Upstate House

Most of us will spend winter cozied up inside flipping through a magazine, sipping a hot toddy, and yes scrolling through Instagram. With this much time spent indoors, we had better like what we’re looking at! Here are three artisans whose work we are swooning over. From dishware to chairs, we’ve got you covered.

Architectonic Ceramics

In Kingston, ceramicist Andrew Molleur makes limited-production and one-off porcelain inlaid ceramic pieces that are both minimalist and functional, combining geometric fragments, clean lines, rich colors, and smooth textures. First introduced to ceramics as a teenager in the Connecticut countryside, Molleur went on to study ceramics, architecture, and industrial design at RISD. Working in Kingston, he uses traditional and modern methods. Each piece requires mold-making and fabrication by lathe, 3D printer, and hand; plaster molds are then cast to create a production tool. Each piece is produced using slip casting, and the porcelain slips are tinted and hand glazed. Molleur also collaborates with other designers, artists, and craftspeople on fine-art projects and functional pieces and creates experimental works and installations. His work is available at select boutiques, markets, shops, and design fairs throughout New York City and the Hudson Valley. Or visit his Midtown Arts District studio.

Threading a Story

Born in Peru and raised in Atlanta, Jenni Li is a former fashion stylist who founded an online Peruvian textiles emporium after being urged by colleagues and friends to import and sell the many brilliantly colored handmade home goods she would bring back from visits to her native country. Named for Inti, the Incan sun god, Intiearth is an online company based in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, and offering a variety of textiles made by Peruvian artisans using centuries-old techniques. The current range includes vintage, hand-loomed frazadas, woven on back-strap looms and colored with dyes made from plants and insects; Alpaca and Indigo Ikat throws; and standing and carrying baskets hand-woven from Junco and Lake Titicaca’s Totora reeds. Intiearth “strives to bring a sense of origin and purpose to everyday items in your home,” says Li, and to foster an appreciation of the people who made them. To that end, each item comes complete with the story of its makers.

Furnishings Fit for a Museum

In 1977, master furniture and cabinet maker Joel Mark Kupperstein founded a custom architectural woodworking company in Brooklyn. He worked there until 2005, completing commissions for many of New York City’s most prominent architects and designers, and gaining a reputation for tackling technically complex woodworking projects. Eventually, after having maintained  a weekend home in Hillsdale, in northern Columbia County, for 15 years, Kupperstein built a shop on the property, moved upstate, and began designing and building original museum-quality furniture full-time. His custom pieces, made from hardwoods and using exacting joinery, incorporate details from a wide range of furniture periods and styles, though Kupperstein is most influenced by the modern Scandinavian and Art Deco styles.