In a unique departure from our usual architectural projects, Modern Metal Solutions crafted a floating, stainless steel art sculpture for this new custom home in Wellesley, MA.

Without a doubt, a lot of artistry goes into what we do, but it’s a rare, and special, occasion when we’re asked to create a true work of art. In early 2022, Brookes + Hill Custom Builders approached us on behalf of a client who wanted an art element for their new home in Wellesley, MA. Specifically, they were seeking a floating sculpture that would be suspended from their illuminated, modern recessed ceiling.

We consulted with the homeowner who had seen some floating art designs she really liked. Based on these pictures and the dimensions of the space, we started with some initial sketches and eventually settled on creating an undulating, free-form stainless sculpture.
With a keen interest and background in art, Modern Metal Solutions fabricator Alec Owen was tapped to complete the entire piece from start to finish.

“This wasn’t your standard fabrication job,”

comments Modern Metal Solutions owner, Chris Aubrey. “You couldn’t have multiple people stepping in at different phases of the project to complete it. The work just wouldn’t feel consistent. There are no set standards when it comes to creating a piece of art like there are with a staircase or railing. This had to be one person from beginning to end and Alec was our guy.”

Alec started by creating a mockup of the piece out of stainless steel rod to test the design in the space.

“Creating a piece of art is a much more organic process than creating a structure,”

Alec adds. “Without having to worry about the functional aspect, you’re able to let the project evolve and grow. There’s a little less planning since the piece’s only purpose is to be aesthetically pleasing and fit a certain space. While definitely challenging, it was a lot of fun and a welcome change from the stair and railing work I’m used to.”

But even without the functional aspects to be concerned with, quality was always top of mind and challenges did arise during the construction of the piece. Constructed of multiple 12-foot pieces of 3/16″ stainless steel rod, the finished piece had multiple welds along its roughly 500 linear feet of continuous stainless steel rod, welds Alec needed to painstakingly plan the placement of to ensure they weren’t visible to anyone looking up at it. The meticulously bent and curved piece took 3 weeks to fabricate as Alec worked tirelessly to ensure that all welds were cleaned and hidden and polished the entire work to a fine satin finish. The finishing touch was to hang this 12 x 8 foot piece by piano wire to complete the floating look the homeowner desired.

“This was a fun and exciting undertaking,”

concludes Chris. “The client was very pleased with the final piece, as were we. I look forward to the opportunity to create the next art project.”