The mission at Claire Crowe Collection is “to design with both a modern and timeless sense of creation and strive to use ancient craft techniques in fresh new ways.” At the helm of this craft is Claire Crowe, the founder, creative director, and president of her eponymous brand, who has turned fireplace screens and metalwork into an American-made luxury. Her gorgeous creations span styles from traditional to whimsical—and we asked Crowe all about her work here in Dallas and beyond.
Park Cities Lifestyle: First, how does it feel to have been in business for more than a decade? That’s quite a feat.
Claire Crowe: It feels much more comfortable than in the beginning when everything was new. I’ve built a small but mighty team, and we love being together and what we are doing. I’m actually more relaxed in my business—and my life—than ever and feel grateful for that.
PCL: What was your background before starting Claire Crowe Collection? Did you already know about metalwork?
CC: I grew up watching my mom express herself through a variety of creative mediums: oil painting, ceramics, and enameling, to name a few. I guess that had a real impact on me, though I didn’t realize it until later. I was primarily educated to become a writer, but for me, designing is more stimulating. I love taking inspiration from traditional craft and finding ways to modernize it.
PCL: Do you operate primarily in the Park Cities area, or do you serve customers beyond Dallas?
CC: We have a showroom in the Dallas Design District and love being a part of the Dallas design community. We have partnerships in other cities around the country where out-of-town customers can see our work. I’m proud to say that we have a national presence as a leading supplier of artisan fire screens and metal home accents.
PCL: How does one go about ordering something from the collection?
CC: We have a great showroom with a variety of fire screens and decorative metalwork pieces on display. Everyone is welcome! Customers can either shop directly from the site or call us to walk them through the ordering process. Customers often have questions about how to measure for custom screens or requests for finish samples, which we gladly provide. We work very hard to keep the process friendly and easy. Customers appreciate being able to order fire screens in custom sizes or to even propose a completely custom design. From coastal birds to coral reefs, we’ve done a lot of totally custom projects.
PCL: Do you have a favorite installation to date? Or perhaps one that really stands out among the rest?
CC: Crescent hired us to design a sculpture for the lobby of a new build in Uptown. We listened to their vision for something that spoke to the building’s Texas roots and designed a nest with three birds. This concept took shape after I pulled old vines out of the woods behind my childhood home in Arkansas and tangled them into a circular shape resembling the beginning of a bird’s nest from an aerial view. I found a few vines that cried out with opportunity, including a handful with whimsical 180-degree turns reproduced in the sculpture. It was important to retain the playful and imprecise nature of the form, something that can be hard to control once the bending and crushing of the metal takes place. Copper took center stage in the sculpture due to its reflective and malleable traits, with hand-textured bronze and forged iron also included in the piece. The blue-green patina [on the] birds kept the mood of the installation contemporary and upbeat and added a pop of color.
PCL: What do you like best about being based in Dallas?
CC: I came for college and never left. As we all know, Dallas has so much going for it. I love going back home to Arkansas to visit my family, but I’m always excited to come home to Dallas, my Park Cities neighborhood, and my creative studio downtown.
PCL: What does it mean to you and your team when someone shops locally from your collection?
CC: Making pieces with intention and creativity is a big part of what we do. We want the pieces we create to touch the person who lives with them; we want them to have meaning in some significant way, whether in reverence to nature or in appreciation of the American craftspeople who brought them to life. We want our clients to see the human touches involved in the making—something human, perfectly imperfect, and magical. That’s hard to come by at a big box retailer but easy for us since we make each object one at a time and by hand.
PCL: In addition to supporting a local business, what can customers expect when they buy a Claire Crowe piece?
CC: We take inspiration from motifs that elicit delight. It’s often a natural element such as a butterfly or a blossom—forms, things that reflect movement, light, or joy. She can feel confident that we built the object to last. Our intention is always to build pieces that will be unique, sculptural, and enduring, and that will nod toward traditional craft but have a more contemporary execution.
PCL: Any advice for homeowners looking to find that perfect piece for their home?
CC: Come by! Handmade things will each have personality—they will differ in ways, so it’s nice for local customers to see them in person. We have a wide range of pieces and can’t display everything on the website, so let us know what you’re looking for, even if it’s just in the idea stage. We work from scratch with customers frequently.
PCL: When you think back on the years you've been in business, since 2010, what are you most thankful for?
CC: I’m most thankful for the people who bring our designs to life. All our pieces are infused with the history and tradition of the hands who have created them. Each piece has the distinction of being crafted by Texas craftsmen. Each piece attests to the expertise of the skilled craftsman who made it. I’m proud of that, and I love working with these creatives and seeing a small piece of their personalities shine through in the objects that we, together, bring to life.
Our intention is always to build pieces that will be unique, sculptural, and enduring, and that will nod toward traditional craft but have a more contemporary execution.