festa & company was founded in San Francisco in 1990 by Nerio F. Festa and Heidi Hummler. In 1991, they moved their workshop to the beautiful countryside of Sonoma County, where they live, work and raise their daughter. Nerio is an Italian furniture designer and sculptor; Heidi is a jewelry designer who ran her own company in New York City.

During their first year together in earthquake-prone San Francisco, Heidi and Neiro designed the "always vertical candle holder." Today, that original design has been enhanced by nature, incorporating natural components such as stones and recycled materials. festa & company products now include lamps, candle holders and candelabra, planters, door knockers, and more. Little electricity is used in crafting these pieces; nature dictates the shape of each one and no two are exactly alike. "It's fun creating them because part of the process is finding the right stones, or asking friends to bring inspirational ones from their travels." Some pieces balance or swing, some are stationary. In all of them, stones lend texture and stability.

All festa & company products are hand-made with the help of basic power tools. "We live and work in wine country, and we are inspired by the twisted vines surrounding our workshop. We hand pick each stone and carefully select them for every piece. We use steel, recycled metal, stones and nothing else."

Details: Lamps $165 & up, candleholders, door knockers, garden pieces $42 & up