The idea of dbO Home was born out of the desire of a former record industry exec (she worked with Metallica and AC/DC) to indulge three of her quieter passions: food, home, and clay. Quitting the corporate world and the big city, Dana Brandwein Oates, and her husband, sculptor and furniture maker Daniel Oates, decamped to an idyllic spot in Connecticut where Dana could begin her new endeavor.
Inspired by her love of vintage pottery, as well as the natural world, Dana’s work celebrates the organic form and the creative process. Each piece is shaped by hand, with minimal motifs and glazes, and no two are alike. With her original collections, Dana is careful to maintain the subtle variations and textures that show the hand of the maker. For her, these “imperfections” are what gives each piece its soul.
To see more of dbO Home and to meet Dana in person, stop by Remodelista’s New England Market at Lekker Home on November 14 and 15.
Above: A warm and welcoming table setting featuring dbO Home’s Indigo Kashmir Collection. Styled and photographed by Susan & William Brinson.
Above: In a process called “hand building,” Dana takes large, rolled sheets of clay and cuts them to the desired shape. The rolling process leaves a canvas imprint on the clay, creating a fine texture on the back of her pieces.
Photograph courtesy of David Kimelman, owner of Burkelman, a home goods store in Cold Springs, New York, that carries a large assortment of dbO Home pieces, including an exclusive White Kashmir Collection. Read more about Dana’s creative process on the Burkelman blog, Studio Story: Table Texture
Above: Dana’s Kashmir Collection was born when her friend, textile designer John Robshaw, gave her some of his old Indian woodblocks, used for printing fabric. Dana always applies her designs in subtly different ways, overlapping and varying the pressure to give each piece its own unique character.
Above: Once the work is fired, Dana applies earthly glazes, and then wipes them away, thereby enhancing the texture and organic feel of her pieces.
Above: The finished piece, an Indigo Kashmir Rectangular Platter, is available at Burkelman; $125.
Above: Battuto, the Italian word for “beaten,” describes the process of forming the faceted shape of dbO’s latest collection. Battuto cups are available at Lekker; $35. Photograph and styling by Susan & William Brinson.
Above: Large White Oval Kashmir Platter is part of dbO Home’s White Kashmir Collection, available exclusively at Burkelman; $172.
Above: Honeycomb Charcuterie Board available at Burkelman; $105. Inspired by nature, Dana’s piece are often adorned with simple, organic motifs such as wood burl, birch, and Queen Anne’s lace and honeycomb (shown).
Above: The dbO Home Small Oval Black Burl Platter is available at Good; $160. This collection is also available at Maker & Moss as well as on dbO’s site.
Above: A set of Three Indigo Kashmir Dipping Bowls makes the perfect hostess gift. At Burkelman; $38.
Above: Designed by Dana and made by Peruvian artisans in a workshop committed to fair trade practices, dbO’s Ware collection will be on sale at Remodelista’s New England Market–30 to 75 percent off while supplies last! So come early. See more of dbO’s Ware collection here.
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