Your guide to the heart of Litchfield County:
Discover local stories, hidden gems, and must-know events.

J. Seitz, a family-run design store in New Preston, CT, is led by mother-daughter duo Joanna and Amanda Seitz. Offering sustainable, artisan-made home goods, furniture, and fashion, the store blends timeless charm with modern touches, remaining a beloved destination for high-quality, distinctive products.

1. How has the HomeGoods and furniture industry evolved over the past 30 years?
   The market has become more homogenized over time, with chain stores dominating and small, creative, owner-operated shops becoming less prevalent. The same applies to products and furniture. It takes more effort now to find distinctive merchandise, but we’ve maintained our commitment to sourcing unique, artisan-made goods that offer our customers something truly special.
2. What brought you to Litchfield County, and how has it influenced your business?
   We bought a home here 45 years ago to escape the hustle of Manhattan and suburban Connecticut. The natural beauty of Litchfield County, particularly Washington, immediately captivated us, and we restored an old farmhouse. This area has greatly influenced our business philosophy. It inspires our commitment to sustainability and our love for creating warm, inviting spaces that mirror the beauty of the surrounding environment.
3. Can you share a memorable moment or experience from your decades in business?                                                                                       One memorable moment was when Jane Fonda visited the shop and pointed to an eccentrically dressed client from the lake, asking, “Is she someone famous?” Also, getting hugs from rock stars is always fun!
4. How do you stay current with trends while maintaining your store’s unique identity?
   We balance trends with timeless appeal, evolving while maintaining sustainable, high-quality pieces that keep clients returning.
5. What do you believe has contributed most to the longevity of your store?
   Our client-driven philosophy has been crucial. We treat everyone who walks through the door with friendliness, honesty, and respect. This, combined with our dedication to sourcing artisan-made and sustainable goods, has built a loyal clientele who appreciate our commitment to quality. Many of our customers have been shopping with us for years, and we’ve even dressed and furnished the homes of three generations!
6. How do you curate the selection of items you sell, and what role does sustainability play in that process?
   We curate with care, always seeking products that are distinctive, sustainable, and high-quality. Sustainability has always been at the core of our philosophy, long before it became a buzzword. Whether it’s furniture, apparel, or apothecary items, we prioritize safety and eco-friendliness. We’ve received accolades from organizations like the Sustainable Furniture Council, and we continue to ensure that the items we offer are as kind to the environment as they are to our clients.
7. Have customer habits shifted with the rise of online retail?
   While many shop online, we’ve been fortunate to maintain a loyal customer base. People keep coming back, bringing their families and friends. Most of our interior design projects come through referrals, and some have been featured in national magazines, which generates further interest. Our clients appreciate the personal touch that online retail just can’t provide.
8. What do you love most about owning and running J. Seitz?
   The people. Meeting incredible clients, staff, vendors, and artists keeps us passionate, making the human connection the most rewarding.

She was once a little girl fascinated by her grandfather’s sprawling garden; childhood photos capture images of her holding flowers wherever she went. Today, Brenda Christie is an award-winning florist recognized for her innate ability to infuse timeless designs with modern glamor and classic elegance.  

“Flowers and decor set the mood and create a memorable atmosphere that will be long remembered after an event,” explains Christie, owner and creative director of Bouquets & Beyond, a luxurious floral boutique in Woodbury. “They are a universal language that allows us to express love, support, celebration, sympathy, and care when words are not enough.”

Initially, a 10-year corporate career involved overseeing event decor, but instead of ordering floral arrangements, Christie would gather individual pieces and assemble them at her desk. Passersby noticed her passion and talent, and encouraged her to pursue florals. 

Ultimately, “drawn to the industry by a desire to bring joy and beauty into people’s lives and make an impact in the world,” she opened a home-based studio in Woodbury, and 15 years later, in 2017, the boutique. 

Whether assembling corsages, a couture single rose, 10-foot tall vase designs, or wedding arches towering 15 feet, Christie “delivers an experience, not just a product.”

Voted Best Florist of 2024 in Litchfield and New Haven counties, she was also honored as Northeast Floral Designer of the Year a few years ago. Accolades are appreciated, she says, but seeing clients’ excitement when their visions become reality is what fuels her.

From “intimate soirees to lavish extravaganzas,” weddings have been Christie’s specialty for nearly 20 years. Though incredibly rewarding, the behind-the-scenes work is challenging depending on event size and complexity. Large weddings encompass an entire week of unboxing flowers, quality control checks, processing and conditioning, and design prepping, followed by the actual design. Smaller-scale events can be executed in a couple of days but follow the same process. 

Because color influences emotions, captivating arrangements must incorporate the right palette. Jewel tones are Christie’s favorite, featuring purples, fuschia, indigo, blues, and reds “bursting with regal drama, and strong and rich velvety brilliance.” She also loves the classic white/cream palette.

Flowers are sourced locally when seasonally available or arrive daily from around the world. Orchids are a favorite year round, Christie notes, effortlessly naming preferred varieties, including Vanda, Lady Slipper, Phalaenopsis, and Hawaiian Dendrobium. They create the innovative, luxurious, and elegant aesthetic she is known for, whether she is designing for holidays, corporate events, sympathy tributes, or any other occasion.

“I fell in love with flowers, gardening, and nature at a very young age,” Christie reflects. “I was surrounded by and fascinated by the intrinsic beauty of all plants my entire life.”

Grateful to have a special part in helping people celebrate and express their love through the language of flowers, she emphasizes “the natural architectural beauty of every floral and non-formal element.”

“It’s an honor to be a part of the best, and even the worst, moments of our customers’ lives,” says Christie.—bouquetsbeyond.com

Bouquets & Beyond
When the Language of Flowers Defies Words

By Clementina Verge

Country Estates & Waterfront Home Specialists

By Clementina Verge

From breathtaking views to direct water access, Litchfield County offers a unique blend of luxury, elegance, and tranquility, and a recently-formed team of national award-winning agents provides unparalleled expertise in welcoming you home.

Founded by Diana Imperatore Bisselle, The Legacy Team at William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty features a compilation of unique backgrounds facilitating seamless transactions for qualified buyers and sellers. For the first half of 2024, the team was recognized as #1 in both dollar volume and units in the Salisbury brokerage.

The team name honors Diana’s parents, Philip and Dobrila Waugh, who owned Waugh Real Estate—a preeminent brokerage covering the Tri-State area for over 30 years. 

As a third generation Sharonite and second generation realtor, “this exposure instilled in me the importance of superior client service and professional integrity, core values that define The Legacy Team,” explains Diana.

Prior to her role as global real estate advisor, Diana worked in New York City for several international investment banks and a hedge fund specializing in Russia, Eastern Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East, as an equity salesperson and emerging markets portfolio manager for over 20 years. She returned to the Northwest Corner’s familiar and peaceful setting where clients benefit from her deep knowledge of the area.

In 2020, her husband Andrew joined The Legacy Team. After 10 years in business development for health care systems in Connecticut and Vermont, and a 20-year career in private education, appreciation for relationship building is a hallmark of his refined approach to real estate.

Earlier this year, the team expanded, welcoming an exceptional agent: Alan O’Doherty. Hailing from Ireland, married to a Parisienne, and educated in London where he spent two decades in the real estate sector as a lawyer and/or real estate broker, O’Doherty brings a European sensibility to the Northwest Corner, along with passion for the area he now calls home.

Former New York City dwellers, he and his wife were drawn to the region’s natural beauty and tranquility, and now enjoy water sports on Candlewood Lake. Specializing in waterfront properties, his combination of practical, detailed knowledge and legal astuteness is a powerful force when negotiating on behalf of clients. 

“Being an integral part of a major life event like a real estate purchase is highly rewarding,” O’Doherty reflects. “Introducing clients to this very unique and sophisticated part of the country is a real honor. Opening doors both literally and figuratively for clients who are eager to be a part of this spectacular community makes each day that more exciting.” 

With offices in Kent and Salisbury, the team’s financial acumen and negotiating skills are derived from their combined international experience on both Wall Street and Chancery Lane.

“As country estates and waterfront home specialists, we have a deep understanding of the intricacies exhibited by these special properties, leveraging our team’s extraordinary resources. We look forward to being your trusted advisors in the Northwest Corner’s golden triangle and are proud to be affiliated with Sotheby’s global network,” notes Diana. —sothebyslegacyteam.com

A Design Firm Creates Timeless Spaces
By Michelle Madden
Photographs by Rana Faure

“If you use materials in their authentic state, you will never grow tired of them,” says Sarah Bader, running her hand affectionately over a backsplash of Moroccan Zellige tile. “It’s when they get mass produced and cheapened that they lose their appeal.” Bader and Matt Rink are the wife/husband founders of New Antiquity, a design-build workshop that specializes in architectural millwork, metalwork, and bespoke furniture, serving both commercial and residential clients.

Three years ago, they purchased what had been the Braxton Manufacturing building, founded in the 1960s to make machine parts. Their 3,000-square-feet Woodbury studio, with soaring ceilings and industrial machines, is an ode to their passion for the trade—a passion that runs for generations. 

“Both our fathers were in the trades,” explains Bader. Rink’s father was a general contractor and carpenter for more than 50 years; he eventually came to work with them before he retired. 

“As a young girl I went to jobs with my father. He was a building manager and jack of all trades.” Their fated paths eventually crossed at art school, where they each pursued a BFA. 

Bader and Rink transform spaces so that they are purpose-driven, as well as being magnificent to behold. Their design philosophy is highly influenced by the Craftsman style of letting the materials speak for themselves; as well as Bauhaus, where form follows function. Their emphasis is on clever detailing, such as hidden storage in a coffee table, or beautifully rounded curves on a built-in breakfast nook or a restaurant bar. They incorporate “forgotten techniques” into their work, like wire brushing (using a metal abrasive to remove part of the wood’s grain).

They design without considering trends, in an approach they call “non trend” design. In other words: timeless. There is a reverence to every object they design: A brass door pull becomes an object of sculptural beauty. Marble is used to dramatic effect. Wood is curved into spectacular submission.

Their passion is not only for the material but for educating their audience. On Instagram, it’s not simply the jaw-dropping images that your eyes want to soak in, but their writing that keeps you coming back, as you’re treated to a masterclass on how the brilliant design mind works. “Layer your materials, use multiple shades of tile, or mix metals; this adds warmth and depth to your space.” It will come as no surprise that they built their own couch.

As further testament to Rink’s talent and magic with metal, in tribute to Connecticut residents who died on 9/11, he was commissioned to create a memorial using pieces of the buildings, combined with new material. 

Beauty does not come cheap. “Thoughtful design is an investment. When you live in the space and it functions effortlessly, it lowers your stress and just makes you happier,” says Bader. So, “Remove those modern giant closet voids that don’t function for you or your family, and create something that allows you to live a better life.”—Newantiquity.com

Artist recalibrates his views on art and space
By Troy McMullen
Photograph by Theo Coulombe

Nearly three decades ago, while in the midst of a successful publishing career, Peter Cusack made an abrupt career change.

Looking to expand his creative boundaries, he began to pursue painting—first under the tutelage of a mentor in Brooklyn, then embarking on a year-long program, studying classical painting and drawing at L’Ecole Albert Dufois in France, a school of fine arts known for producing distinguished artists and teachers.

While the shift altered Cusack’s professional goals, it also forced him to recalibrate his views on art and its role in articulating and defining space. The deep learning experience in France gave way to the chaos of returning to New York, where continuing to learn and develop his studio work was balanced with maintaining his work in publishing, book production, and Illustration. 

That period of self-exploration—through lived experiences and cultural observations—still informs much of his creative output today.  

His oil paintings evoke powerful emotion while employing figurative exploration to reflect the human condition. Rooted in the languages of art history—Cezanne, Classicism, the Baroque—the work is equally analytical and disciplined yet also inquisitive. These are traits that have helped Cusack cultivate an expanding following of collectors, and landed his work in the permanent collections of the Museum of American Illustration, the New York Transit Museum, and the United States Air Force.

“My studio practice allowed me to freely explore and examine myself, art history, the culture, and the general world around me,” says Cusack, whose paintings have been exhibited at the Washington Art Association, Craven Contemporary in Kent, and Mary McGill in Germantown, N.Y. “My curiosity about people, psychology, and philosophy informed my subject matter, so today the look of my work has changed but all those core principles have not.”

That urge to plumb new creative depths was at work when Cusack decided to leave New York and move to Litchfield County full-time six years ago. Though he lives in West Cornwall, Cusack opened a studio in Torrington in 2019, a move he says was the beginning of rediscovering “the original idea of the artist inside myself.”

The storefront space in the center of town has become the incubator for his work as an artist, curator, and editor. In 2019, he founded COCOA: The Journal of Cornwall Contemporary Art, a quarterly that allowed local artists to express their thoughts and discuss their work.

“What I like about Torrington is that it’s unestablished and there’s little distraction here,” he says. “It’s quiet and I can be by myself with my work and my ideas.” 

That work increasingly includes collaborations with interior designers and architects, which Cusack says allows for dialogues that are interdisciplinary and are more complex by nature of the project’s parameters and client needs.

“It lets me take on the challenges that specific spaces and sites offer,” he says. “I connect with people who are thinking about how to create space that aligns with our sensitivities and our humanity.”

The photographs of Jeannette Montgomery Barron reveal hidden secrets

Photograph by Dylan Everett

By Cynthia Hochswender

In the 21st century, everyone who has a mobile phone can take a photograph. But not everyone can create art with light and a lens. The difference? Art can show us a familiar face or place in a way that is new, unexpected, and revealing. 

And deeply talented photographers such as Jeannette Montgomery Barron can bring out the true self that so many of us hide behind a public facade.

Montgomery Barron moved to New York City in the late 1970s to study at the International Center of Photography. She sharpened her technical skills there, and also realized that the wacky world of disco-era New York City wasn’t all that different from her native Atlanta, Georgia. In the South, everyone had a polite public persona. In Manhattan, everyone had an outrageous public persona that they shared proudly with the world.

Montgomery Barron has a natural gift for finding the real person inside, drawing that person out, and capturing it in images. She began her career by calling on intriguing figures in the art world, such as Francesco Clemente (who has since become a close friend). Assignments shooting for magazines and art galleries followed, with subjects that ranged from Bianca Jagger to Keith Haring to Jean Michel Basquiat.

Montgomery Barron recently compiled her photos of Basquiat in a book, called “JMB”: her own initials as well as those of the artist (Montgomery Barron is married to South Kent gallery owner James Barron). She has also done a book of portraits of self-portraitist Cindy Sherman; a photo memoir of life in Rome, with accompanying essay by Andre Aciman; and a moving collection of photos of favorite clothes of her mother, an Atlanta socialite who succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease at the end of her life.

For someone who has made a career out of photographing people who create art and often turn their own lives into artwork, Montgomery Barron has been and remains remarkably “herself.” She is, in every sense, completely honest. These qualities come through in her portraits—which is one reason why her work continues to be in demand. 

Of course, anyone can seek honesty in a photo shoot … but that can backfire, and make the subject anxious. Montgomery Barron exudes an almost mystical sense of calm, even when she is on a fashion shoot with a dozen stylists (clothing, makeup, hair, and more)—and she is extraordinarily gentle.

“As I age, I feel more deeply how important it is to be kind to people,” she says. 

Although she says she “couldn’t wait to get out of Georgia” in her youth, she now finds that a slower life appeals to her. She is often on the road for work; and she and her husband travel often to Rome, where they lived for 11 years before returning to what had been their weekend house in South Kent. 

“I appreciate living here more and more,” she confides. “Everytime I come back after going away, I feel like I’m living in the perfect place.”—jeannettemontgomerybarron.com

It’s easy to like Sarah Von Dreele before even meeting her. “Coffee and tea at my place,” her email read. The doors of her red farmhouse are open in anticipation of the visit. The kitchen shelves are stocked with well-loved cookbooks. “I’m from an old New England family,” she says. “We pass everything down.” The cappuccino maker roars into action. “Almond or cow’s milk?” Von Dreele’s concern for the customer is evident.

Which perhaps partly explains her meteoric rise as an artist who creates graphic and floral wallpaper and textiles for brands such as Crate&Barrel/CB2, as well as under her own name. She has a showroom in every major market in the U.S. including the D&D building in Manhattan. (She sells only to the trade.) Her work has earned accolades including Interior Design magazine’s Best of Year 2023.

The studio above her garage is where her industriousness is evident. Ten feet of textiles neatly line up on hangers, rolls of wallpaper sit in bins, shelves are stocked floor to ceiling with samples, stacks of paintings done in gouache—where the process begins—sit under the work table. 

“There must be thousands,” Von Dreele says. Everything is hyper organized and yet there is a looseness about the space: A gigantic paintbrush waits in a jar for its artist; photos and inspirational designs dot the walls; her daughter’s painting of a camel, its body parts labeled with red yarn, gets prime visibility; and a brochure that reads “Making Purpose From Trauma Helps Make Peace From Trauma,” lies on her work space. “That pretty much sums things up,” reveals Von Dreele.

Trained at the Rhode Island School of Design, Von Dreele worked for decades in corporate design, but when emotional trauma struck, she turned to painting as therapy, and her career path took a radical turn. “One night I sat at my dining table and just started to paint. I just kept painting and painting, and eventually realized this was more than just a personal healing process.”  

Though clearly the market is responding to her work, it comes from a deeply authentic place. She shows me a pattern with muted, wavy lines. “This was inspired by the ocean after a thunderstorm at my beach house.” Her work is further personalized by naming the patterns after family members. “My grandfather was an architect in the navy. He always wanted to be a fine artist but his parents never let him. This one—Allyn—is named after him.” She holds up a floral pattern called Frances, after her grandmother. “She was very feminine—wore pantyhose every day of her life.”

Though her success has clearly not happened spontaneously, her best creative work occurs when she is not thinking. “Working in a place that is uncomfortable allows me to discover the unknown. It’s a risk, because you don’t know where you’re going.” She was leaving the next day for London, to meet with new producers to expand her market internationally. The process seems to be working.—Sarahvondreele.com

Using Trauma to Launch a Global Wallpaper Business
By Michelle Madden
Photos by Alysia Kristan, AK Photography

The Art of Self-Love and Defying Definitions

By Clementina Verge

Photo by Laurie Victor Kay for LVK Atelier

What is it to fall in love with ourselves? 

Interdisciplinary artist Ron Norsworthy explores this question through his most recent project inspired by the myth of Narcissus—not advocating recklessness or selfishness, but rather challenging beauty standards and questioning their origins, and encouraging self-love.

The 11-piece collection titled I, Narcissus was conceptualized in Roxbury, where Norsworthy resides with husband and fellow artist David Anthone, and materialized in New Jersey. Following its September premiere at The Armory Show in New York, it will be exhibited at Edwynn Houk Gallery on 5th Avenue beginning November 14.

Sculptural artworks made of photographs layered onto wood feature exquisite detail and dramatic shifts in perception depending on viewer placement.

From a distance, “Narcissus and Echo” appears to capture a dining couple. Up close, the illusion is shattered: There is only one man and the mirror reflects back a woman. “Vanitas (Double Self-Portrait as a Goldfish and a Vase)” looks like a painting of flowers in a vase. Up close, the mixed media is a compilation of broches, earrings, and pins.

“Hopefully, it challenges viewers to see individual pieces for what they really are, and apply that to people,” explains Norsworthy, whose artistic portfolio strives to create spaces that acknowledge “those who feel erased, marginalized, or invisible.”

Determined to inspire dialogue, Norsworthy often incorporates mirrors that project not what is seen, but rather “reflect what is happening within us.” Committed to social justice, his work provides glimpses into his life, emphasizing the importance of a personalized lens that helps all see their value and beauty, falling in love with their reflection. 

Born in Indiana, his earliest memories involve crayons and scented markers; a nursery school teacher identified an innate gift, because “the drawings of children at that age do not fill a page” like his did. By third grade, he was the only child enrolled in adult art classes.
Watching his mother create patterns and sew fabric into garments allowed him to witness “art in motion,” further fueling his creativity. His father worked for John Deere, so the family also lived in Iowa and Illinois, where Norsworthy became acquainted with Grant Wood’s paintings; a replica hung in his bedroom, adding magic to the seemingly barren Midwestern landscape with “lollipop trees” and stylized corn and hay fields.

Yet, pursuing art was not an option in his family, so after graduating from Princeton University with an architecture degree, he moved to New York City. A self-identified Black queer artist, his journey “was a struggle,”  but he “became his own Narcissus,” on a quest of self-love, self-invention, and creating opportunities for continuous creative growth.

He worked alongside architect Michael Graves, became art director and production designer for some of the most iconic 1990s music videos—working with Missy Elliot, Salt-N-Pepa, Michael Jackson, Busta Rhymes, and Madonna—and designed his own line of bedding and home accessories for QVC.

“I’ve been in a lot of spaces and found myself in all of them,” he reflects, “because I belong to myself and my life’s journey is to prompt reflections and conversations that create space for others. Being an artist is risky; condemnation or judgment are inevitable, but the power comes from daring to share and be vulnerable.”

Still, Norsworthy doesn’t insist on answers; his focus is on raising questions.
“I hope my works prompt those conversations and spark at least internal dialogue,” he reflects. “In a world made up of many ethnicities, races, and all kinds of families, society in general needs to be more inclusive. There is infinite potential for beauty and understanding of who and what can be beautiful.”—ronnorsworthy.com

Vintage Pieces at Macaire + Kristoph Bring Homes to Life and Life to Homes
By Cynthia Hochswender
Photographs by Rana Faure

Knowing Liz Macaire and Simon Kristoph is, comfortingly yet unexpectedly, a little like “knowing someone” in the furniture business. The sleek graphics for their multi-hyphenate business (Macaire + Kristoph Studio), and the perfectly coordinated interiors of their two Litchfield County retail locations, might feel a little intimidating—but one only has to step over the threshold into their shops to realize that Liz and Simon are, in fact, your two Furniture Best Friends.

Last year, Macaire began doing estate sales and interior design work for friends and then friends of friends in Litchfield County and New York City. She was selling select furniture pieces on consignment, and quickly realized that she needed a retail space.

A friend introduced her to Daniel and Ivy Kramp, who had purchased a property on Route 7 in Sharon and named it Ivy’s Collective. It is home to a garden center; the Blue Gate bakery; and what is now the original home of Macaire + Kristoph. Their larger and newer second location is in the center of West Cornwall, four miles away.

Macaire’s business grew so quickly that she soon needed a partner to help with every phase of what she was doing. When she met Kristoph, who’d moved here after years working in visual merchandising in New York, she knew she’d met her perfect match. Together they formed Macaire + Kristoph Studio, curating eclectic furnishings from diverse eras and somehow making it all look yummy.

The magic that happens when Macaire and Kristoph get together extends beyond the enticing way that they arrange small and large items. Although they have very different personalities, they bring a high level of fun and intimacy to the process of acquiring and then selling items from their consignors (who keep 50% of all furniture sales). 

Although the furnishings tend toward the understated and modern, the two shops feel rich and layered—without feeling cluttered.

“We try to create vignettes or rooms within the shops,” Kristoph says. “There might be a living room, a dining area, a reading nook.” It’s all meant to help shoppers imagine themselves at home with the items they’re looking at. 

Prices are unexpectedly attainable. Part of the reason for that, Macaire explains, is that sales are not the only component of the business. The duo also earn commissions on estate sales, interior design work, and staging of real estate. The lower prices also help them move merchandise through the stores more quickly.

“We want to keep it fresh,” Macaire says. “Everything is priced to sell quickly.”

Macaire and Kristoph are excellent listeners: If you tell them you’re looking for something specific, count on them to call you as soon as that piece crosses their path. And you can also count on them to listen to the backstory of any beloved piece you bring in.

“Sellers want to know their furnishings are going to a home where they’ll be loved,” Macaire says. And buyers want to hear those stories; that’s what separates vintage from factory fresh. —macairekristoph.com

Locke Bell: Combining Old-World Skills with a Fresh Eye

By Tara Kelly
Photographs by Lisa Nichols

 In a world where so much furniture is machine-made, sold in Big Box stores, and put together with nothing more than an Allen wrench, it’s refreshing to visit the studio of furniture designer and maker Locke Bell. 

His workshop is a simple one-room structure perched on a hill overlooking a small lake in Sharon. The walls are lined with tools: chisels, marking gauges, compasses, squares, backsaws, hammers, scrapers, planes. These are Bell’s tools of the trade. There are rows of jars of raw pigment, shellac, wax. Bell makes his own finishes. It’s a step back in time to when expert craftsmanship could create fine art. 

“I’m kind of a sucker for mahogany,” he says. He acknowledges that brown furniture has become unfashionable in some circles, but he sees it differently. “It’s lovely to work with, and can be very sustainable.” Bell is also partial to European walnut. He’s passionate about wood in general. “It’s not inert. Every stick is different. It expands and contracts. If you don’t understand it, it won’t last, and it’s not very forgiving.” 

Bell is eminently quotable. “There is ‘standard’ good taste. It might tick all the boxes, but it’s boring, and I wouldn’t want it in my house. I’m interested in the more eccentric 18th-century forms and folk art.

“Everything I do is rooted in traditional furniture styles,” he adds. 

Perhaps that’s because Bell got his start as a furniture conservator and restorer, working mostly for dealers and private clients. Furniture restoration is its own art form. “You want it to look its age, but look like it’s been really well cared for,” he says. Eighteenth-century English furniture was his specialty. “It’s what I trained on.” He still finds it to be graceful and elegant. 

He has also always made furniture. “It’s part of restoration. When you take apart furniture and put it back together, you really begin to understand what quality is and what really works. Clients would come to me and ask me to make a sixth chair, to fill out a set of five. Sometimes I buy breakers [an unrestorable piece of furniture] of a certain era, to use the screws and pieces of the wood.” 

In 2017, he went to work for Hostler Burrows (which has galleries in New York City and Los Angeles) as their full-time restorer—after several years managing the restoration department for R & Company.

“Then, during the pandemic, I was in the studio making chairs and mirrors—which have a high visual impact, and allowed me to create my own design vocabulary.” 

Because Bell makes each piece entirely by hand, each one is a little bit different. “I don’t measure that much,” he says. “I rely on my eye.” 

True to his roots as a restorer he spends a considerable amount of time on the finish. “I French polish everything by hand, and then wax.” 

There’s no doubt these pieces will stand the test of time. 

Bell sells his furniture exclusively through Hostler Burrows. —hostlerburrows.com/artists-designers/locke-bell