We spent the day with Danny Kaplan, moving between his Brooklyn studio and Manhattan showroom - two spaces that perfectly capture who he is as a designer: grounded in craft, yet deeply refined in vision.
Danny’s Brooklyn studio sits inside a pre-war bottling factory, a raw, beautiful space chosen for its ability to accommodate large kilns - essential for firing the kinds of tables, lamps, chairs, vessels, and sculptural pieces that make up his collection.
Walking through the studio, we could feel the energy of making everywhere - clay dust in the air, pieces in different stages of transformation, and a team of artisans working in quiet rhythm. Each work starts as a sketch, where Danny plays with form and composition before the clay ever touches the wheel.
The team uses a clay rich in grog and grit, strong enough to support the large, complex shapes they build. We watched as they combined wheel throwing, coil-building, and slab techniques, each approach adding its own character to the forms. The surfaces are then coated with custom slips and glazes, giving the finished pieces their signature texture - earthy, tactile, and distinctly Danny.
From the energy of the studio, we made our way to Manhattan, where the atmosphere shifts completely. The showroom is calm and composed - a space that lets the work breathe. Seeing the pieces displayed here, arranged thoughtfully among natural light and quiet tones, it’s easy to appreciate how sculptural and balanced they are.
Each lamp, vessel, and table feels timeless - modern but also rooted in something ancient. There’s a sense that every piece has been considered not just as an object, but as part of a larger conversation about form, material, and function.
Spending time with Danny and his team reminded us how much material and process shape design. There’s an honesty to the way he works - an understanding that great pieces come from patience, experimentation, and a deep respect for craft.
We left feeling inspired - by the scale of his ambition, the care in his process, and the quiet beauty that lives in every one of his creations.
