Central Texas Style

Back Yard View

This week I am on a strategy retreat in Wimberley Texas just outside of Austin. I have never been here before and the views are spectacular. Look at this back yard view! It's amazing. Just this morning there was a small pack of wild boar grazing in the front yard. Not a good idea to try to pet one though as they will charge. :)

Door Table

Anyway, I wanted to share a few pieces with you that are in and around the property that I thought were interesting. First is this coffee table made from an old door. It has tons of character with it's cracks and nail holes and old hinges. It accents the space perfectly and compliments the overall Texas style of this property.

Vintage Branding Irons

What about these vintage branding irons. They are authentic and have the wear and tear to prove it. It's fun to pick up a piece like this and feel the texture, see the age and experience the history. I thought for a second I might take this out to the camp fire and give it a test run but I don't think I want to wrestle down a tick infested boar to try it. It's a battle I probably wouldn't win anyway.

Saddle Art

I like this next piece a lot. It's essentially saddle art I suppose. I admit I'm no cowboy so I don't know the name of this part which is the handle. The leather is long gone and replaced by two hook for coat hanging. I just like found and re-purposed objects.

I have a lot more images from this home but I'll leave you with this. The property was able to keep and utilize some natural rock formations as part of the back yard patio area. As it turns out the formations were perfectly positioned to be functional without being disturbed.

Natural Stone Path

If you look closely at the bottom of the image you can see where the natural stone leaves of and the more yellow new flagstone was laid down. I thought that added a very interesting story to the property.

Natural Formation Left/New Flag Stone Right

I'll be here a few more days and I'll be on the lookout for some other cool design elements.

Jingle Bash Success and Fall Rollout 2010

The Popular Item

The Jingle Bash turned out to be the best show yet. I was excited to see many of my friends came out to support us and to help as well. Johnathan Sanders who I mentioned in my previous post helped me run my booth for a good five hours of the show! Thank You Johnathan!

So I used this opportunity to introduce many new items that I haven't even posted to the website yet or made available to purchase on line either! I'll remedy that by the weekend but in the meantime I'll release them here.

In the upper left it the Tria Lamp. It was hugely popular in terms of grabbing attention. I am very proud of it and have a few orders in already. Not that I am not proud of everything that is.

The La Marais Series is a candle and base product that features candles By Johnathan Sanders. There is a complete line of fragrances but I only sold Holiday scent at this event. I will post the complete line on my website.

DaVinci's Flying Machine kinda speaks for itself. It's an artists interpretation of the sketches and will probably crash just as easy if you launch it. Great decor item. There is so much more and so little time so I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves (at least here on the blog). Full descriptions will accompany the website postings.

Jingle Bash Crunch Time!

King and Bishop

With Jingle Bash looming this weekend production has been in full swing. Although exciting, getting ready for a show is one of the more challenging things I face. Inventory is not a word that is friendly when you are bench making every single item.

Victorian Ornaments

These past few weeks have been full full throttle. I should really check the back of some of these lacquer cans and pay attention to the ventilation requirements. :) I am excited about many of the new products we will be introducing. I have a line of Victorian Ornaments that are special for this show. They have a variety of different colors and later (meaning next year) I plan to experiment with paints and other additional decoration of the ornament. I want to wait and see how they do first. Misty has been putting together some really impressive vintage paper ornaments too. I am excited about those. There is also a new companion to Oberon's Gateway that will remain a surprise until after the show. Two new furniture pieces, new vintage paper items, DaVinci's Flying Machine, new lighting, it's crazy!

Candle Base for By Johnanthan Sanders

I'm also excited to be working on custom candle bases for the By Johnathan Sanders line of scented candles. There will be several styles to choose from and as always they are all customizable to your tastes. http://www.byjohnathansanders.com/

I gotta get back in the shop and finish all this up. I'll be uploading all the new stuff to http://www.ferrochie.com/ as soon as the show is over on November 20th.

One Year Celebrations

Ferrochie EST. 2009

One year ago this month I started the experiment called Ferrochie Studio. It's still very much a experiment but one that has had some surprising outcomes along the way. What started with simple wood candle holders has grown to home accessories, furniture and much more! All because of the support of many friends, family and loyal customers.

So this weekend we celebrate the year that has past and the years yet to come and owe a great deal of thanks to all of you. You know who you are! :)

Au revoir Paris!

So the trip was incredible to say the least. The amount inspiration and trends we found at the tradeshow is staggering. Many would appear the same but you have to dig deeper underneath the surface to find the subtle nuances of change. These are the real gems of what was found. Ethnic Chic is still stronger than ever but with some interesting twists. Industrial finishes have taken a turn and colors are shifting slightly as well.

Louis Vuitton - Paris

 As I mentioned previously we did a lot of retail crawling as well as the many outdoor markets that can be found around Paris. All of these trips collectively over the course of the week helped formulate the foundation of some very interesting product idea's for this fall.

I apologize for being so vague here but I can't give away the secrets however a lot will be revealed in the fall and spring products. Until then I want to leave you with a bit of a retail puzzle. Look at this photo of a store window in Paris and ask yourself, "What are we trying to say with this?".

What are we trying to say with this?

Design Inspiration on the Streets of Paris

Antique Door

This first day consisted of getting settled and exploring our neighborhood. With a looming travel strike coming this Tuesday we have modified our plans a little to do some inpirational visits, retail crawls and antiquing today and tomorrow. Then we head to Maison&Objet Sunday and Monday. It will come as absolutely no surprise when I tell you that Paris is awash in inspiration. We toured some of the major sites you would expect such as Notre Dame down to the little niche places and back alley stores. The retail is amazing here with all the small independants selling very high design at affordable prices.

We spent a lot of time just admiring but then a bit of time actually buying. Johnathan got a great deal on a set of designer luggage that is not available in the U.S. Of course, the shop owner delighted in pointing out that Americans love to have something one of a kind especially from France. Well, can't argue with the truth. Misty bought an awesome Parisian hat (picture coming). I have yet to buy anything but I'm holding out for something really special.

Marche' de la Creation de Bastille

Day Two we headed to a couple of Markets. The first is called Marche' de la Creation de Bastille. It's a very cool local artists market similar to what we do back home. We jokingly called this place Etsy Paris but it is a lot like Etsy shows only not as well produced :). Lots of artists doing oils, water colors and pencil sketches.

Marche' d'Aligre

Next we headed over to Marche' d' Aligre which is primarily an outdoor food market but did have an antiques section. Lots of old sketches, textiles and books! Lot's of books. A couple notible finds is a 1950's sketch portfolio that we spent a few minutes going through. We were a little saddened wondering who this really great portfolio belonged to and subsequently how it found it's way to laying on the ground at a flea market. Lastly, we found a hideous doll head in a box. The eyes were rolling around inside but did still work mechanically. It was one of those things that was so scary and aweful that it was fantastic.

Johnathan Holding Creepy Baby Head

Maison&Objet - The show for home fashion

What kind of designer would I be if I didn't go to this show. Don't answer that . . . :) Maison&Objet is far more than just a show for home fashion as the caption proclaims. It's a show about trends across many diverse industries as well. After all most of the things we like as consumers can not be boxed into a single category anyway. They are as complex and hard to define as we are. I'll be looking for all types of upcoming gems like new colors, wood finishes, textiles, etc. The list could go on and on.

Joining me will be Johnathan Sanders, Vice President, Luxury Brand Development and Public Relations for Chippenhook. A little known fact is that I am the Director of Design for Chippenhook who supports openly my endeavors with Ferrochie. We have alot in common as Johnathan is also the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of his own company By Johnathan Sanders. Together Johnathan and I will be soaking up the all new in the world of Couture for Chippenhook, By Johnathan Sanders and Ferrochie.

Fortune cookie last night! What an Omen!

But wait! There's more! Also joining me is Misty Patton, my wife, artist and business partner who is integral to the creative mindset of Ferrochie. With her help we will be coming back from Paris ready to sculpt the all new fall product line as well as the 2011 spring and summer roll outs. Stay tuned for updates!

Johnathan Sanders

Johnathan has a new line of fabrics coming out this fall but it's very hush hush so I can't say anything else. I encourage you to check out Johnathan's blog called Johnathan's Take.

Gunter Kupetz Revisited

In 2006 I took a trip to Germany with the intention of enjoying the culture, food and of course the beer for which the country is famous for. I also planned to slip in some trips to Bauhaus historical sites as well as the Bauhaus Archive in Berlin. When I got there I was surprised by an exhibition of work by German designer Gunter Kupetz.  I had never heard of him and I wasn't in a hurry so I took the time to wander around the exhibit. What I found was a fantastic body of work in metals, glass and plastic. It was a thrilling find and became a highlight of my trip. I decided that I would highlight him on my blog (kinda like I did with Charles Rohlfs) because someone else may find him interesting too. Maybe I'll make a habit of posting my favorites.

Gunter is likely most famous for Die Perlenflasche or The Pearl Bottle. He designed it in 1969 for the Mineral Springs Association as a returnable water bottle. During the 70's and 80's it was a everyday household item and since then is still in use today. It's become a part of German culture and is as recognizable there as the familiar Coca-Cola bottle is to us here in the United States. That speaks a bit to Gunter's philosophies on design.

"The aim of his work [industrial designer] is to create industrial products to serve society in both a cultural and social aspect." Gunter Kupetz-1960

Gunter produced alot of other great works as well. Unfortunately, you won't find much on the internet. At least I haven't. That's why I suggest that if you are intrigued by this that you do one of two things.

1. Ask me to write a larger bio of him complete with pics. (Good Luck)
2. Get on Amazon and buy his book! (Better Option, No I don't get a cut)

The book is fantastic and is a really comprehensive look at his entire body of work. To date I am still the only person who has written a review which is still there from 2006. I don't know if that's good or bad.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R32IEAQN4T5NAA/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Check it out. In the meantime I leave you with this:

The industrial designer is an advocate of the people. It is amazing that the user or consumer is only indirectly involved in the decision process governing things he requires to satisfy his needs. So, in the first place, the designer is the user's or consumers advocate. But at the same time this makes him a product of the people. Everyone has his own yardstick. Everyone makes their own decision. The particular task of the designer is to anticipate the decisions which others will make as if they were his own.

Inaugural Lecture, Berlin Polytechnic of Arts, 1973

Custom Oberon's Gateway - Part I

A dear friend of mine named George (and valued customer I might add) up in Washington state e-mailed me about doing a door knocker version of Oberon's Gateway (OG) for him. By door knocker he meant an OG that featured a striker of some kind that a person could use to strike the keys and alert the home owner that someone was home. After we exchanged a few laughs over how impractical that really is he still wanted to press forward for the sake of the art. Well I couldn't agree more! Plus he's willing to pay for it! :)

So I went out looking for an appropriate striker and came up with this to try (right). It's a antique cast iron key hole cover. There we a few other possibilities but this goes along with the key theme from the original Oberon's Gateway'. There will also of course need to be a few alterations to the original design too. I don't think it would do to simply drill a hole in the bottom and hang this striker. So I worked up this concept sketch for George to approve.

It still has the character of the original design with a little extra embellishment at the bottom. I still may simplify it more once I actually start to fabricate it. I won't know really until the piece starts to take shape. I plan to post the progress in stages over the next week.

I want to use this project as an example of my willingness to listen to my customers and try to create something together. I know George will love this even if no one else does because it was his idea and personal to him. If you have an idea let me know!

Look for Part II soon!

D Magazine Shoptalk Spotlight

Hey I got some press yesterday from D Magazine's online blog. I'm really excited about it.

http://shoptalk.dmagazine.com/2010/05/12/the-handmade-bash-reviewed-ferrochie-studio/

I met Ms. Ramsey at the Handmade Bash on May 1st and I'm really happy she chose Oberon's Gateway to talk about. Perhaps I need to send her one as a thank you!

Back in the saddle! So to speak.

Yes I know! What's the deal with the lack of posts. Well if I actually thought there was more than one person interested in what's going on with me I would have been a bit more frequent. Well I can't take my one follower for granted now can I Junior. :)

Anyway I'm getting back in the saddle. The blog saddle that is. I have been busy with Ferrochie the past few months. I had my first show on May 1st and it was a success in my mind. I didn't sell a lot but I did learn a lot and made a bunch of new friends.

This is Oberon's Gateway. It's a vintage key door chime that was one of four new items I introduced for the May 1st show called The Handmade Bash. The Handmade Bash is a show run by Etsy Dallas and organization I can proudly say I am a 2010 member of. You can check out the Etsy Dallas website by clicking this link:

http://www.etsydallas.com/

I'll be posting a couple of things next week so until then . . . http://www.ferrochie.com/

Topography Trend

The topography trend has been around for awhile now but I don't think it got it's due attention. By that I mean I haven't seen a whole lot of products that are using it. Maybe there is a very good reason for that. :) Mostly I've seen a lot of high design and student projects but nothing within the reach of a typical consumer.

There is a really great blog called Design Crisis that covered this and is where I stole this image from. They wrote a really good and concise article about this trend: http://design-crisis.com/?s=topography

The style is derived from very literal and sometimes not so literal interpretations of topographic maps. You can read about this on design crisis and other trend sites.

Regardless of the reasons for the rise of this trend or it's general absence from mainstream design, I like it. So I created this Topography clock I call Elevation.

I wanted it to be a simple interpretation of the trend so that it can fit into as many environments as possible and at the same time be made at a price that the average consumer can swallow.

I think I achieved both of those goals but the mystery is does anyone else think so?

Metamorphosis

Putting your face this close to a wood lathe is not recommended. Only do this if you are a professional or are 100% confident that the pain will only last a few seconds.

Jokes aside I'm having a lot of fun right now. Don't I look happy? I got my first order for a Jacobean Chandelier and have another in the works for a retailer up north so I've been busy working in the shop. During the process of building these new chandeliers I got to thinking about how unique it is to be a designer. To be able to create from sketch to reality a concept that never before existed in the world. It's a powerful idea. For more than 15 years I have worked as a designer in the corporate world designing consumer products of all types. Some companies manufactured domestic and other overseas but in both cases I never got to put my hands on the material. My role after the design phase is to observe the creation from behind the glass of a CNC or worse wait until the sample ships in from China.

Here in this shop theory and practice combine. I can form a dialog with the material and understand it's limits and push it. Through the creation process I also get the opportunity to test my own hypothesis about a particular design and see if it works. The workshop teaches you to adapt your design to the materials unique properties and in that process perhaps evolve the design into something really special.
This is probably very boring or coming off as the ramblings of a design nerd. I can tell you though that for most of us designers and craftsmen there is a special feeling of pride involved in making something by hand. It's a feeling absent or incomplete from designing something and having it created by someone else.

If you add to that feeling the knowledge that each piece has it's own character, individuality and that there may only be a handful of any one design out there. Priceless! I mean the feeling of accomplishment, of course. :)