When Flatware Design Becomes a Work of Art

Designer Stefanie Dueck’s flatware collection will be on display at the upcoming Kate Duncan’s Address show in Vancouver.

Turning an everyday object into something phenomenal is next-level design, and that’s Stefanie Dueck‘s world: she’s a flatware designer.Dueck does beautiful work in steel, stainless steel, bronze and copper, with finished pieces that are incredibly intricate, but practical too: all are intended for everyday use. “Often my ideas begin with a form of joinery or patterns and shapes found in industrial applications,” says the designer. “With my flatware, I often design pieces that go off on a tangent creatively, but I make sure that the end result is not only functional, but also comfortable and pleasant to use.”At the Kate Duncan’s Address design show in Vancouver, she’ll be launching a brand new flatware line including salad servers, chopsticks, BBQ forks and martini picks.With an extensive background in metalwork—she studied metal at the Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, and worked in a Spanish blacksmith shop—Dueck designs and constructs all of her pieces by hand. “There’s just something about her work,” says designer Kate Duncan, curator of the show. “You just pick up the piece and you know you’re picking up something that’s substantial in a way that flatware can sometimes lack. It’s just so beautiful.”Kate Duncan’s Address runs May 5 to 8 in the Waterfall building in Vancouver. 

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