MCLAIN WIESAND An Old-World Atelier for the 21st Century

An Old-World Atelier for the 21st Century

David Wiesand is every bit the aesthete you might expect when you walk into the McLain Wiesand showroom. A self-proclaimed “old school” designer, his designs start with hand-drawn sketches that are carefully refined over successive versions. He won’t design by computer – too sterile, he says – but if a client needs to see a CAD drawing, the design house can make it happen.

“I am happy doing things the way we have always done them, but I also love new technology and embrace things that would help expand our production capabilities,” Wiesand said.

Many would argue that this is the ideal approach to antique design and reproductions in the

21st century. For example, rather than eschew the 3D printing trend in design as many traditionalists might, he’s open to the possibilities. “We have dabbled in 3D printing and scanning,” he said, admitting though that he’s still unsure of how McLain Wiesand can use the technology in their design process. “We recently connected with a company that does portable 3D scanning, and we are excited to find out how this is relevant for us.” Wiesand's childhood was literally steeped in Baltimore’s art and design tradition. His father and grandfathers worked in Baltimore’s building trades (though his father’s real passion was for the decorative arts), and his mother went to the Maryland Institute

College of Art. “Our home was a museum of constantly changing objects and art,” Wiesand said. “My father loved finding the best things at bargain prices that needed some restoration, then giving them a new life. I spent much of my childhood in his shop, helping with the repairs and seeing how things

were made. It gave me an appreciation for how they were engineered. I look back and think I subconsciously made my father’s hobby my profession.” Wiesand proudly reflects his family history throughout the business. The “McLain” in McLain Wiesand is a nod to his mother’s maiden name, which is also his and his daughter’s middle name. In fact, the Marie line is named for his mother, the Marguerite Lantern for his grandmother, the William table for his father, and the Lillian tables for his great-niece." "Wiesand completed his MFA in 1980 and worked as a visual merchandiser

for a department store for six years. That helped him cut his teeth in the design business. Perhaps the biggest lesson he learned is that it’s better to put in 60-hour weeks working for himself rather than for someone else. So, he left to open his own antique store. That led to antique restoration and reproductions, and then eventually to designing his own ITHINK OF MY EYES AS vacuum cleaners. pieces. His talents take him in a multitude of artistic directions." "I paint, sculpt, They just take in EVERYTHING, do wood and metal WHEREVER I GO. Said McLain. work, jewelry making, sewing, plasterwork, mold making, restoration, repurposing, cooking… just to name a few,” he said. His new clothing design store, Demiurge, opens this fall in Baltimore. “I

Exquisite Furnishings Made To Order

adore clothing design. Demiurge will feature my own clothing designs as well as vintage clothing, antiques, objects of art, hardware, and repair services for our beloved neighborhood folks."

Although Baltimore is in his artistic blood, Wiesand believes in drawing inspiration from everywhere in the world – and it show in his designs. “Travel is the ultimate inspiration for the creative spirit. All the intense new stimuli coupled with being out of your usual environment makes for a perfect storm of creative inundation,” he said. “I think of my eyes as vacuum cleaners. They just take in everything, wherever I go. Today, there are six people who make up McLain Wiesand including Wiesand’s daughter (and co-owner) Lex, project manager Anne Rowen, and three in-house artisans. Five other subcontractors help with construction as needed. “We are a family business and everyone that we work with becomes part of that family,”Wiesand said. “Baltimore has a very vibrant arts scene so we have been lucky finding highly skilled artists to work with.” Although McLain Wiesand has a large catalog of furniture and decorative arts lines, Wiesand said there has been an uptick in requests for modifications to catalog items as well as fully custom pieces in the last few years. Currently, lead times for custom pieces are 12-16 weeks from design to finished product. The design house takes a particular pride in its finishes, Wiesand said. “We are often told that it is our finishes that set us apart, and they play a huge role in the product design. We offer a wide variety of hand-painted, metal leaf, stained wood, metal patina, and other finishes.” The combination of their large library of finishes and adaptability to custom jobs helps McLain Wiesand meet the needs of designers from different parts of the country. “Midwest and West Coast designers generally have more square footage to play with, and we’ve made some absolutely massive pieces to send out there. East Coast tastes seem a bit more conservative and traditional, but with fabulous quirky twists." "Currently, the team is hard at work creating a new accessories line – what Wiesand calls “jewelry for the interior.” “Think amazingly intricate plaster design pieces cast from our multitude of molds made over my 40+ years of collecting treasures. Large tortoise shells; ancient Egyptian, Asian, and European artifacts; fancy tea caddies in exotic

faux finishes – things that will light up a space. We are also creating 3D wall reliefs sculpted in-house in plaster and other gypsum materials. We can create these in any style to mold and cast for their builders to install.” With this variety of artistic talents and creative directions, even David Wiesand finds it difficult to define himself. “Truthfully, I still struggle with how to answer when people ask me what I do. I am not just a designer or an artist or a craftsperson. I simply love to bring beautiful and exciting things into existence."