Every business has a unique starting point, and for Modern Metal, that starting point hits very close to home. As Annie Kantor and her family began planning and designing their home remodel here in the Bay Area, they came across a grille covering an air vent in their entryway that was far from appealing. With a degree in textiles and extensive experience in design, Annie began her creative quest for a solution to this eye sore.
After scouring flea markets and antique stores for an original to suit the home’s aesthetic with no luck, & she had a brilliant idea. She remembered a textile she had designed which was inspired by the elevator shaft in the Louis Sullivan Stock Exchange building in Chicago and figured, why not transfer the decorative, whimsical, and architectural fabric pattern into metal? She made a few calls, designed a few CAD’s, and created an exclusive, custom metal piece for the home! The grille turned out beautifully and the pattern became the very first Modern Metal signature pattern known today as From Sphere to Eternity. With many a friend and family member intrigued and attracted to the not-so-common piece of custom interior art, the wheels in her head continued to turn as she began to discover a hole in the market for custom, ornate, high-end metal pieces!
Ready to fill that gap in the industry, Annie spent endless hours getting a business license, sales permit, purchasing computer programs and much, much more, to eventually launch AJK Design Studio, Inc. in 2015. Now, with four years under her belt as a metalsmith and business owner, Annie and Modern Metal are making their mark on the interior design world, and proving that home is where the story begins.
