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Design Obsession 22 G olden afternoon light spills across the 2,500-square- foot penthouse studio as artist Miriam Ellner and a team of seven artists work intently, painting shimmering glass panels laid out on sturdy industrial desks and tables. Surrounded by battalions of brushes, they make magic happen among the orderly chaos of art in progress, with a shimmering array of gilded glass samples, jewel-like sheets of silver and gold leaf, glass jars of powdered potions, paint cans, and well-used tools of the trade. Along one wall of Ellner's office, shelves with hundreds of paint-smudged art books, collected over a lifetime from around the world, are at her fingertips for reference and inspiration. From her desk, Ellner has a clear sight line of the Empire State Building nearby. "From our 20th floor, we see the inspiration of former industrial buildings that now house white-hot art galleries and ateliers, as well as the rough and tumble of new construction," she says. "There is great energy here." Since she opened her studio in the early '90s, Ellner's alchemy — turning plain, clear glass into art — has caught the eye of top designers such as Michael S. Smith, Bunny Williams, Emily Summers, and Peter Marino. Over the following decades, her dazzling designs have become coveted among interiors specialists and architects for her artistry, her deep knowledge of art history, and her versatility. Glenn Adamson, former director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, says, "Miriam has been recognized as the foremost practitioner of verre églomisé in the world. There are few decorative artists working in her medium, and none working at her aesthetic level." Also among her roster of top designer clients are Brian McCarthy, Alexa Hampton, Charlotte Moss, Julie Hillman, Ken Fulk, Suzanne Lovell, Victoria Hagan, and Young Huh. Their designs featuring Ellner's art are in her new book, Golden Glass: Verre Églomisé (Pointed Leaf Press). The Golden Splendor of Miriam Ellner Verre églomisé artist Miriam Ellner creates decor of transcendent beauty for leading designers around the world. Her new book, Golden Glass: Verre Églomisé, reveals her rare artistry and experimentation. By Diane Dorrans Saeks Every Ellner project — from wall panels and doors to ceilings, decorative screens, tables, mirrors, and framed abstract art — is custom-designed and executed in her studio. Working from the foreground to the background, Ellner applies as many as 20 layers of gold and silver leaf, voluptuous color, cursive flourishes and arabesques of metal powders, ground mother-of-pearl, or beads to create mood and emotion. Some commissioned work may take months to Clockwise from above: Miriam Ellner in her New York studio. A sample designed by Miriam Ellner depicts an astrological figure. Miriam Ellner's Summer, 2024 (detail). ANTOINE BOOTZ CESAR MARTINEZ CESAR MARTINEZ