By Alisa Carroll
The organic beauty of hand-made ceramics, textiles, and glass is an antidote to sterility and uniformity and now, more than ever, homeowners are seeking out these pieces for the depth and character they bring to their surroundings. “Design is a visual expression of your values,” notes San Francisco interior designer Allison Dehn Bloom. “Many clients who are in tune with that are looking for organic materials and art that represent their values, such as work focused on social justice. San Francisco is an epicenter of that.” She adds that keywords for clients are authenticity and soul, and they want what they put in their homes to have a real sense of hand.
The Bay Area is of course a mecca of craftsmanship, and working with local makers enables designers to create pieces tailored to their clients, and to watch them take shape. Shares interior designer Tracy Simmons, “The aesthetic of our work is rooted in Californian design: simple elegance, refined and understated luxury. Working closely with artisans infuses our designs with a sense of place, a story, a point of view.”
Craft culture is, of course, global, and the SFDC is home to collections by makers close to home as well as in Europe, Africa, Asia, and beyond. Here, we share the work of a selection of artisans from this local and international community.
