I 'm Belinda Beaudoin, the owner and designer for Atelier B. I'm a self taught artist who has been involved in metal working for 20 years. I originally started out designing my own jewelry line and in 2001 I introduced my first line of hardware at the Architectural Digest Home Design show. Each item in the collection is first sketched on paper and then the model is carved directly out of metal by hand. Carving the model out of the same metal it is cast in gives me the ability to really see and feel what my final design will be. The way the light plays off the metal and whether the edges are smooth and comfortable is what determines if I am finished with a piece or not. People comment that although they are initially attracted to the way an item looks, they are surprised to find that it also feels really good in their hand.
Atelier B casts all its designs in an ultra pure alloy of pewter that has a hint of silver in it. The likeness to cast silver is noticeable, however, it will not tarnish and costs a fraction of what a similar item in pure silver would cost. Our manufacturing processes produce almost no waste and we hand finish every item. Every order is "cast to order" so we never send you items that have been laying around or that arrived in a crate from some foreign factory. Everything is created in our Texas hill country studio and quality is our number one priority.
