Combining their eclectic backgrounds in literature and industrial design, husband and wife duo Michaele Simmering and Johann Pauwen joined professional forces in 2007 with the launch of Kalon Studios. The Los Angeles-based couple personally design each piece at home before commissioning wood production specialists in Pennsylvania to manufacture the goods. The concept behind Kalon: create simple, sustainable, elevated, everyday objects that can survive a lifetime. Learn more from Pauwen in our Q+A below:
1. How did you two meet and what inspired you to start Kalon?
We met in Providence RI through a mutual friend. My roommates and I always had a lot going on and one day Michaele showed up. That was a lucky day. 2. Your company places a big emphasis on the emotive quality of everyday objects - what does that mean to you and how do you evoke emotion through product design?Read More...
Much of today's architecture and design is focused on new, ground-up building. It's rare that homeowners have passion for iconic architecture and desire to live in homes of the past.
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This fall, stay at these new Wine Country destinations that are re-born, or simply revive.Harmon Guest House, Healdsburg PlazaThe third of Piazza Hospitality’s hotels in Healdsburg, the new 39-room Harmon Guest House is eco-friendly with energy- and water-efficient elements and recycled materials us
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If Hannah Cecil Gurney’s early educational pursuits (physics and accounting) seem unconventional for the leader of a wallpaper empire, it’s because they are. But transcending the norm is standard practice in the Cecil Gurney bloodline.
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Brizo, the luxury brand behind high-end products for the kitchen, bath and shower, hosted an intimate and interactive multi-course dinner party at a private Malibu beachside villa. Staying true to their motto “no detail is ever too small to be thoughtfully, meticulously handcrafted”, the experience
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Design and architecture enthusiasts alike enjoyed a new lecture series, “Design Inside/Out”, put on this summer by the Pacific Design Center. Hosted by a packed Crestron showroom, the design panel, “Edifice Complex: Cool Buildings, Hot Architects” discussed the design complexities of contemporary a
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Founded in 2002, Costantini Design has earned a reputation for head-turning, handmade pieces that are entirely unique. Founded by husband and wife William Stuart and Barbara Ruckert, Costantini features original work inspired by their mutual love of modern art, use of exotic materials, and influenced by a contemporary yet functional aesthetic. Each piece is customizable and features natural materials like responsibly harvested exotic wood, leather, bronze, parchment, fiberglass, shagreen, aluminum, steel, and iron. Stuart and Ruckert have created bespoke pieces for some of the top luxury hotels and restaurants in the world including the Nomad Los Angeles, Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, Hotel Bel-Air, Morimoto, Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, and more. Learn more in our Q+A below.
1. How did you two meet and how did you decide to go into business together?
Barbara: We met on Bastille day in 2001 at a friend’s party in Recoleta, Buenos Aires. William’s sister was studying abroad in Buenos Aires and I met him on his second night there. It was definitely love at first sight. Even the host of the party jokingly said, “you two are going to get married!” Read More...
