Studio Visit: Hennepin Made

Hennepin Made cofounder Joe Limpert takes us behind the scenes of his creative process.

Text by

Dwell

Published by

Dwell

Photos by

Benjamin Rasmussen

View 8 Photos

The Midwest

Joe Limpert, Cofounder of Hennepin Made

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Joe Limpert, co-founder of Hennepin Made in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Photo: Benjamin Rasmussen

I initially went to school to study ceramics at the University of Wisconsin Madison, but I discovered the glass program and was immediately hooked. Here, we’re making the Celeste, one of our new pendant designs. It consists of a fairly long blown-glass cylinder with this really beautiful, elegant fade of white to clear.

Photo by Benjamin Rasmussen

Get the Pro Newsletter

What’s new in the design world? Stay up to date with our essential dispatches for design professionals.

I’m the gaffer, so I’m the captain of the team. My job is to direct everyone so we have consistency throughout the production session. I have a lot of trust in their skills.

Photo by Benjamin Rasmussen

I want people who buy one of these to celebrate their handmade nature, knowing that each one is going to have its own aspects—you’ll see some marks of the hand and the tools. The fade is going to vary from piece to piece.

Photo by Benjamin Rasmussen