Inside each Behind The Hedges magazine, our Master Craftsman column highlights people who help make our house a home. Whether in the Hamptons or in Palm Beach, they use their skills to refine the home, whether it’s creating an item we use or enjoy every day, like the aprons or artwork, or something we may only pull out on special occasions, such as a wreath at Christmas. These people are masters of their craft and there are many on the East End.
A look back at the Master Craftsman we featured in 2022:
From The Orient to Orient Linens, Two Lifetimes in Textiles
Like the Village Lane store and its handsewn tea towels and manufactured quilts, the area is all a throwback, one that the next generation is enthusiastically embracing. “It looks very frozen in time,” says Janet Markarian, who started Orient Linen Co. more than 20 years ago, joined recently by daughter Abigail Collier.
Stewart Raccuglia, Legacy Brick and Stone
Any East End property owner could say that some of their best memories are made outside, whether it’s by the pool or enjoying a meal or some sun or just being with friends and family. Stewart Raccuglia has been building the foundation for these moments for more than two decades as the owner of Legacy Brick and Stone, a Long Island-based, family-owned, design and build firm specializing in landscapes, hardscapes and custom masonry, especially in the Hamptons.
Rob Meyer, Palm Beach Craftsman & Co.
Rob Meyer has been woodworking since he was a child, picking up the skill set his father honed over many years. But it wasn’t until he moved to Florida that he decided to turn his passion into a business.
“My father always had a workshop in the basement,” said the northern New Jersey native who honed his talents at the circular saw and by working with his hands. “I learned from him.”
Most people visit a public space to view murals. Those fortunate enough may have exquisite fine art hanging on their walls. What if you could have a masterpiece surrounding you, inside your very own space? Ron Genereux, the founder and artistic director of Art- groove, delivers just that — custom murals on a large scale — to clients, in residences and commercial spaces from Palm Beach to the Hamptons, Mexico City to Hell’s Kitchen in New York City.
Christa Wilm of Christa’s South Seashells
Based in Florida, Christa Wilm has taken seashell art to another level, weaving marine mollusks into the backdrops of homes located in Palm Beach, along the East Coast and even abroad in France, Italy and Switzerland, and in hotels, such as The Breakers on Palm Beach and Faena Miami Beach.
Badilla Painters Reinvent Ordinary Furnishings With ChromableNY
Badilla Painters recently developed ChromableNY, a new, eco-friendly technology that involves applying a reflective chrome finish to any surface to provide new life to existing furniture, architectural elements, fixtures or even painted artwork.
Kelly Franké Offers a Different Kind of Portrait
Kelly Franké specializes in portraits, but her portraits are a little bit different from what you might be accustomed to seeing. They are portraits of places, not people. She draws houses and other buildings, from landmarks like lighthouses and windmills to businesses, capturing the artistry inherent in their architecture.
Ray Card Makes American Flag Signs
Ray Card has been a carpenter for 47 years. A skilled woodworker from Sag Harbor, he has done everything from working on a 14,000-square-foot house to small jobs, from $30,000 cabinetry projects to repair work. None has been more meaningful to both him and his customers than his most recent endeavor creating handcrafted American flags that not only serve as a patriotic symbol to display, but pay homage to people’s service.
of the master stair railingCourtesy of Spirit Ironworks
Spirit Ironworks: Making Miracles With Metal
Rachel and Tim Miller, a brother and sister team who run Spirit Ironworks, do fine metal work, including blacksmithing, which entails metalwork to create objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals. When people want miracles in metal, including heavenly staircases, the Millers are among the master metalworkers who provide it. “
Montauk Candle Company Ignites Summer Beach Feeling All Year Long
Montauk Candle Company, a family-owned business born out of Montauk, carefully crafts aromatic batches and hand-pour each natural soy candle selling them not only on the East End of Long Island but to customers all over the country.
Merrill Studio.Courtesy of Todd Merrill Studio
Lauren Shapiro Creates Unique Ceramic Works to Highlight Climate Pressures
South Florida-based visual artist Lauren Shapiro combines ceramics, technology and science to create modular sculptures and installations that, she says, reference systems and visual orders found in nature. Utilizing a multi-step casting process in clay to make artwork both big and small, she often creates for public spaces and always draws inspiration from environmental research and data.
Have a recommendation for the Master Craftsman column? The subject can live or work in the Hamptons, on Long Island or in South Florida. Email TVecsey@danspapers.com.
