Fire Screens in Two Styles

It's funny how requests for a particular item often seem to come in groups. This time around we had two requests for a total of three fireplace screens.

{Click smaller photos to enlarge.}

View fullsize

View fullsize

The first two fire screens are free-standing fireplace screens in a classic style. They feature a riveted design with hammer textured edging. They're easily moved with two handles at the top, and curved brackets on the feet add stability and a bit of style. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

The third fire screen is custom-fit to the fireplace in a modern design. There are no superfluous details in these clean lines. Instead of a latch, the doors have a high-heat magnetic closure of our own design. 

If you are interested in a project like this or any of the others you may have seen on our website or social media, please feel free to drop us a line!

Extra Large Dining Table

Last fall, we created a super-duper extra large custom dining table. This thing is seriously huge, and a great opportunity to show off some substantial forged table legs. We collaborated with our friend David Bohnhoff to create the top.

{Click any image to enlarge.}

Here Kyle and his assistant Kallen (in the first photo) are forging the table legs using the power hammer and a jig with clamps on the table.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Forged steel table bases ready for their tops. The table is designed in two sections that can be arranged side by side or end to end. Check out the rivet detailing in the second photo!

View fullsize

View fullsize

And here's the mighty 12-seater custom dining table installed. The top is quarter-sawn oak with a gorgeous grain. It's in two sections that match the base. To keep the fit nice and snug when the bases are arranged side by side, Kyle forged a bracket to lay across each end, as well as shorter brackets to use when the tables are end to end. The brackets store in a space under the top of the table. You can see some of David's process photos as he created the top and carved the dados to fit the brackets on his Instagram account. (Click through to see them all!) The feet feature oak bases as well.

"Nature Therapy" mosaic series

Is there anything more soothing than scenes from nature? For us, like so many artists, nature is the siren call of art subjects. Whether it's to remind ourselves of the everyday beauty that surrounds us, or to connect with others so they might more strongly feel the call to protect our environment, nature is a subject that is at the heart of who we are and what we do.

---

This series I call “Nature Therapy” was an unplanned, spontaneous journey. "Leaves" was the first piece to arise, driven by a need to create something green and lush, and inspired by my talented friend Emily Herr's Thrive series, especially some of the leaf shapes in this piece and the colors in this one.

"Trees" and "Mountain" came next, designed with the simple, graphic shapes and similar color scheme of the first piece. As with all unplanned journeys, this one took me to unexpected places. When I got to the end of this series, I realized that the point-of-view moved further out with each consecutive piece, from leaf to tree to forest.

As I worked on this series, I thought about the idea that time spent in nature heals and nurtures us, even nature viewed through a window. The political climate during the Trump administration had me thinking of the inequities of this idea, the fact that access to nature has become a privilege for some rather than a right of all, that the lives of some populations are unduly burdened by their lack of access to clean nature. So a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this series will go to Green for All, whose mission is to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize