Local Love: Christina Boy Design

For our latest installment of our Local Love series, we're working with the talented Christina Boy. She approached Johannah about collaborating on a series of wall sculptures she was commissioned to create. The series was designed for a new breakfast room at Stoney Creek Hospitality in Independence, MO.

Christina and Kyle were classmates in the Craft & Materials Study program at VCU. She was also a two-year core fellow at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, and continues to be an active part of the Penland community. Christina creates gorgeous handmade wood furniture, often incorporating sophisticated geometric shapes and subtle color in her designs. She runs her one-woman studio out of the foothills of the Virginia Blue Ridge with a flock of chickens as her nearest neighbors.

For the Stoney Creek series, Christina took her inspiration from the exisiting elements: the rustic wood, glitzy glass, and industrial metal of both the room and the company logo. The design of the red and black mosaics was inspired by the textile you can see in the middle photo at the very top of this post. The colors in the orange mosaic were chosen to coordinate with the beautiful cherry wood of the center panel in the logo sculpture. Check out the great piece on Christina's blog for more on the inspiration, creation, and installation process, as well as lots more great photos!

Made in RVA: Handmade Furniture & Lighting Show & Sale

Next month we're excited to be participating in a show of handcrafted furniture created by 15 local artisans. The show is hosted by the folks at LaDiff  who have gone above and beyond helping to organize and promote this show. We're honored this local institution of modern design believes in and supports the Richmond maker community.

We've created a set of three custom tables especially for this show, a console table and two end tables. These tables have forged steel bases and reclaimed heart pine tops, each with glass mosaic inlay. They bring clean, modern lines together with the timeless feeling of handmade work. Check out the work-in-progress photos below!

Our trophy collection

They're not trophies we've won. These are trophies we've made. Handmade trophies are a great change of pace from the standard metal cup or wooden plaque. And we have to say, from the maker perspective, they're a unique and fun design challenge.

For the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce 2013 Impact Awards. The shape of this forged steel trophy comes from the logo of i.e.*, the GRCC's innovation initiative.

For the inaugural Richmond Creativity Awards in 2014. This mixed media mosaic and forged steel trophy mimics the event logo and the idea of creativity bursting forth.

For the GRCC's 2014 Impact Awards. Like the 2013 version, this one is inspired by the i.e.* initiative logo, but we've added color this time around.