A Missed Connection, Made Personal

This commission almost didn’t happen.

Kelly had reached out to us some time before, but her message somehow landed in our spam folder. Then, by chance, I ran into her while walking my dog, Yeti. We started talking, realized who each other were, and the bespoke project finally took off from there.

Kelly was getting married and wanted to create a gift for her husband, Justin, that felt personal to who he was and the life they were building together. The idea began with two pendants. One was a small K, designed to mirror the J initial Kelly already wore around her neck. The second would carry Justin’s last name, Park, written in Korean.

Kelly gave us a lot of trust in shaping the design, so we developed two directions. The final version became our interpretation of a bar pendant: minimal at first glance, but layered with details tied to Justin’s Korean heritage. We looked to dancheong, the traditional decorative painting found across Korean architecture, for the border. Rather than reproduce the patterns literally, we translated their rhythm and geometry into a more restrained frame, allowing 박 to remain simple and central. The pendants were finished on a substantial box chain, giving the smaller details a stronger presence and tying the pieces together as a set. 

This one felt especially personal to create. Park is also my maiden name, so seeing it translated into a piece meant to mark a marriage carried its own layer of meaning for me. It represents culture, lived experience, family, and a part of identity that stays with you even as life changes.

A gift built from two people, two initials, one family name, and the beginning of what comes next.I hope it stays with them for years to come.