Am I Santa's Custom Furniture Elf?

Carving textures, wrapping croc hides, welding steel for cabinet pulls, sanding, grinding, fitting a marble top, glass top delivered and finally the installations...That is what is happening here in the Andi-Le Aspen studio. My clients will be all set to enjoy the holidays with their new, custom accent pieces and as well as accessories to finish up their beautiful homes.

 Also up and running is LUXDETAILS.com. This is the place to go for extraordinary accents for home and fashion. Fabulous accessories that are not readily found and all created by artist /designers. One of a kind or limited edition pieces that will transform your style. Check out the preview launch.

With a couple feet of fresh snow, it is a winter wonderland. The really cold temperatures in the mornings have been brutal, making my barn chores a little less enjoyable. My horses had frosted eyelashes! So extra carrots and extra hay are on their menu.

From Our Home to Yours, Wishing you a happy and creative holiday season,

til next YEAR

xx Andrea

Bespoke vs Mass Produced Furniture

Finding the right piece, in the right size, in the right tone, with the right elements, can be down right tough. And can leave a bare space in your home for longer than you intended and never being quite finished or quite right.

 While buying either a custom pieces or a mass produced piece can be beautiful and exclusive. The exclusivity is in the process not the design.

 As a designer and maker, I am moved by a desire for authenticity and pieces genuinely inspired by the maker. I like knowing the hands that touched it, the history, the story and the soul of a piece.

I encourage everyone to find artists and craftsmen that resonate with you. Get involved in the process and create something fresher and more alive.

 A home is more than a place to rest your heads. Beautiful objects have the ability to transform. Your home is the best representation of who you are, what you like and how you live.

So my passion is to help you LIVE CREATIVELY!

xx Andrea

Help, I need a man! "Out of the Studio"

My Nemeses for the last few months has been a 9 ft dining room table, customized, hand carved , hand chosen planks, hand finished to blend with the fabrics and other pieces in the room. My clients left with a great deal of faith in me, my  design and vision for this HUGE focal point. Here are a few of the stresses and strains of a girl and her furniture design and build career:

*The beautifully finished maple top had been wrapped up and sitting on metal horses in my garage space, so my car lived outside in the snow most of the winter.

*Each leg is an independent sculpture. Fun but very dirty work, I actually loved this part

*The engineered steel frame and the  8/4 (2")  maple top had me on the phone calling  my studio assistants and muscular friends, "Help! I need a man!" The legs were fitted onto steel pieces and steel bolts. Over the top for myself to move about.

* It took 6 guys from Old Towne Moving and Storage, (who I use without fail) to carefully install this piece while i cringed at every grunt.

*It was to be installed before they returned to Aspen. Which was Fri.   I had been crazy anxious, as I am with every installation that is totally custom. I spent the day on top of the phone.

*Motrim, long showers, and a tequila or two was helpful!

All in all after it was installed with happy customers and pride. The next designs are ready for attention and I am ready for the next BIG challenge.

 

 

So until next time, xx

Andrea 

Find Your Muse

A muse is someone or something that has an influence on another and becomes the focus and inspiration for that person's creative work. The act of creation is filled with inspiration from sources that rock your boat.

Josephine Baker, epitomized and defined the beauty and aesthetic of the 1920’s. Picasso’s ultimate model and muse Marie Therese Walter inspired over 30 years of his best work. Throughout his life, each of the women he met and loved became his subject.

My muses have come from nature that live and change daily. The forms and patinas inspire new ideas in my work.

The Banyon Tree is one that always amazes my soul and reminds me of the forces beyond. A banyan is a fig that starts its life  when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree (or on structures like buildings and bridges) These trees also scream “Climb Me”.

Look around and find your muses. It might change and inspire you to act, do and create in ways you never dreamed.

Til next week, xx

Andrea 

Candle light anyone?

Ahhh...Candle light,  the warmth, the glow, it’s romantic, special and just plain flattering to all.

When is the last time you ate dinner by candlelight? Do you remember the tone it set?  Those flickering lights helped soothe your soul. It also gives the appearance of a beautiful, calm atmosphere – even on those days or weeks when calm is the furthest thing from reality.

FYI ( a little history) The earliest known candles originated in China around 200 BC, and were made from whale fat. With the fairly consistent and measurable burning of a candle, a common use was to tell the time.

My love of candle-light has inspired a new line of home accessories. The studio is filled with these textually carved pieces of wood and acrylic that will blend together creating contemporary sculptural candle holders. Here is a sneak peak.

Stay tuned for the finished products

til next week xx

Andrea