CLOTH & KIND has two home bases: Athens, GA where Tami resides and Ann Arbor, MI where Krista calls home. Today we’re stoked to be sharing 5 Black-owned businesses in Athens that y’all have got to check out. Supporting Black-owned companies, dollar by dollar, will help to close the racial wealth gap, strengthen the local economy, celebrate Black culture, all while serving the local community - and we dig ALL of those things, big time!
Bringing old school artistry back, St. Udio is the Athens, GA-based blacksmith metal and woodworking studio of our dreams. Starting in 2011, this local artisanal workshop has made a name for itself in the area as the go-to choice for custom metalwork.
Based out of Athens, Georgia, the Partners, Andrew Flage and Mike Harboldt both earned their Fine Arts degrees from the University of Georgia. Their work ranges from sleek minimal vent hoods to Art Nouveau-esque gates. We met with Andrew to discuss his design process; which he describes as "a dialogue with the client." Beginning with initial concepts, they turn to sketching, then AutoCAD. A true artisan, Andrew said his favorite projects are the ones that require hands-on hammering and "firing up the forge," rather than laser-cutting.
Interested in the tongue in cheek namesake of St. Udio? Andrew said growing up, he oftentimes visited his aunt in California. They had a little shack in the backyard used as an art room. On the front, there were the letters of "Studio," with a circular light after the "St." They affectionately referred to the small building as Saint Udio; of which Andrew Flage ultimately named his blacksmith workshop.
We feel unbelievably blessed to be able to partner and collaborate with artisans like St. Udio. In our world today, artisans today who get down and dirty in their craft seem to be a thing of the past. But, St. Udio and its team give us hope. Makers and craftsmen are still around, and are still making a huge impact on the design world.
PHOTO CREDITS // The top image was taken by Paige French, the bottom three images were taken from the St. Udio's Website.
Wild Allium | Feathers & Scissors | Tracks | Mock Orange | Rock & Shell | Sleep
While textiles serve as ongoing inspiration for our projects, the natural world beckons with its siren song and greatly informs our design aesthetic. The fine and exquisite certainly have a place in our interiors but are false idols until softened with the weathered and raw. The balance of high and low coupled with an eclectic patina, one that tells a story, is always what we are after and in the end truly defines our interiors. How do you tell your story?
