April 7, 2015

A Visit to McLain-Wiesand Studio

I had a late afternoon meeting, so I called my friend David to meet up for a drink at the café next to his workshops and studios at McLain-Wiesand. It had been a while since I’d had a look around the workshops, so after our cocktails, we wandered back to look at what’s new. First and foremost, David’s selling antiques again. He started out in a shop along Baltimore’s Antiques Row, and then eventually opened his current space, which is a treasure trove of old and new items. IMG_9900

As you walk through the shop, you see several sets of Baltimore-style chairs that David has reproduced, sometimes for local museums, and even for the White House. The top set is more in the klismos style, while the bottom ones are more straight-forward.IMG_9905IMG_9919

Everywhere you look something reflects David’s whimsical and quirky sense of humor, and yes, style. IMG_9921

Both David and I are inveterate auction-goers, and have sometimes found that we are bidding against each other on the same items. IMG_9920

When we walked through to the workshops, I was astonished, as I always am, by David’s creativity and what he and his staff produce. This custom table is made to look like old ivory, complete with joins, cracks and small bolts to hold it together. It is really a stunning piece.IMG_9909

This long console table will grace a space here in Baltimore, although much of David’s work is custom-made for decorators across the country. IMG_9910

David is constantly tinkering, and creating new techniques for his pieces. Here’s a mirror that he’s added a school of fish to. Somehow, it’s done on the back of the mirror, so that it still reflects, but you can see the pattern. It’s really unique.IMG_9913

This is a wonderful classic piece which David is making in consultation with the client. The gilding is all done by hand, piece by piece. These are still in progress.IMG_9916

Thanks to David for showing me around! If you’re interested in anything you see, or would like to commission a custom piece of furniture, which will become an heirloom, please contact David, here.

24 comments:

  1. Oh my God, I'd give anything to own any of those pieces! They're gorgeous!

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  2. Wow! David's work is outstanding, each piece more beautiful than the next,
    Thanks for sharing

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  3. The floor, the brick pattern in the images. Meg is that a faux brick? Other images appear to show a bare concrete floor?? How exciting for you to have such a floor show!!

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    1. The front of the shop is terra-cotta tile, and the back of the shop is concrete. The building was a car show-room, a soda bottling plant, a tire store and then David bought it and totally rehabbed it.

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  4. Such great work -that mirror is amazing!

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  5. That mirror with the fish is going to haunt my dreams. What talent your friend has!

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    1. He is a huge talent, and always thinking up something new.

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  6. Elizabeth SpeicherApril 8, 2015 at 11:17 AM

    I thought the fish mirror was a fossil. So intriguing!

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    1. It's like an illusion. He's done a few others, too.

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  7. Lovely studio, a treasure trove indeed!

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  8. soo talented + glad you showed us.xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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  9. What a jewel of a place! I love the chairs you feature and that mock ivory table is so very clever!

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  10. Meg you had me at the set of Klismos style chairs and then the faux marble table, David is really a genius!

    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena
    Artist Nathaniel Galka

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    Replies
    1. The Klismos chairs are stunning, aren't they! And the table, too!

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