Stucco Salad Bowl

With a commitment to craftsmanship and high-quality materials, husband-and-wife team Daniel Oates and Dana Brandwein create handmade modern heirlooms from their rural Connecticut studios. After two decades in the music business, working with artists including AC/DC, Metallica, and Björk, Dana made a career change to pursue her passion for design. Daniel, an acclaimed sculptor represented by 303 Gallery and well known in the ‘90s New York City art scene for his handcrafted sculptures, also decided to change direction. Together they became the creative partners of DBO HOME. Today, they design and make a full line of homewares, including dinnerware, serveware, accents, lighting, and custom furniture, that celebrates the tactile and aesthetic pleasures that come from filling your home with things that cultivate a sense of wellbeing. Their handcrafted goods are both made to last and enjoy every day.

Everything bearing the DBO HOME name is made by hand with natural materials that feel as good as they look. The creative process happens around the kitchen table, where Dana and Daniel hash out everything from form to dimensions to process. Ceramics are created in Dana’s studio, where they start by being rolled, cut, and hand formed, or poured and hand finished. All pieces are sanded to ensure the perfect touch, then bisque-fired, glazed, and fired again. In the wood shop, Daniel’s process is much more freeform. Plans are discarded in favor of focusing on the natural shape of the wood, allowing Daniel’s background in sculpture, combined with traditional woodworking techniques, to take the wheel. In both studios, DBO HOME embraces the perfectly imperfect variations that subtly reveal the artist’s hand and make each piece truly one-of-a-kind.