STACY CASTRO

Project 1: Outdoor lounge seating for short northern summers. A low lounge chair in thermally modified ash with stainless fasteners throughout. The slatted back is set at a fixed recline tuned for reading rather than napping, and the frame breaks down flat into a box half the size of a typical outdoor chair. Every part can be replaced individually, so a broken slat is a five-minute repair instead of a new chair.

Project 2: A linen-shaded lamp built from three parts. A spun-steel base, a single turned stem, and a linen shade that clips on without tools. Reducing the lamp to three parts cut assembly time in half and let the client offer the shade in six colors without new tooling. The warm, diffused light was tuned with the shade’s weave density rather than a separate diffuser.

Project 3: Stacking stools in solid ash for small rooms. Three splayed legs nest into the stool below, so a stack of eight stands barely taller than two. The seat is carved slightly concave for comfort and doubles as a side table. Designed for apartment living, where one piece of furniture often has to do the work of three.

Project 4: A stoneware kettle with an oak bail handle. A stovetop kettle with a matte glazed body and a steam-bent oak handle that stays cool to the touch. The spout geometry was refined over a dozen prototypes for a clean, dripless pour. The handle pivots back for filling and is held by two brass pins, so it can be swapped out as it wears.

Project 5: A folding dining table for balconies and decks. Powder-coated aluminum scissor legs and a top in recycled HDPE that never needs oiling. It seats four, folds to six centimeters thick, and hangs on a single wall hook over winter. The locking hinge was developed with the manufacturer to work one-handed, so the table can be set up while carrying plates.

Project 6: Entry hooks and shelf from one bent sheet. A single laser-cut and folded steel sheet forms a shelf for keys and mail, with three turned oak pegs below for coats and bags. It ships flat, mounts with two screws, and comes in four powder-coat colors. The project explored how far one sheet of material could be pushed before a second part was needed.

Project 7: A garden bench for two in slatted oak and steel. A long, low bench with a powder-coated steel base and oak slats spaced to shed rain quickly. The base is a single welded frame that keeps the bench rigid on uneven ground, and the slats are fixed from below so no hardware shows on the seat. Placeholder text: replace with the real project description.

Project 8: Self-watering planters in cast concrete. A family of tapered planters with a hidden reservoir that keeps soil evenly moist for up to two weeks. A small window at the base shows the water level at a glance. Cast from a lightweight concrete mix, the largest size can still be moved by one person. Placeholder text: replace with the real project description.