IT TAKES TWO

THE HUSBAND-AND-WIFE DUO BEHIND SCHWUNG HOME ARE DESIGNING FOR THEMSELVES—AND THE FUTURE.

The husband-and-wife duo behind Schwung Home are designing for themselves— and the future.

Looking at Dominique Sente and Rudi Nijssen’s first collection for Restoration Hardware—a dazzling set of light fixtures made of handblown glass globes, lustrous brass, and streamlined retro forms—you could almost guess that her background is goldsmithing and his is antiques. And you’d be right. You might also guess, based on how well the pieces fit into RH’S sumptuous aesthetic, that the brand was heavily involved in their creation. And there you’d be wrong.

“One of the most amazing parts of our collaboration is that RH gives us carte blanche,” says Nijssen. “There are no limitations.”

RH has been seeking out—and promoting—independent artisans at a time when consumers have become more interested in craftsmanship. Nijssen and Sente are married and work out of their firm, Schwung Home, in Poland, where a six-month creative process takes them from mood boards and sketches to the final prototype. RH isn’t even involved until they present the finished design.

“Our only desire,” says Sente, “has been to create pieces that will escape trends, pieces with an architectural and poetic vibe. Part of the source of our inspiration for this collection was the décor of some movie sets—mostly from the ’60s and ’70s.”

While Sente has helped Nijssen with previous RH collections that have borne his name, this is the first time they share equal billing. Says the couple, “Two can do better than one—like our icons, Charles and Ray Eames!” 935 Broadway, 212-260-9479; rhmodern.com

“OUR ONLY DESIRE HAS BEEN TO CREATE PIECES THAT WILL ESCAPE TRENDS.” — DOMINIQUE SENTE

Design of the times (LEFT): Rudi Nijssen and Dominique Sente collaborate on their new collection for Restoration Hardware at their Poland-based firm Schwung Home (the company’s name is German for “energy” or “momentum”). BOTTOƦ: Glass-globe mobile...