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85 ateliers in Italy, Portugal, Poland, India, Vietnam, Mexico, and China. There, he met with artisans who have produced blown glass, carved wood, bronze, ceramics, and textiles for generations. He sketched ideas and inspirations on the spot, and brought back samples of materials to the Dallas studio. Hundreds of initial designs were considered, and artisans produced prototypes from Sellers' drawings, measurements, and directions. When needed, he carved wood legs or sculpted clay and plaster models himself to show the artisans. "Pieces went back and forth overseas for months and I'd make tweaks," Sellers says. "It's been quite a process to narrow the collection down." A white ceramic Arabesque lamp is among Sellers' favorites, as it was inspired by the ornate plaster architectural elements used by Dorothy Draper. Another standout is an oversized bronze-tone Murano platter made from molten glass. It's poured into a mold, then spun and shaped by hand with special paddles. The rare technique, which produces ultra-thin glass, is known by only a small number of artisans in Italy, he notes. There's also a monumental nine-foot chandelier, made from 250 glass scepters that hang from its bronze frame. A tufted leather chair with custom-designed casters was inspired by a 1940s chair Sellers has had in his studio for 20 years. A chic channel-tufted velvet sofa is scaled low and supported by a substantial bronze-accented frame; its companion chair is supported by sensuous carved legs with bronze caps and evokes the work of French Art Deco master Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann. "We spent a long time getting it right," Sellers says. "I wanted the shape of the chair to pour down to the floor. It's a sculptural approach." The deep, moody colors and rich materials were inspired from natural elements like beetle shells and minerals, along with the interiors of Villa Necchi Campiglio, a grand 1930s-era house in Milan that was used as the set for the film I Am Love. The villa, along with other Brutalist buildings of the period, incorporate severe lines set off with highly " I D O N ' T F O L L O W D E S I G N TRENDS. I PREFER TO START THE CONVERSATION, TO THROW THE STONE IN THE POND AND WATCH THE RIPPLES WASH ASHORE." — George Sellers Sellers' studio, with Link rug, Waterfall cocktail table, Channel-back sofa, Dome lamps, and Athena sculpture, all Arete Collection designed by George Sellers for Global Views. George Sellers