Tables with Alicia Dietz Studios

We love working with artist friends and colleagues. It’s just so satisfying to put your ideas together with someone who is like-minded as a craftsperson. Plus— friends! Win win. It’s also a great way to stay connected to our community and expand the variety of work we can offer.

Alicia Dietz is an artist and woodworker Kyle collaborates with frequently, building metal bases and structures to support her wood and concrete furniture. Here are two of their recent pieces in walnut and steel.

First up is a small end table combining Alicia’s waterfall top with legs Kyle forged in his “forest” style. The video below shows his process for making them.

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Next up is a dining table in walnut built in a minimalist design with Kyle’s fabricated steel structure supporting the base.

If you’d like to see more of our collaborations with artist friends, you can find them under the Local Love category on our blog.

Dining Tables with Sallie Plumley Studios

Working with artist friends and colleagues is one of our favorite ways to connected to our community, foster new ideas, and expand the variety of work we offer. Sallie Plumley Studio is a woodworker and furniture maker Kyle collaborates with frequently, building metal tables bases to support her wooden tops. Here are two recent examples.

First up is a dining set consisting of a table and benches. For this set Kyle created forged steel bases to go with Sallie’s walnut tops.

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Full size sketch of dining set bench

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Dining table top template with full size base sketch

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Forging the oval shapes for the dining table base

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Forged steel dining table base in the metal studio

Video tour of the oval forged steel table base.

Dining table by Sallie Plumley Studio (walnut tops) and Phoenix Handcraft (forged steel bases)

Dining table with the artists

Sallie Plumley (L) and Kyle Lucia (R). Kyle’s assistant Kallen Bliss is in the back.

Next up is simpler design with fabricated asymmetrical bases. This set also has walnut tops. Photos by Sallie Plumley Studio.

If you’re interested in seeing more of our collaborations with artist friends, you can find them filed under the Local Love category on our blog.

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Forged Steel Botanicals

From his earliest days as a blacksmith, Kyle has enjoyed forging flowers, leaves, and other botanical structures. It’s a unique and satisfying challenge to transform hard, flat steel into the fluid shapes of plants. Here are a couple recent projects that put those skills to use.

First up is a small tabletop bamboo sculpture. This piece stands about 12” tall and was included in our exhibit as guest artists of the month at Crozet Artisan Depot a few years ago.

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Next is a set of shelf brackets designed around a grapevine and leaf motif. A winery near Vancouver, British Columbia reached out to us about creating these custom brackets for their new tasting room.

You can see other examples of Kyle’s botanical forging in other blog posts, including a double-leaf tree gate, a custom mantle mirror, and an exterior cat tail sculpture.

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