MAKE :: Furniture With A RePurpose

AN INTERVIEW WITH RANDALL KRAMER OF KRAMER DESIGN STUDIO

Randall Kramer is my kind of guy. Not only does he have a passion for design, making furniture and architectural artifacts—but he can appreciate a good nature documentary as well. He recently contacted PrairieMod with more information on a Louis Sullivan inspired project he was working on and I followed-up to talk more with this intriguing designer. Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out his website.

Eric: Can you talk about how got into the business of making custom furniture?

Randall: My very first chair was created in 1993 for "The Celebrity Chair Auction" organized by an old friend, Mary McCaul. The resulting effort called "My Chair For Dining" was  a hit and was later published in The Chicago Tribune.

After a while I was represented by Richard Himmel, a very prestigious showroom in Chicago's Merchandise Mart, which specialized in showing a mix of important antiques alongside very cutting edge furniture. Sadly, after the founders death, his son's attempts at running the showroom weren't as successful as his father's and they closed. Being in that showroom helped in getting me "Street Cred", along with various Marketing/PR efforts/Press exposure.

Prior to 1993 I made small objects often using architectural artifacts—mainly clocks and mirrors— using a building's facade as a point of departure. I started doing those with no shop and no studio, only the Chicago Park District's woodworking shops located throughout the city. Also prior to making furniture, I had numerous jobs ranging from the Chicago Board of Trade, to Marketing/Sales jobs, Catering, etc. My mother would comment "...at least this way you know what you don't want to be when you grow up!"

Eric: What was the story behind the Louis Sullivan headboard project?

Randall: I was contacted by a woman who had read about my work in rePurposing a headboard that appeared in Chicago HOME magazine. She and her husband heard about the Carson Pirie Scott & Co. store closing and that there was a sale of the store fixtures. They went to see what was available and were excited when they saw a section of staircase railing being sold—so they bought it. After it sat in their very small storage room for a year, they contacted me about making it into a headboard.

Eric: Was there anything new you learned about Louis Sullivan by doing this project?

Randall: Not really, other than the fact that Carson's must have remodeled at some point, because their railing wasn't original from the late 1800's. Why? Because of the fact that the material that the balustrades were made of (Aluminum) wasn't in use until World War II.

Eric: It seems obvious that you took special interest in this Louis Sullivan project. What else inspires you?

Randall: I was just on wright20's auction preview site, looking at Jean Prouve, Serge Mouille, Samuel Marks, Finn Juell, George Nakishima, Raymond Lowey, Hans Wegner- and getting very inspired. I also love exploring/researching new "materials" at materialicious.com and what their possibilities are outside of their intended applications. Of course, like every other great designer, I'm constantly amazed at nature–the greatest designer of them all. I was recently watching a video called PROTEUS, about radiolarian (single celled organisms from the ocean floor) and was compelled to find out more.

Eric: Are there any new projects that you are looking forward to?

Randall: I'm looking into licensing relationships with manufacturers/retailers to design collections to reach a broader audience. I'm exploring the development of a "green"/rePurposed showroom/boutique/ storefront to showcase and sell furniture and lighting designed by friends and colleagues who respect the use of artifacts and industrial detritus.

Additionally, I'm looking for a web developer to help me build an online resource that allows architects, designers, etc. the ability to source and rate materials and those that work with them. Sort of a designer's "Angies List" but using the social networking aspect of Web2.0 ideology. pm

::Explore more of Randall Kramer's work.

::Learn more about Louis Sullivan and his inspiring designs.

Photos courtesy of Randall Kramer.

Eric O'Malley is a co-founder and contributor to PrairieMod. He lives in the Little Red House, a Mid-Century Modern ranch in suburban Chicago. You can email him at eric@prairiemod.com.

Comments

[John Beck]

Looking good man! Inside Kramer's head is a WEALTH of info. Happy Holidays brother!

[Saori]

Beautiful! I wish I had a headboard like this.
I love the chair too!!

[Diana @ Amazing Space in Oak Park]

Randall has a very keen eye for making unusual pieces and foremost, functional. Please run another piece about his lighting.
Diana Ostreko

[wine furniture racks]

The headboard is beautiful, and so are the pieces he makes, Im always looking for new updates on his designs. Great article.