Meet the Makers

Charlie Dumais founded his company, Dumais Made, with his husband Kevin in 2017. Based in New York City and Litchfield, they have built their business based on their shared passions and interests. A classically trained interior designer and lighting designer, Charlie creates beautiful lamps, lighting and accessories. We spent some time in their incredible studio and talked about everything from Charlie’s days as an undergrad at Pratt to how a couple of pottery classes turned into a business. Part of our conversation...   Martha: Your studio is such an inspiring space. Charlie: This is the loft we always wanted in...

Kate McLeod is many things—former bakery owner, pastry chef and, more recently, creator of the wildly popular body stones. These deeply emollient, stone-shaped moisturizers have become a phenomenon; not only because they really work, but because they live at the place where soft skin intersects with the mindset of today’s self-care movement. Please join Kate and me as we dig a little deeper into her story…   Martha: When I was first opening the shop, a close friend said, ‘I just received this new thing called a body stone. You must order one for yourself and you must get in...

Jessie Lazar is a ceramicist, born and raised in NYC, who has recently transplanted to Upstate New York. Come take a listen as we catch up on the phone, as you do these days, and talk about her journey here…   Martha: I’m so happy to have this conversation with you! Your work has been so important to me in building the assortment of the shop from the very beginning. Jessie: Awwwww… thank you! Martha: Truly! I’m not sure if you remember but we met at Greenwich House Pottery in NYC. I was an absolute neophyte, just trying to get...

Susan Schneider is the owner of Shandell’s, a marbling studio in Ashley Falls, MA. Inside Susan’s beautiful old farmhouse, we speak about her path from antiques and fabric dealer to lampshade maker and marbling paper. Join us in our conversation... Martha: Given your background, how did you find your way into hand marbling paper? Susan: I started making lampshades with marbled paper from antique books, but the small pieces (4" x 6" and 8" x 10") were really limiting. So, I started buying marbled paper from other people around the world. That’s how I became completely fascinated by the process… Martha:...

Carol Leskanic is a multi-disciplinary artist and master gilder based in Bantam and NYC. Join us inside her light-filled studio for a conversation about her path from art history student to the fashion world, a fateful ad in the newspaper for an apprentice gilder and why her art resonates with me and perhaps with you, too...   Martha: How did your path to master gilder and artist begin? Carol: After design school, and a stint in the fashion world, I really wanted to return to making things with my hands. I answered a random ad in the newspaper looking for...