June 4, 2023 • Posted by Design Bay Area
Galanter & Jones is a design + fabrication studio run by brother/sister duo Aaron and Miranda Jones. Founded in 2012, we debuted with a line of heated outdoor seating, the first of its kind. Smooth and warm like a river stone set out in the sun, our pieces are comfortable, durable, and beautiful. Many have said they are as relaxing as being in a hot tub without having to get wet. They completely change the way people can experience the outdoors while simultaneously offering an elegant solution to conventional outdoor heating methods.
The world’s finest heated furniture. Designed to change peoples’ relationships with their outdoor spaces.
Workspace
Our space is an old 10,000 sq ft warehouse in the Bayview district of San Francisco. It’s got incredible redwood beams and funky interiors from a different era. It’s also got two roll-up doors and one loading dock, which is incredibly helpful. It came with a battery-operated forklift from 1920 that still works! When we moved in, we occupied about half the space and made modifications that divide the space and created a flow (of sorts). Eventually, other tenants moved out and we were able to absorb their square footage as well, which is good because even now we are busting at the seams. We’re lucky to have a landlord that is supportive of local manufacturing and encourages us to stay by offering a reasonable rate. Otherwise, we would have moved out of San Francisco long ago.
Production Model
When we first started, the idea was to find someone to manufacture the furniture for us. It proved to be a project no one wanted to really tackle so we ended up doing it ourselves, for better or worse! Each piece of furniture is made by hand-assisted by machines, materials and techniques made and perfected by us, in house. All the furniture made in the Bayview factory is made to order, allowing customers to choose from over 20 different color (seat and base) combinations. We try and ‘automate’ what we can, but the truth is, there is a lot of labor that goes into each chair and lounge we produce. Each one takes a few weeks to complete.
Tools
Galanter & Jones furniture is made to order and built by hand. Each chair or lounge is hand shaped on a custom fiberglass mold with electrical heating elements cast into the body. This is a time-sensitive process that requires a lot of finesse and attention to technique! While not quite traditional, our heated furniture uses innovative methods to reimagine classical materials. After casting, furniture moves into production where chairs or lounges are mounted on powder-coated stainless-steel frames and wired up (because our furniture is heated!) We use shop tools like diamond head electric drills, heat guns, screwdrivers and our own dexterous hands to finish our furniture. Although we have our frames custom made for us and use digitally designed hardware elements, the bulk of our manufacturing is done by hand. We have experimented with automation but thus far have found that the organic, human touch is what makes our furniture so beautiful.
Materials
Each of our fiberglass molds is made by hand – so far, that’s what we found creates the nicest texture on the finished project. The concrete we use in an in-house special blend that we created to be incredibly durable and smooth. The frames are powder coated stainless steel so that they can withstand the elements and spend year over year outdoors without breaking down or rusting. As for the electrical components, we work with specialized companies who make what we need!