BuildingProcess.com

John Blazy was only thirteen when he realized that he wanted to be a furniture designer. His talent was obvious. Before he even reached high school, he had already won professional-level awards in woodcarving.

 

But this is a furniture designer that likes to think outside of the box. It began when Blazy was majoring in Furniture Design at Rochester Institute of Technology. He developed an interest in using non-traditional materials in his designs – particularly materials involving light and light manipulation. So when he met a jeweler who used dichroic glass, an expensive glass that changes colors depending on the light and the viewing angle, he had the idea of inlaying the glass into the tri-plates of his new hall mirror design. At its first public exhibition, the mirror sold within half an hour.

 

Word of his innovative pieces traveled, and it wasn’t long before a few designers came into SpecSource, a trade-only designer showroom that represented Blazy’s designs. They commissioned him to design and build twenty planter furnishings containing the dichroic glass for the new Sherwin Williams world headquarters lobby.

 

After winning further awards for his designs, Blazy was making more frequent trips to SpecSource to collaborate on further commissions. One day, he noticed that a new company had moved in next to SpecSource. Blazy learned that the company specialized in UV-curable coatings. While touring the plant, he was intrigued to learn of a process that would drastically cut his production finishing time. Consequently, he struck a deal with the company; he would work for them in exchange for the use of the paints and the facility. It was there that he developed a cheaper, yet identical, substitute for dichroic glass: Dichrolam™.

 

Not only does this new laminate look just like the glass, it is easier to work with. Dichrolam™ doesn’t have the size and fabrication limitations associated with dichroic glass. Therefore, it can be used for countertops, tabletops, doors, partitions, wall tiles, skylights – the possibilities are endless. Not to mention, it doesn’t come with the hefty price tag of $80 per square foot.

 

People have definitely shown an interest. To date, Blazy has designed pieces for big names such as Sony Style, Disney, MTV, Norwegian Cruise Lines, the Oklahoma City Federal Building, and Bloomberg Financial. But Blazy isn’t strictly commercial; you can have a John Blazy design in your own home.

 

As an artist, Blazy enjoys having as much creative freedom as possible. However, he does believe that the idea clients have in mind can be very helpful. After all, they will clearly be happier with what they want as opposed to what he wants. Blazy said he can get an idea of what the clients want from their discussions, propose a few ways that he can do it along with his own unique twists, and then the clients can decide on a proposal and arrive at a good final decision. Of course, most of his clients are already familiar with his work.

 

“They already know that they can get ‘run-of-the-mill’ art, furniture, or sculptures from any shop,” said Blazy. “Coming to me presumes that they want a John Blazy piece.”

 

When he is designing a piece for a specific room, Blazy takes a lot into consideration so that the piece will be a perfect fit. If he’s designing a table or wall mirror, he basically looks at scale. In other words, what would be the best size for functionality. He also examines the existing lighting and what would optimize the appearance of the piece. After all, the light’s effect on these pieces is what makes them so beautiful.

 

If a client is building a new home and is interested in using Dichrolam™ into their built-in features, Blazy needs to be involved early on in the process for brief pricing pre-qualification and to discuss parameters. For clients who would like doors or partitions, Blazy must be able to take actual site dimensions after the rough frame so that he can install them during the final finishing. If a client wants a glass wall or skylight, Blazy will need to be involved early enough to see the prints, specify his parameters, and address any red flags that may appear.

 

Blazy’s one-of-a-kind creations are beautiful works of art that would be a unique focal point in any home.

 

Contact info:

John Blazy Designs

5546 Hilltop
Cleveland, OH 44134
Phone: 216-749-0692