe. Gorgeous, isn’t it?

 

Samuel and Sons Lori Weitzner Bejeweled Collection Collage2

 

This video details the creation of the collection. Fast-forward to 1:40 to see the incredibly skilled artisans at work:


“Bejeweled by Lori Weitzner by Samuel & Sons” on Youtube.

  • Maya Romanoff

Oh, the luxury and artistry of Maya Romanoff wallcoverings! We’ve shown you this stunning brand in our previous blog Maya Romanoff Wallcoverings. They pride themselves on top quality, hand-crafted creations and are headquartered right here in the Chicago area.

Maya Romanoff Collage

 

Here’s a look inside their Chicago studio:

“Maya Romanoff Chicago Studio Tour” on Youtube.

How fabulous is it that we have all these talented, unique, hand-crafted design materials at our fingertips? (And this is just a sampling!) I’m so thrilled to be able to bring them to my clients. What’s your favorite?

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