Forged Steel and Mosaic Fireplace Cover Collaborations

This client approached us in need of decorative fireplace covers. Not a fire screen, the steel-and-mesh screen set in front of the fireplace to prevent sparks and embers from getting out. No, this client wanted something decorative yet functional to completely cover the fireplace. They live in an older home with a total of seven, SEVEN! fireplaces. Though they use some of them, most are not in regular use. The benefit of movable decorative covers over something more permanent is they still have the option of easily using the fireplaces down the road.

In a startling coincidence, it turns out we had made a sign bracket for this home many years ago for the previous owners. In light of that coincidence we incorporated the cat tail design of the bracket in one of the fireplace covers. That cover went in a room with a large painting of a tree over the fireplace, so we used colors from the painting in the mosaic inlay surround.

For the second cover, the main design concern was to brighten up an otherwise rather dark room. For that fireplace we went with a similar design to the cat tails, this time in gold and bright white mosaic inlay. You can see a few photos of the works in progress below, as well as images of the final pieces installed in the client’s home.

{Click smaller images to enlarge.}

Our latest custom mosaic coat racks

If you’ve spent any time visiting our studios or talking with us in our booth at a craft show, you’ve probably heard Johannah say our coat racks are her favorite item we make. They bring everything we do together: metal, mosaic, and wood, in a package that is fairly affordable for many folks. While we always have some available for sale in our online shop, we also make many custom coat racks.

Customers often share a photo of the room or nearby items to help us understand the colors and style they’re looking for. That’s the case with these first three mosaics. The beachy mosaic at the top is in an oak frame, while the others are in cherry.

{Click any image to enlarge.}

Notice there’s a lot of blue? That’s frequently the case, with green being the second most common color for custom coat racks.

Next up we have one inspired by the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, and then a request for a mosaic that’s slightly taller than our usual 3” height. These two mosaics are in mahogany frames. We use reclaimed wood for all our mosaic coat rack frames.

And last we have a mosaic version of the Charlotte, NC skyline. This one is in an oak frame. Cities are surprisingly fun and interesting to create in mosaic! We made a coat rack featuring the skyline of Chicago a few years ago. You can see that one at the bottom of a blog post here.

"Envisioning Change" mosaics

This is a two-part mosaic series Johannah created as part of an effort to visualize and make more tangible the idea of “change.” How do we change our culture? What happens when we change our minds? What does that process look like? What do the results look like? Specifically these pieces relate to the idea of social justice, but in a broader sense they might apply to any inner change that affects personal relationships, whether with oneself or between two or more people.

{Click smaller images to enlarge.}


The first piece is a triptych titled “Change the Pattern, Change the World: The Sacred Space of Change.” Beginning on the left with a simple, unchanging pattern, the narrative of the piece moves to the center panel. Here the pattern is interrupted by a sacred, protected space where deep, lasting change is fueled and created. In the final panel, this deep change moves out of the sacred space and into the broader outside world, disrupting and changing the established pattern.

Process shots filling in the third panel above and a few of our favorite details below.


The second piece in this series about change is called “Through Diversity, We Expand.” This was inspired by the question “what value does diversity bring to our lives?” One answer to that question is that exposure to new experiences, especially new people, cultures, and worldviews causes us to grow as individuals and broaden our understanding of the world. And just as our bodies are composed of the elements of the universe, the lines of this artwork mimic those of our expanding universe, reflecting our personal experience in the greater universal experience.