Industry Insider: WorkOf Expands Offerings To Include California Designers
Author:Lindsey ShookCurrently an online marketplace that features the best local and independently made furniture, lighting, soft goods, and accessories, WorkOf is expanding their offerings to California makers and designers. As the newly appointed creative director at WorkOf, Isaac Freidman-Heiman is in charge of the California expansion and has sought out studios and designers that are looking to bring their product to a national level. Scouting out some stellar San Francisco and Los Angeles-based artists, here are some highlights from the new expansion:
“I studied ceramics at the Academy of Art in Mol, Belgium, which gave me the foundation of my technical skills and an understanding of clays and glazes. I come from Alsace in North-East of France, a region that has a strong tradition of rural pottery. Now based in San Francisco, my curiosity with experimenting in ceramics, creating function-based pieces, some reminiscent of the tradition of Alsace is my speciality. Through the years, I have created several themes, some playful characters and some functional pieces. I also produce a line of fire-baked works, which are formed from earthen reflections, smoked in layers of sawdust. These pieces are very unique and each one is formed by a combination of art and fire. A beautiful combination of artistry and what nature can create upon it, collaborating in an osmosis way with nature and earth.”
Chairtastic is the brainchild of designer and maker Josh Duthie. Based out of the Woodshop, a shared workspace in the Outer Sunset in San Francisco Josh works alongside several friends who are surfers, artists, and builders. What began as repairing and rethinking vintage Mid-century chairs has slowly evolved into Josh’s own line of furniture designs. Currently a collection of four chair types, Josh’s designs feel all at once familiar and totally new.
“Melanie Abrantes Designs is a Bay Area-based producer of handcrafted, heirloom objects. Founder Melanie Abrantes believes that in order to create something beautiful, you have to get your hands dirty. She founded her company in 2013 when she realized there was a growing American market for handmade goods. Working with a variety of unique materials, Melanie strives to create products of the highest quality that are equally beautiful and functional. Through the technique of lathing, she turns simple pieces of solid wood and cork into one-of-a-kind bowls, plates, cups and stands. Her passion for woodworking originates from the simple fact that every piece is unique as the material it is made from. Time in the studio is dedicated to researching, testing and adapting the product to its user, resulting in a simple, yet unique object of the highest quality. Moving forward, Melanie plans to broaden her line to include furniture and lighting, maintaining her dedication to handmade.”
For more information on these artists and many others, visit WorkOf’s California expansion section of their site!
