My first commission piece of furniture
And hello back from a 4 months hiatus...
It’s been a while since my last post. Four months to be precise. A lot has happened in this time. We took a trip to Korea that lasted almost all of October and found a lot of inspiration. I spent a lot of time offline, worked on my routines and health. Tried a lot of recipes, set goals for 2025. I also had my first few commissions for custom builds. And I got engaged to my love!
Despite everything going on in the world and all the noise in the news, the beginning of 2025 has been good to me.
Working on commission pieces is a new experience to me. It’s different in the sense that there is another person. A person for whom this piece is for. Custom for their specific use and their specific space.
It’s a dialogue rather than my own monologue of my aesthetic. It feels like two forces that feed each other and challenge each other to ultimately come out with a great product.
It’s important to me that this dialogue exists. Otherwise I would become an executor, a contractor. And while that’s something I do fulfill as part of commission work you’d be missing the other part - my eye for design, my sense for the space, my creativity.
Art deco elegant
At the end of 2024 I had the opportunity to work on a commission custom bar. The brief was ‘art deco for a custom elegant speak easy’. A standalone bar that would elevate the space and be a focal point for gatherings with friends. But also a bar that would fit into the space and offer some storage solution.
The end result is an oval shaped six foot bar. The fluted gold tile reflects the light beautifully, especially with the built-in light under the countertop. Yet it brings in an element of geometry with the vertical and horizontal grout lines. The rounded corners feel harmonious and bring an elegant curve. The countertop is solid wood stained in a beautiful cabernet. It is a heavy piece of furniture. A piece of furniture I hope will stay with them throughout their life. A piece of furniture their children might remember as being in that really cool room their parents had to entertain the adult friends in.
That is my motivator. To create something that lasts. Something intentional that is cherished and passed on through generations.
We went through a few design iterations before finalizing this built. We discussed foot rails, art deco patterns in wood, different tile designs, different sizes and locations in the room.
I loved being able to go through the design process with my clients. Discussing different ideas, exploring options and then seeing how this all comes together! There is always a moment at install day that is filled with doubt. Are they going to love it? Not just like it, but truly love it? Is the transport going to be alright? Will they be happy they worked with me? It is part of the journey, part of the job of putting your heart out building something special.
It was a new experience for me and I didn’t realize how much I was holding my breath until I was on my drive home after delivery and install and I was close to crying tears of happiness.
It reminded me of the first real estate transaction I did as a Realtor. I was so happy for my client to close on their first house, I was tearing up at the final walk-through the day before. Dan said to me “oh boy, you can’t be crying for every transaction you make” and my reaction was just - watch me! Because what could be more fulfilling than doing something that has a actual impact on another person. Helping somebody go through a real estate transaction and buy a house, a home, is a big deal and a big honor. And so is making custom furniture.
Handwerk is a small scale custom furniture studio based in Austin TX, that was started by Yoori who after 20 years of marketing and project management in Corporate has decided to lean hard and fully into her passion: creating intentional spaces that make memories.
This is beautiful!
wow good job!