How I design a Commission

Turning a client’s ideas into something tangible.

The Alchemist's Dream from my Wandering Path Series

One of the things I love most about my work is collaborating with people to create something just for them. It’s always thrilling to be asked to create a commission. Each commission feels like an invitation into someone’s world — and a chance to translate their vision into something tangible.

Sometimes, a commission is straightforward — a client loves a piece in my studio and just wants it in a different size. But other times, they’re drawn to the work while knowing they need something that feels a bit different. They may not know exactly how to describe what they want (my interior design friends will relate!), so part of my job becomes helping them discover what will resonate.

Recently, a couple visited my studio and loved my work but wanted to commission something unique. They told me my Wandering Path series felt “too structured.” They were looking for something more organic and neutral in color — something that would “bring the outside in,” yet remain abstract.

That word “organic” gave me pause. After all, my work is made from straw — it doesn’t get much more organic than that! But I realized they were responding to the form rather than the material. My current pieces are quite linear, so I interpreted “organic” to mean something with softer movement — maybe more curves.

Commission Design Idea Sketches - Mocked up with Photoshop

My design process isn’t instantaneous. I often need to sketch ten ideas to get to one I really like. In this case, it took fourteen before I had a something that felt right for them (a couple of my favorites are shown above). 

These designs pushed me in new directions. I’m naturally drawn to structure and repetition, so letting go of some of that linearity was a challenge — but a good one.

And yes, these are digital mockups. They take more time to make than you'd think, but they’re essential. They help everyone visualize the piece, even if the mockups can’t fully capture the straw’s luminosity (for that, I provide real color samples).

When clients share photos of their space, I can even create a rendering to show how a piece might look in situ:

Mockup showing a design idea in a living room

If you’ve ever thought about commissioning a piece, I’d love to chat. It’s one of my favorite parts of what I do.