I love metal when it is richly oxidized, either by the slow force nature or by a much quicker patina process.  Earthy tones are in right now for sure; people love rust, antique bronze and the oil rubbed look. One client wanted large vessels that looked like they were “just pulled out of an old barn, forgotten for decades”.

But I have discovered COLOR.  Light, bright, shiny color.  We live in the Pacific NW where the sun only shines for 3 months…if we’re lucky.  It’s rainy.  It’s dreary.  It’s why so many here suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (and it’s called SAD for a reason).

We could all benefit from a little more brightness in our days, and this is why I have incorporated color into my sculptures.

We achieve our color by powder coating our sculptures, carefully choosing from a dizzying array of hues & textures. The technology has changed tremendously from the days you could only choose from a few basic colors. Powder coating can now compete with lacquer in terms of color variety, plus it’s a greener choice because it contains no solvents. This allows us to keep true to our commitment of treading lightly.

» Continue reading “Bright Colorful Sculptures: Metal with Hue”

There are endless ways to add unique touches around your home & landscape with decorative metal work.  I’ve listed 50 ways here and I’m keeping a running tab.  Leave a comment with your own ideas and I will add it to the list.

Interior Architectural

• 1.  Staircase railings
• 2.  Staircases
• 3.  Loft / balcony railings
• 4.  Hand rails
• 5.  Light fixtures
• 6.  Doors
• 7.  Room dividers
• 8.  Fireplace doors
• 9.  Mantels
• 10. Cabinet doors / door panels

Interior Decor

• 11.   Metal art & sculpture
• 12.  Fireplace screens
• 13.  Decorative planters, vases, vessels
• 14.  Privacy screens
• 15.  Mirrors

Furniture

• 16.  Dining tables
• 17.  Accent tables
• 18.  Chairs
• 19.  Stools
• 20.  Bed frames
• 21.  Loft beds
• 22.  Pots & pans racks
• 23.  Storage racks
• 24.  Shelving

Exterior Architecture

• 25.  Porch I& deck railings
• 26.  Hand rails
• 27.  Screen doors
• 28.  Awnings
• 29.  Metal accent siding
• 30.  Window grilles
• 31.  Window well guards
• 32.  Decorative down spouts

Yard, Garden, Landscape

• 33.  Garden art & sculpture
• 34.  Garden gates
• 35.  Driveway gates
• 36.  Fences
• 37.  Arbors
• 38.  Trellises
• 39.  Planter boxes
• 40.  Retaining walls
• 41.  Planter beds
• 42.  Fountains

Hardware

• 43.  House numbers
• 44.  Door knobs & pulls
• 45.  Switch & outlet covers
• 46.  Heat registers
• 47.  Decorative hooks
• 48.  Curtain rods
• 49.  Towel bars
• 50.  Mailboxes
• …plus lots more!

I’d love to hear your ideas.  What have you dreamed of having in your home or garden made of steel, copper, bronze, aluminum?  Ideas for mixed media — metal & wood, metal & glass, metal and….?

We are thrilled to be featured in North Bank magazine’s winter 2011 edition.  The magazine focuses on Southwest Washington’s emerging urban lifestyles.  Thank you to the magazine’s editor Jessica Swanson who did a wonderful job capturing the essence of our custom metal work business and where we are heading. 

Read the full article:  North Bank Magazine features Cobalt Designworks (pdf)

Many of you have been keeping up with our driveway gate project  for owners of a new lavender farm in Woodinville, WA (Woodinville Lavender).  We recently installed it and wanted to share pictures of the final work of art. 

The steel frame is powder coated with a faux rust color texture. The steel panels have an “antique black” chemical patina. » Continue reading “Ornamental Metal Gate Greets Lavender Lovers”

We recently created and installed this simple metal deck railing for clients in NE Portland. 

Simple yes, but unique & stunning still the same due to the creativity of our clients.  They wanted to add an assortment of handmade colored glass tiles to the railing but didn’t know quite how.  After talking through some ideas we decided on a 4″ x 4″ mesh railing pattern.  Dave would then create metal bezels to hold the tiles in place; positions dictated by client.  » Continue reading “Client as Artist, Metal Railing as Canvas”

A glimpse of what’s going on in the shop these days — a driveway gate & walk-through gate for clients who run a lavender farm in Woodinville, Washington.   As they prepare to open their farm to the public they need a stout & eye-catching driveway gate to 1) attract, impress & spark curiosity as people drive by along the busy road in front of their property, and 2) keep the public away from their property during non-business hours.

The basic design, without artistic components, looks like this: 

The  panels will be variegated black, achieved via a chemical patina process, and the frames will be finished with a textured rust powder coat.    » Continue reading “Driveway Gate — Work in Progress”

Our young son has always been a creative gift giver (a trait he must have gotten from his dad). The idea behind his new line of gifts started last year when he wanted to make something in the shop for his Grandma J. for her 80th birthday. Idea in mind, he sat down and drew a picture of a flower…”because all grandmas love flowers,” he says. From this picture Dave cut out the design in metal with his plasma-cutter and welded on a rod for the post. Back to S. again to add his own flair to the piece with paint.

Now does that look like one happy grandma? Not to mention one proud kid. » Continue reading “From a Child’s Eye; Our Son’s Foray into Metal Art”

We are officially bi-coastal!  We installed this railing for my mother & stepfather over the holidays in Durham, North Carolina.  We’re quite relieved that all the pieces survived the freight trip and that our long-distance measuring proved accurate.  For the story behind the railing, click here.

( Note the nice NC sunshine in December — how I miss that! )

A natural rusted look with high durability & low maintenence is achieved with a rust textured powdercoat finish.

Just in time for the shortest day of the year Dave and I added some warmly exotic lighting to our dining room.  For several months I had been eyeing some Vietnamese lights at my favorite local bistro/retail store Mint Tea.   I knew it was time to buy when Abdul, the co-owner, told me they were having a sale on all their fair trade items.  Merry Christmas to me!

Of course, I really wanted to have them hung before a holiday party we were hosting a week later. Nothing like time pressure to keep you hopping!  We designed a very simple metal bracket and Dave went at it.  Here it is:

Distressed & Blackened Steel Bracket

I love the exotic curves of these lights (which I must mention were wired and hung just in time for our party). 

This was our first foray into lighting and we are ready to do more.  Contact us for your own custom lighting dreams.

Here are photos of a recent project we completed in Northeast Portland. Our client is renovating this old beauty with the help of a PDC grant (Portland Development Commission targets certain neighborhoods for revitalization and offers grants for building improvements). It has been converted to two apartments and an art studio.

Word has it that the house has a colorful past, and some of the neighbors worried its notoriety might be forgotten, and along with it some neighborhood character. Our client decided to honor the so named Henry Williams house by calling it “H.W. on Garfield” (the street name), and placing a prominent sign above the porch eave. Wish I knew the history. Or perhaps not – it might not be as romantically intriguing as I imagine. Speakeasy? Brothel? If I get the juice I’ll share it.

Far view of the project showing signage & tubular stair railing.

Stainless Steel House Sign & Address Plates

Letters & numbers were laser cut.

Powder coated stair railing

Installation

Simple, sleek address plates