Hessel Studios is the creative work of Gregg Hessel and Lisa Thurmond.

From their studio just north of San Francisco, they design and hand-forge unique copper candlesticks, vases, lamps and lighting pieces that honor traditional craftsmanship and subtle beauty.

Gregg was raised in an environment where making things by hand was part of everyday life. His father was a furniture maker and teacher; his mother, a historian and collector of 19th-centery American craft. That early exposure to materials, tools and story deeply shaped his path. Over the years, he worked across different mediums—metal sculpture, jewelry, woodworking—but copper has become his truest form of expression.

Lisa has always been drawn to the magic of handmade things. There’s a certain beauty, she believes, that can only come from the touch of a hand—from the slow, intentional process of making. Whether tending her garden or shaping copper in the studio, she’s most at home creating. Her desire is to surround herself with objects that carry the warmth of the maker’s hand—pieces made not just to be used, but to be felt, remembered and cherished.

“Our work is inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, especially its Bay Area legacy. Each piece is made using time-honored metalsmithing techniques—hammered and shaped by hand from raw copper. We don’t follow trends; we follow the material, our instincts, and the slow rhythm of the process. The tradition of metalsmithing, imagined into the future.

At Hessel Studios, we believe in creating things that last: heirloom-quality copper vases, candlesticks, handmade lamps, and lighting that brings warmth, character, and meaning into a space. These are objects made to live with—to gather light, mark moments, and someday be passed on.”

Gregg Hessel