![]() ![]() "Usually artists are already working on something," Funderburk says. Handmade pieces take time to design and craft, so it's best to temper any expectations of a quick turnaround. Railings and balconies, for example, can become a serious liability unless they meet certain safety specifications.Īnother thing to bear in mind is scheduling. ![]() With structural work in particular, homeowners will also need to ensure that they're attentive to local building codes and properly permitted. If the metalwork is being integrated with other materials, such as wood or marble, artists who specialize in those media will have to be included as well. Sometimes the pieces will have to fit into a space where the builder or the designer will have to make special provisions, especially with things like fireplace inserts or pieces that are outside and exposed to the elements," she says. "There's usually an interior designer or some sort of contractor or architect who's involved. T o anyone who's contemplating architectural metalwork or even custom-made furniture, Funderburk would remind them that it sometimes takes more than just the homeowner and artist to correctly determine the shape, size and design of the piece. ![]() I like to have to think about what kind of tooling to build."Ī table base by Ana Funderburk. It was basically a vase with flowers that I hand-forged. "One customer, she wanted me to make her a bunch of flowers as a centerpiece on her table. "People are now using wall art for décor," he says. ![]() Furniture has been perennially popular, too, but of late Kailey has seen more requests for decorative items like garden lattices. Standing in his shop next to a wall full of variously sized scrolls, which are ornamental sections of looped metal, he notes that things like railings and entrance gates account for most of his residential commissions. There are mailboxes and plant hangers." These "accents," she says, offer more accessible and economical ways to bring artisanal elements into your home.ĭavid Kailey, who runs Spokane-based Morgan Jade Ironworks, says his experience as a blacksmith has been similar to Funderburk's. There are racks to hang your coats and your towels on. There's decorative hardware for the fireplace. "There's a pretty wide variety of metalwork that can be found in the home. As Funderburk points out, custom metalwork can encompass pieces as modest as drawer pulls or cabinet handles. Table bases seem to be the big thing, mainly - and sometimes bench legs."īut mid- to large-scale projects like railings or furniture certainly aren't the only available options. "But furniture makes up about 75 percent of my orders. "For architectural ironwork, I would have to say that the majority of people look for railings for balconies or staircases," she says. Since then, operating out of rural Eastern Washington under the name Earthen Indigo, she's created hundreds of pieces - large and small, interior and exterior - for customers around the world. F or homeowners who are looking to give their living space some individual flair, custom metalwork can be a way to achieve a satisfying and distinctive mix of form and function.Īna Funderburk is an Atlanta-born artist and former competitive chainsaw carver who began working with metal several years ago. ![]()
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