Products: Fine Finishes

Standing Stones Stone worker Chris Curtis specializes in carving large stone sculptures for indoor or outdoor placement, as well as fountains featuring uniquely shaped stones. He frequently crafts interior wall fountains, some only 1 1/2 inches thick—what he calls “plasma screen” fountains because of the very thin profile.

Sculptures and fountains range from shaped standing-stones to stones with cut and polished gorges, over which water can flow naturally. He has also crafted countertops and sinks, such as this one carved from a single, 1,100-pound glacial boulder of Snow Leopard marble that was found near his studio in Vermont.

Clients and architects can bring specific design ideas to the table, or they can work with Curtis from the beginning project concept. “We come from the art side,” he says of himself and his partner and wife, calligrapher Tari Swenson. “We want to be involved in the design phase. People come to us with ideas, and we’ll dig deeper to get a sense of the flavor of what they’re trying to achieve. If it’s an architect with a specific idea, we’ll do it, but if he wants to work with us to flesh out the ideas, we like that.” 802.253.8943. www.christophercurtis.com.

Jeff Schiff of Schiff Architectural Detail starts every custom project with a quiz to determine the clients’ needs and what style they are interested in. “Frequently we have to tell people when to stop, what they can or cannot have because of the limits of certain techniques,” says Schiff. But regardless of how simple or ornate a project, Schiff says his studio can produce it.

Architectural Iron Working primarily in steel, but also in brass, bronze, aluminum, stainless steel, and even stone, wood, and glass, Schiff and his three full-time artisans produce stair railings, balconies, window grilles, fences, restorations, reproductions, fountains, lighting, gazebos, gates, and more. Schiff’s techniques are as varied as his end products. “We do everything from hot-work, cold-fab, castings, custom engraving, and embossing.”

“It’s always a challenge,” he says. “There is always an opportunity to use what we’ve learned the hard way. We like making things of beauty that are a joy for a long time.” 617.887.0202. www.schiffarchitectural.com.

Vinatage Original Bathroom vanities from COCOPA are designed in a rustic, whimsical style by designer Deborah Cota with her husband, master blacksmith Peter Anthony, and her brother, master furniture maker Mike Cota, and are individually crafted of reclaimed, vintage pine to sit atop hand-forged iron bases. Working with vintage woods, says Deborah Cota, gives each of her pieces a unique flavor. “Each piece takes on an individual look for each client,” she says.

While the designs are Cota’s, the client has complete control of color choices, height, sizing, stylistic options, and the type of sink the vanity can be fitted with. Each vanity is custom crafted to the client’s size requirements; designs are properly adjusted to fit the scale of the project. COCOPA offers a palette of 20 paint colors as wood finishes and two finishes for the iron bases and hardware. Where wood is to be painted, alder is used in place of reclaimed pine. Vanities can also be designed to extend to the floor without the iron bases, and can be made with soapstone or reclaimed pine tops.

Several vanity designs, including the new Florence, Butler’s series, and Vita vanities offer a variety of style and storage options. Where doors are applied, the panels can be made of wood, shell, or glass.

Cota will recommend the vanity style from her collection that will best suit the effect the client wishes to achieve. 303.670.0684. www.cocopa.com.