A B O U T A R I E L E

I’m a builder, a fixer, and a do-it-myselfer. My favorite things in life are big tools, old wood, good pasta, and finding great materials in a dumpster.

I grew up in California, and blindly moved to New York seven years ago when I was accepted into art school for sculpture. I instantly fell in love with the grungy part of Brooklyn, and within a month, we had moved into Bedstuy. I have lived in the same apartment for five years now, which has given me plenty of time to slowly "fix" a few things around the house: de-carpet stairways, tile in kitchen... you name it!

I studied as a sculptor, but have always had a propensity for making sculptures that fit into houses. I eventually gave in to my desire {why fight it?} and decided to build reclaimed furniture instead. It felt great to start making things that people needed, wanted, and could use in their daily lives. I finally felt... useful!

photograph by the amazing Lianna Tarantin

I began to build furniture, just small things at first, tabletops and then some cutting boards. For six months I worked in a 100 square foot space fit right in between the living room and the kitchen -- to the occasional frustration of my very patient boyfriend who would get splinters stuck in his socks and find sawdust tracked into the bedroom. This small space suited me just fine for a while, and it felt great to be doing something unusual in an unusual space, overcoming spacial obstacles and pushing on no matter what. This little semi-workshop saw the beginning of my life as a furniture builder, and it served me well!
 

But eventually the time came when I realized I needed a real studio. I was slowly beginning to get more commissions, and the space was shrinking around me and everything that I built. My friend Amelie of Left Field Cards and myself then began our grueling three-month hunt for a suitable space that we could both share. After a few heartbreaking rejections and truck loads of frustration, we found it:

We spent three weeks building walls and putting in old doors that would separate my space from Amelie's -- since, you know, I produce a lot of dust. The two of us put our do-it-yourself-attitudes to the test, stubbornly framing the walls and sheet-rocking the entire space all by ourselves. We felt so accomplished! And exhausted. 

The new space is a dream!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Ariele