These Texas creatives are dreaming up seriously chic home goods.
Photo: Madeline Harper
CLAY IMPORTS X CLAIRE ZINNECKER
Drawing inspiration from the beautiful arches of Saltillo, Mexico, designer Claire Zinnecker of the Austin-based boutique interior design firm Claire Zinnecker Design dreamed up the tile collection she’d always yearned to use in her own interiors work. In collaboration with Austin’s Clay Imports, the Horizon Tile Series references the curves, arches and symmetry of Saltillo’s architecture to create shapes and lines. Suitable for a variety of indoor and outdoor applications, the resulting collection includes nine clay tile body options and nine glaze finish colors. Using Zinnecker’s curated foundation of tile shapes and finish colors, customers can play designer and pair the perfect hue with their selected shape. “The process of combining the inspiration pulled from Mexico and the outdoors organically led the design to what it is now: curves, texture and the look of Saltillo with the option of a glazed durable style,” explains Zinnecker, noting she is currently in the process of developing new colors and matte glazes as well.
Photo Courtesy Studio M Lighting
NINA MAGON X STUDIO M LIGHTING
Los Angeles-based lighting company Maxim Lighting Group turned to a Texas talent for its first designer collaboration, tapping Houston designer Nina Magon of Nina Magon Studio to launch eight collections of new lights, many inspired by Magon’s love of luxury jewelry. Among them, the curvilinear Contour designs depict drop earrings; the versatile Megalith pieces (above) resemble a ring; and the multifaceted Zeppelin designs can be used as small or long pendants, or even as floor lamps. “Lighting is generally the final decorative element that creates the drama in a space; it’s the same for exquisite jewelry pieces when dressing,” notes Magon of her work. Nathan Sperling, director of product management for Maxim Lighting Group, adds, “Nina’s forward-thinking, modern approach to design has delivered lighting creations that are strikingly refreshing and uniquely sophisticated.” Introduced under Maxim’s newest division, Studio M Lighting, the collection is available through fine lighting showrooms and lifestyle retailers across the country.
For more behind-the-scenes details on the collab, check out our DesignTV by SANDOW segment featuring Magon and Sperling.
SETTLE CERAMICS + PEPTALKS
Since mid-2020, ceramicist Samantha Heligman of Settle Ceramics and mixed-media artist Lauren Napolitano of Peptalks, both Austin-based makers, have teamed up periodically to design and release four (and counting) hugely successful collections of tumblers, mugs, dishes and more, each decorated with patterns inspired by tribal cultural practices such as basket-weaving. “I feel what makes it unique is that neither of us could create these pieces individually; it requires both of our visions to bring it forward,” says Napolitano. Adds Heligman: “I have a strong pottery practice and can make forms with the intent of them being embellished, and Lauren’s motifs just work so well.” Handmade from start to finish, the resulting pieces are intended to become heirlooms. With a new collection released online for the holidays this month, the creative Austin duo are on their way to enjoying continued success. “My goal is to share these pieces with as many people as we can,” Heligman notes. “I love how they came to life and think they’re so special.”
