16 Artisans You Need to Know

What started as a simple walk in the woods 25 years ago became Laura Spector’s muse. Discovering Oriental Bittersweet, a rope-like vine near her Fairfield home, she began fashioning furniture and garden follies, an art form she says, “straddles the boundaries between art and design, nature and the decorative arts, and the rustic and the refined.” Spector’s whimsical creations have been seen in numerous publications and at the New York Botanical Gardens, and her designs commissioned by A-list celebrities. Her first and signature piece was the garden bench, a design that she continues to revisit, shown here in a sitting arbor. “I allow nature to take the lead,” says Spector. lauraspectordesign.com.

Originally trained as a graphic designer, John Sheppard launched his ceramics practice at the legendary Greenwich House Pottery studio and now works out of a private studio in the Bronx. His work is characterized by clean geometric shapes and inspired by nature, Brutalism, Richard Serra and Art Deco influences. He forms and finishes each object by hand, ensuring layers of depth and texture, and his work embraces the irregularities of the handmade. The end result is a collection that feels of the moment, yet timeless. His dramatic ceramic and brass Geode table lamp is assembled from individual flat sheets of stoneware formed into a complex geometric shape. Available through Privet House, New Preston, privethouse.com, johnsheppard.net.

Rug making is in Meredith Thayer’s blood. Her first job was at a mill working in the family textile business. Her years working at the Rhode Island rug-braiding factory later proved beneficial when she started her own Boston-based design firm. She discovered she could modify the materials and designs of the rugs, use natural, quality wools, and reinterpret the traditional techniques to imagine completely custom and elevated designs. Her respect for the process and vision of potential has helped her find a niche with interior designers and boutique design shops, offering custom braided wovens, including rugs, baskets and ottomans. Available through Axel Interiors, axelinteriors.com, thayerdesignstudio.com.

Credited for reintroducing her father’s work to a new generation, the late Judy Smilow championed American furniture maker Mel Smilow’s crafted designs. Adapting and expanding the collection to suit today’s lifestyle, her dedicated vision brought midcentury modern furniture back to the forefront of design. Her Rush daybed complements earlier pieces in the collection and is offered in walnut or ash. The legacies of both Mel and Judy Smilow will continue with Judy’s husband and daughter now fostering Smilow Design. Available through Suite NY, suiteny.com, smilowdesign.com.

Inspired by nature and the colors of her homeland, Japan, and summers spent in Maine, Hanako Nakazato’s pottery is organic in its form and hues and is designed to be both beautiful and functional. In fact, Nakazato believes her pieces only truly come to life when they are used and enjoyed. A 14th-generation potter, Nakazato’s work is rooted in the ceramic traditions of Karatsu, Japan, but as the first female potter in her family’s illustrious lineage, she has infused her own modern style. Available through Perch by Pergola, Kent. pergolahomecom, monohanako.com.

Born in Ireland, Tim Byrne moved to Connecticut in 1987 to pursue a career as a cabinetmaker. His fascination with found objects took hold and he began collecting cast-offs from abandoned mills and factories, eventually transforming these items into functional works of art. He parlayed his vintage-industrial aesthetic into a full-time business and founded Get Back Inc. in 2000, with locations in Oakville and now Kent. In addition to creating unusual pieces, the company houses a large inventory of American industrial furnishings and is often called upon for period furnishings for film set design. The Caged Drop-Light sconce, shown here, was created from a circa 1920 mechanic’s lamp and is mounted with a wooden clamp. Detailing includes a brass number plate, a braided-cloth wire and an antique porcelain on/off rotary switch. getbackinc.com.

Informed by contemporary art and abstract geometric forms, Lauren Herzak-Bauman’s tableware and art objects are made in small batches in her Cleveland, OH, workshop, located in the Screw Factory Artists Collective. In addition to her studio practice of functional ceramic pieces, art installations and sculpture, she teaches pottery and offers private wheel-throwing lessons. Available through Bungalow, Westport, bungalowdecor.com, laurenhbstudio.com.

“Everything good is made by hand,” says the owner of Klar Studio in Norwalk. The Klar steel windows and doors are made in Eastern Europe, in a factory dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Experienced welders and blacksmiths use hand-held tools to weld and sand the frames, utilizing craftsmanship that has been passed down from generation to generation. Marrying Old-World techniques with state-of-the-art production, the windows and doors are energy efficient and fully customizable. klarstudio.com.

Founder and creative director of Thompson Traders, Alejandra Ochoa de Thompson grew up in the bucolic countryside of west-central Mexico. Her desire to bring the authentic beauty and craftsmanship from Mexico into American homes was the genesis of her company. With 500 years of history in this region, the masters of metalwork in Santa Clara del Cobre, Mexico, use centuries-old techniques, making one-of-a-kind sinks and tubs, like the Diego sink, hand-hammered in brass. Available through F.W. Webb, fwwebb.com, thompsontraders.com.

Located in Auburn, ME, Thos. Moser is a 45-year-old company specializing in iconic, handmade furniture and accessories crafted from North American hardwoods. Jeff Harkin, one of the company’s approximately 40 craftsmen and women, makes the Hoops mirror. He is a master woodworker and enjoys the challenge of crafting furniture. His advice for makers is patience, claiming that working with natural materials can be unpredictable. The Hoops mirror is fashioned in a Shaker style, with a wooden peg for hanging and available in three sizes in cherry, oak and walnut. NYC, thosmoser.com.

Fred Rossi constructs fine furniture and cabinetry in his Manchester, MA, workshop. His designs are influenced by the Shaker and Arts and Crafts movements and Asian architecture. Learning the trade from his builder father, Rossi honed his craft building theatrical sets in high school and college and later designing for the film industry. After a corporate career, he returned to his true love, working with wood. Rossi’s appreciation for the medium, its grain and character, is evident in the furniture he creates. Such is the case for the waterfall design of the floating table in walnut with a flame-polished acrylic. “Clean lines, self-evident joinery and wood grain that becomes part of the design allow my pieces to speak for themselves, ” says Rossi. Available through Axel Interiors, axelinteriors.com, rossiwoodwork.com.

New York City–based painter Peter Valcarcel is always looking for new ways to share his artwork. His limited-edition, home-accessory line includes rugs, porcelain pieces, pillows and acrylics on canvas. The Rings pillow is a prime example of the artist’s preference for simple, basic shapes. “There is nothing more basic than a ring or a circle,” says Valcarcel. “Each design is handpainted on linen, one by one, so no two will ever be the same.” Available through perigold.com, petervalcarcel.com.

Known for his extraordinary harmonies with metal, glass and wood, Joseph Pagano’s lighting collections are a culmination of his decades of experience in design, manufacturing, sculpture and drawing. Combining Old World craftsmanship with modern design, Pagano allows the materials to reveal their hidden potential—a process that is often spontaneous with “controlled accidents.” The glass globe of the Ball and Chain sconce is created using a centuries-old Venetian technique called filigrana to replicate a wood-grain pattern. Available though Room, Greenwich and NYC, roomonline.com, josephpagano.com.

Husband-and-wife team Susy Pilgrim, an award-winning illustrator, and Keith Waters, a software pioneer in computer graphics, combined their creative talents to launch home and lifestyle brand PilgrimWaters in 2012. Born and raised in Great Britain, the pair’s signature style is modern and graphic. Her passion lies with textiles and designing unique apparel, scarves and tea towels. He produces the handcrafted and printed tables and trays in their Boston workshop. Together their aesthetic is colorful, upbeat and fun. pilgrimwaters.co.

Michael Zimber’s relationship with stone began in his twenties while working as a climbing and river guide. Fascinated with the beauty of the rock cliffs he was scaling, he began sculpting blocks of stone in his spare time, eventually starting his own company, Stone Forest. Today, Zimber travels the world, visiting quarries and sourcing materials. “We take our lead from nature’s blueprint, emphasizing the quiet beauty of stone, bronze, copper, wood, bamboo and iron,” says Zimber. The tapered barrel-shaped Papillon tub is carved from a single block of Cumulo granite in a beautiful smoky gray, marked with intricate natural veining. Available through Best Plumbing, bestplg.com, stoneforest.com.

Brooke Richard and Laura Watson met at graduate school at the New England School of Art and Design and founded their small design studio in 2010 with a dedication to fine craftsmanship in wood and metal. They are involved in every aspect of their furniture, laboring over handmade details including hand-cut joinery and fabricating their own hardware, cast in bronze with a wax finish. Their studio is in Brookline, MA, and the furniture is made in Pawtucket, RI. The classic highboy design, shown here, was updated with tapered legs and drawers inspired by apothecary cabinets. Classic milking stools are made in four sizes. Available through Fair, NYDC, fair-design.com, richard-watson.com.