Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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Their company, Petrifed Design, is a true partner- ship with both men participating every step of the way, beginning with sketch pads and pens. Says Pender- grass, "Gable does the computer design work so that we can put a piece into production. And then we do all the fabricating together." In 2011, working part-time out of a barn on a ranch in Burnet, the two men decided to take the plunge and call it a career. They were using reclaimed wood but quickly realized that in order to do bigger production lines they would have to veer away from that model, so they began to source local, native-Texan woods like pecan and wal- nut. All the metals are sourced locally as well. "We recently bought 23 pecan trees from a local or- chard that was affected by the drought," says Pender- grass. The wood is being milled and dried and will be ready for production soon. "It's a great story to say that we are using local wood, helping a drought-affected farmer, and producing a true Austin, Texas product," he adds proudly. Their frst foray into the world of commercial com- missions came in 2012, for Salt & Time Butcher Shop and Salumeria in East Austin. "We made all the furni- ture as well as the bar tops for Salt & Time," Pender- grass explains. The next year they followed that up with a project for Wright Bros. Brew & Brew on San Marcos Street. "We used the Tre stools again and also created a chair based on the same design." Working with a local interi- or designer, they fabricated tables, beer taps, and other details like the bright yellow powder coating on some of the metal elements. "The owners of Brew & Brew are the Wright Brothers," he explains, "so they wanted some aviation-type details." With the commercial work becoming more abun- dant, they had to create a way to streamline their pro- duction methods. So they made a jig that allows them to create the identical bends in metal for, say, 50 or more stools at a time. "We can produce one or 10, and they will be exactly the same each time," Pendergrass says. That's useful for these two artisans who insist on building everything themselves, by hand. What's next for Petrifed Design? "We just fnished a job for Houndstooth Coffee in Dallas: 50 interior stools, 20 exterior stools, and eight tables. So now we are celebrating—and resting." They won't be resting long, however. New projects are on the horizon, both near and far. He adds, "Austin is a unique place that cel- ebrates local artisans, and we are benefting from that mind-set. If you are a good person then good things happen. That's our philosophy." Petrifed Design, 6910 Shirley Ave., 806-790-1622; petrifeddesign.com AW "Austin celebrAtes locAl ArtisAns And we Are benefiting from thAt mind-set." — tyson pendergrass clockwise from top left: Bostic (left) and Pendergrass in their workshop; the Nodo chair was inspired by Moorish tile work; the Shirley lamp comes in four colors and recalls clean midcentury design. AUSTINWAY.com 147