written by Kay K. Tacke | photos by Leah Nash

Lemay + Rivenbark Design Lab is tucked into the transitional, industrial artist borough less than a mile away from popular N. Mississippi Street. It’s worth a field trip to experience this welder scene in action.

Allie Rivenbark is the wood whisperer of the duo. MC (for Marie Claude) Lemay is the metal architect. This design team welcomes people into their studio, where wood chips and sparks fly as they coax reclaimed woods and metal into their client’s specifications.

Their love for the materials and for one another infuses inspiration into the wood and metal, creating one-of-a-kind interior and exterior industrial-meets-modern functional furniture for restaurants, homes and offices. “It is hard to say goodbye to our pieces sometimes,” Rivenbark said. “It becomes a part of us (that) we soon part with when it is finally honed to its ultimate imperfect perfection.”

“This is hard, dirty, gratifying work,” Lemay said. “It all pays off when we witness the transformation of materials into a special piece.”