ARTISTRY - A Way of Moving Through Life

There’s a certain kind of person who still stops to admire a dovetail joint. Who wants to know who wove the rug or where the wood was found. Who doesn’t just decorate a home—they curate a life.

I started Rutledge Atelier for that person.

After years of running Bibelot Home and making lampshades with my own two hands (that are no longer manicured, I might add), I found myself surrounded by artisans—true artists, really—whose work had the power to make a room breathe. And yet, I kept hearing the same stories: “I don’t know how to get my work out there.” “Designers love it, but the process can be slow and costly.” “I can’t compete with the big-box world.”

It got me thinking about artistry. Not just as a craft or a skill, but as a way of moving through the world. Somewhere along the line, we decided that “real art” belonged to the galleries, the high-end auction houses, or the hallowed halls of European couture. Meanwhile, the people weaving rugs, turning bowls, and hand-forging drawers were suddenly… “makers.” (A fine term. But slightly IKEA-adjacent.)

To me, what they’re doing is art. With a lowercase a and a capital impact. Rutledge Atelier was born out of that belief. That the work of human hands has value. That it deserves not only admiration, but infrastructure. It’s a curated marketplace, yes. But also a love letter to the creative class—and a concierge service for designers who crave meaning alongside beauty.

We don’t do mass-produced. We don’t do fast. But if you want to bring artistry home—and support the people keeping those traditions alive—we’d love to make that easier for you. Because thoughtful luxury isn’t just about things. It’s about how we choose to live.

Warmly, Helen.

There are some relationships in life and work that feel fated.
I met the women behind Zuma Imports through a project that could only be described as creatively serendipitous: making lampshades for Turkish olive jars they were turning into lamps. Each vessel was unique — a different size, a different shape, a different spirit. Naturally, each needed its own shade..

Sometimes you knock on the right door without even knowing it.

I met Kelly Schupp, co-founder of Rail & Stile, the old-fashioned way: as a brand-new neighbor in Raleigh with two young kids and not a single friend. I saw that she had children around the same age, and one day, without overthinking it, I walked right up to her front door and introduced myself. Absolutely fated.