If you’ve visited our studio, you may have noticed the light fixture that hangs from the ceiling in our entryway. 

When we were decorating the office, we must have bought (and returned) four or five different lights. Some were too big, others too small. Some weren’t going to be bright enough and others looked fine at the store but just didn’t fit the vibe of the new space when we hung them here.

Frustrated, we moved on focus to other details knowing we’d eventually find the right fit. 

A short while later, while organizing my shop, I came across a bicycle wheel my son and I had found at the curb in the trash while out on a walk. You could tell it had been well used and probably wouldn’t safely function any more but that didn’t stop us from carrying it home that day. At the time, I wasn’t sure what I would eventually do with it, but knew I might kick myself later for leaving it there. 

I brought the wheel up to the studio entrance and held it in place above my head. It was the right size! it perfectly fit the space and wasn’t too “heavy” for the room. My son, Caleb, and I scrounged around at the local hardware store for some “L” brackets, bulb bases, flat black spray paint and wire. When it was finished and hung in place, it couldn’t have been a better fit for the space. 

It’s been hanging in our entryway for about five years. Everyone who comes to our studio is welcomed by the warm glow of its vintage-inspired Edison bulbs. It’s a constant reminder to us that:

1. The best solutions can’t be bought off the shelf, and just because it looks great somewhere else, design is personal and it doesn’t necessarily work everywhere. Truly unique design solutions happen when you take the time to dig through your resources to find the best solution for the problem. 

2. The people who are welcomed to our studio are friends, fellow creative partners, and beloved clients. The spokes represent the people who make the design happen, who come to gather here from around the city to brainstorm and imagine possibilities. The bright bulbs remind me of the ideas that come from that collaboration and the warmth and welcome created by a job well done. 

Always in Tandem means working together with an incredible team and amazing clients to create something brilliant! It’s nice to have a daily reminder to walk past each and every day.