Artists and businesses that manufacture products by hand aren’t able to mechanize their process, but herein lies the charm.  Jim Webb of Studio 233 hand builds his lamps using a slab clay process and constructs each lamp shade individually.  Studio 233 lamps cost more than a manufactured lamp, but each of them is unique due the hand poured glazes.  Furthermore Jim is very willing to customize a lamp to your specification.  In fact, he had a small cardboard model in his shop that he built to accommodate a recent client request.

During my visit to Studio 233 Jim pointed out that customization is one of the unique services a small business person can offer over a manufacturer.  It’s encouraging to find artisans like Jim that are so willing to work with their clients in order to deliver a product that pleases their tastes.

KO Angotti is a Philadelphia interior design and energy audit company that patronizes local craftspeople whenever possible.

Little known fact: the scalloped bowls made famous by renowned glass blower Dale Chihuly are just about the simplest glass forms to blow.  He spins the pliable glass into a flat circle and then hangs it upside down forcing the rim to fall unevenly into the familiar rippled edge.  This is no slight on the confirmed kaleidoscopic lord of glass blowing.  Dale Chihuly is responsible for elevating blown glass sculpture to new levels of popularity and has paved the way for many other artists.  His more complex forms have inspired glass blowers to push the boundaries of color and form.

Bernard Katz has challenged glass blowing limits since he opened his studio 20 years ago.  His early work took form as vases and bowls, but his more recent pieces are geared to abstract shapes and lighting designs.  The Monolito series backlights monochromatic rounded forms to provide a unique lighting aspect to either residential or commercial environments.   Katz’s Montara lighted wall sculptures add further aspects of depth by introducing varied colors and textures.

Internationally mass produced art glass has become popular among many big box home décor chains, but Bernard Katz continues to separate himself from manufactured glass.  His evolved forms are fetching and his lighting will arouse attention in most any room.  Chihuly may be the most recognized name in glass blowing, but Bernard Katz and others continue to stretch a centuries old craft.

KO Angotti is a Philadelphia interior design and energy audit
company that patronizes local craftspeople whenever possible.

• U. S. Department of Energy – Energy saver tips for homeowners
• Air Tight Spray Foam Insulation of Southeastern PA – Spray foam installers
• Keystone Help – Financing for residential energy efficient upgrades
• Tax credits and incentives – State and Federal incentives

I recently attended Kamelot Auctions at their local auction house on Wissahickon Ave. in Philadelphia. Kamelot hosts roughly five auctions a year and their pieces range broadly from numerous international origins. The event I attended offered paintings, sculpture, garden pieces, lighting, and much more, but the furnishings primarily centered on Art Deco furniture from the 1920s and 1930s.

Kamelot works mainly with local estate collections so their auctions are as broad as the estates they consign. The pieces were unique and high quality, but what surprised me most were the prices. I’ve always been very intimidated by auctions because I expected inflated price tags and deep pocketed bidders, but Kamelot quickly allayed my anxiety. In fact, I was kicking myself for not getting a paddle because my favorite painting in the entire show sold for just $25!

Of course nearly every other painting sold for quite a bit more than $25, but that should prove that there are great bargains available at auctions. Now I realize the only thing I should fear about an auction is getting caught up in the excitement and purchasing a lot more furniture than my home can accommodate. Happy bidding!

KO Angotti is a Philadelphia interior design and energy audit company that patronizes local craftspeople whenever possible.

Artists begin with a natural ability; they develop and hone it to become a talent and eventually a skill.  Skills continue to grow as an artist develops methods, but major creative jolts often result from new tools.  A new tool or instrument initiates innovative techniques, which can then be developed to push past an artist’s former limitations.

Leo Razzi began as an electrician and refined his mechanical and electrical abilities.  His electrical work funded his art and design until Razzi’s hobby could become a full time occupation.  Razzi has since refined his functional found object sculptures and has numerous installations throughout Philadelphia, including Standard Tap, Deuce, Grape Street, Azure, and many others.  Recently Razzi acquired a glass slumping machine from an auction, which has added new dimension to his metal shapes.  Glass and slumping are both foreign to Razzi, but his techniques are developing and it’s taking his art to a new level.

KO Angotti is a Philadelphia interior design and energy audit company that patronizes local craftspeople whenever possible.

We just wrapped up a design project in the retail space of a Center City eyeglass lab. Fortunately the client was open to local options and we were able to use Mio’s L- XL Lamp and Armstrong ceiling tiles. We also sourced low VOC carpet and wallpaper. The space has been updated and both the proprietors and staff are comfortable and pleased.

KO Angotti is a Philadelphia interior design and energy audit company that patronizes local craftspeople whenever possible.

Hans Knoll relocated his fledgling furniture company to East Greenville, Pennsylvania just two years after starting the business.  Hans and his wife Florence recognized Eastern PA for its skilled craftspeople and rooted Knoll’s headquarters in the heart of their industrial community.  Not only did they bring their operations to eastern PA, but they also convinced masterful designers and artists such as Harry Bertoia and Richard Schultz to relocate there as well.   After over 70 years of business, Knoll maintains their headquarters in East Greenville and continues to support and build the local economy.

Knoll owns the rights to many of the pieces synonymous with mid-century modern design, such as the Saarinen Womb Chair, Bertoia Diamond Chair, Barcelona Chair, Wassily Chair, and Platner Tables.  Although production of these pieces has been relocated to other Knoll facilities, East Greenville remains the hub of their manufacturing operations.  Nearly every new Knoll line begins in Eastern PA.  Pennsylvania is where the production process is started, scaled, and refined before it’s transitioned to another one of Knoll’s fabrication facilities. 

Most recently Knoll has been enhancing production of their newest Antenna office furniture line and the infinitely flexible Generation office chair.  Both were developed in East Greenville and the production method is constantly being evaluated and improved.  These pieces may eventually follow past Knoll products to other assembly locations, but it’s encouraging to know that after 70 years Knoll continues to trust Eastern, PA with engineering its newest designs. 

KO Angotti is a Philadelphia interior design and energy audit company that patronizes local craftspeople whenever possible.

Richard Schultz is among iconic designers that took a familiar object and redesigned it into a newly functional form. Richard’s 1966 Collection was designed for Knoll after Florence Knoll returned to Pennsylvania from her Florida vacation home with badly rusted Bertoia chairs that were ruined by salty air. Years of R&D went into the 1966 aluminum furniture to guarantee comfort, style, and durability.

His son, Peter, who carries on the Schultz design legacy, commented that so many wonderful chairs have been created throughout history. Fresh unique ideas are less forthcoming than one might think, but father and son continue to produce distinctive outdoor lines such as the Wing (my favorite), Topiary, Café, and Mateo collections. Each new line receives the same attention to detail as the original 1966 Collection, which is exceedingly important when building furniture that must sustain broadly varying outdoor environments and still sit comfortably and look HOT!

KO Angotti is a Philadelphia interior design and energy audit company that patronizes local craftspeople whenever possible.

• IceStone: http://www.icestone.biz
• Infinity Drain: http://www.infinitydrain.com
• Faktura: http://www.fakturadesign.com
• Flavor paper: http://www.flavorpaper.com
• Art of Board: http://www.artofboard.com/ 

CHIC DESIGN NOTE: 

I was delighted to see a burgeoning underground design culture steadily building in Cleveland, OH!  The Rock and Roll City is fostering a highly skilled design culture and shares Philadelphia’s “support local” mentality.  KO Angotti is planning a visit to Cleveland and is looking forward to interviewing a few of the city’s talented young designers.  Here are a few that we saw at the show.  Thank you Cleveland!

• Bomb Factory Furniture: http://bombfactoryfurniture.com
• 44 Steel: http://www.44steel.com
• Objeti: http://www.objeti.com

KO Angotti is a Philadelphia interior design and energy audit company that patronizes local craftspeople whenever possible.

Pottery vessels have existed since at least 16,000 BCE, but clay tiles were far more recently developed. Our earliest examples are from Greece and have been dated around 600-750 BCE. The most familiar and ornate samples are generally Islamic mosaics often found in mosques, palaces, and fortresses. Alhambra in Granada, Spain is an ornate example of Moorish geometric tile work that has inspired countless artists and craftspeople throughout centuries past.

Lilywork handcrafts geometric, floral, and mosaic tiles that draw influence from traditional Islamic patterns like those found in Alhambra. It’s difficult to describe their work in words, but hopefully the photos and video do it some justice. Lilywork offers a broad range of styles and glazes, but I was most impressed with their geometric concepts and their ceiling tiles.

I can picture a kitchen backsplash highlighted with a few gorgeous Lilywork ceiling tiles and glazed in their handmixed colors. In fact, I recently had the opportunity to specify a few of their tiles as highlight pieces for a client’s fireplace. Lilywork is one of the companies I really look forward to specifying because their pieces are unique and sophisticated looking. They craft the kind of quality products that make designers look terrific.

Philadelphia Lilywork Dealer:

Earthstone Tile Works

KO Angotti is a Philadelphia interior design and energy audit company that patronizes local craftspeople whenever possible.