Cold Spring designer to exhibit at furniture fair

Many interior designers understand lighting, but few know about electrical wiring, says Charles Burleigh, a Cold Spring resident who recently retired from the industry. Seeking to illuminate dollhouses as a child, he learned the basic engineering concepts from his father.

Taking advantage of newfound free time, Burleigh developed a method for turning out flowing porcelain bowls that offered elaborate form and just enough function. Though he dabbled in other media, he always returned to the flowery bowls, figuring that their striking appearance could be put to a practical use.

One night, an epiphany: "I figured I could turn them over or mount them on a wall as lamps." It was a simple concept that prompted many possibilities, including acceptance to the juried Launch Pad section for emerging designers at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) at the Javits Center in New York City, which debuted in 1989 to offer an alternative to the Salone del Mobile in Milan.

Burleigh will man a 25-square-foot booth for three days at the prestigious annual trade show, which will be open to the public on Tuesday (May 19). "In the interior design world, OMG, you have to go," he says.

Acanthus Ceiling Mount

Acanthus Wall Mount

Helianthus Table Lamp

Helianthus Wall Mount

Lisianthus Table Lamp

Ranunculus Table Lamp

Sabelica Pendants

Standing in his Cold Spring studio across from Depot Square while constructing the booth, Burleigh contrasted his career and new pathway. "It's nice to have merit-based recognition," he says. "In my other gigs, it was always who you know." The goal is to get a gallery or showroom to represent his work. "I just want to make things and not deal with the business end," he says.

Another eureka moment led him to the name, the Herbarium Collection, which is appropriate because the work appears to be organic. Green-glazed pieces resemble cabbage leaves. Others look like seashells or flowers. All are fragile.

Some of his white-ish lamps, adorned inside with gold glaze, are ghost-like. The interplay between the glaze, the porcelain and the illumination makes each handcrafted work singular.

"I started doing pinch-pots at the Garrison Art Center, little cups, and everything grew from that simple idea," Burleigh says of his textured collection.

Raw porcelain consists of 10-pound clay-like chunks. Burleigh places the malleable material into a colander coated with a paper towel, then pinches and presses away, working the material into a translucent state.

Deploying the latest LED technology, which uses the power equivalent of a nightlight but emits the brilliance of incandescence, he figured that for some pieces silvered bulbs — with tops coated in silver, gold and other colors to mute the glare — would spotlight the artistry and enhance the presentation.

For now, he's sticking with the artisanal approach. "Some people come out of design school and present chairs at ICFF that can be easily replicated," he says. "My work is more involved because I'm showing one-of-a-kind pieces that could be roughly recreated. But if someone wants to mass-produce something based on the style, I'm all ears."

ICFF will be open to the public at The Javits Center, 429 11th Ave. in New York City, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 19. Tickets are $250 ($35 students) at icff.com/fair/attend-register. To explore the Herbarium Collection, see charlesburleighporcelain.com.