330 Homes Fall 2023

space lift | fresh design | dream house | open air

by KELLY PETRYSZYN and photos provided by ZEBER-MARTELL GALLERY & CLAY STUDIO

ON DISPLAY Local art adds a unique flair to your home.

get the look

W e could all use fresh creative energy. Having local art in your home can inspire that. Rather than buying duplicate art from a big-box store, having art custom-made for your home by local artists like Michael Martell and Claudia Zeber-Martell of Zeber-Martell Gallery & Clay Studio exudes a truly unique look and feel. “You connect with the artists. You connect with the designs,” says Zeber-Martell. “There’s an energy about it that is totally different than buying commercial art for your home.”

The duo’s ceramics are extremely time-inten sive to craft — it often takes six to 14 weeks to finish artworks. Martell throws pieces on the wheel, often construct ing smaller parts and layering them on top of one another for larger artworks. Zeber-Martell hand-decorates art works, applying differ ent colors and layers of underglazes one by one using airbrushes, blender brushes, her hands or a sgraffito tool. “I build up the colors just like an oil painter to get that really intense depth of surface,” she says. Artworks are fired

multiple times and fin ished with a clear glaze. Shop the 2,200-square foot gallery in Akron’s Northside District for handcrafted lamps, dishes, tables, vessels, garden decor and more. They have made Akron skyline mugs and commissioned vases depicting birch tree allee at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. “All of our pieces are inspired by the natural world,” Zeber-Martell says. “We really strive for a sense of harmony and balance in our pieces that make a person feel comfortable.”

While you shop, she recommends bringing a picture of the space in your home you are looking to decorate so staffers can help you fill it with an existing piece or suggest custom art. “We’re very good at helping people realize what’s good for their space as far as size, dimensions, type of work,” she says. “We’re designers by trade, so we help them design their space.” Zeber-Martell shares tips on types of art to select and how to style them in your home.

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