Have you ever benefited from knowing someone who knew someone? There is power in tapping into our relationships. Tapping is exactly what we did when developing the design for Dr. Bret Lesavoy's Pediatric Dentistry Office in Allentown, PA.
Kim Boomer, Managing Principal of Fit + Finish Design, was introduced to Rich Moorhead of Rich Moorhead Design at a time when she was looking for a unique, colorful, and fun aesthetic for the new Pediatric Dentist Office. Rich Moorhead of Hanover, PA, is an artisan in his own right as the original founder of "Art of Board." Under his current company, Rich Moorhead Design, Rich creates mosaic tiles from recycled skateboards, a process that took years of experimenting to develop sustainable wall tiles.
Rich's story started in 2004 when he developed his craft in his basement. Little did he know at that time that piecing together cracked and splintered skateboards would later be installed at Google, Hyundai, LAX, California Pizza Kitchen, Macy's, and yes, the infamous skater himself, Tony Hawk.
In 2004, Rich worked as a furniture rep but began visiting local skateboard shops, noticing they all had a pile of broken skateboards headed for the trash. He would ask the store owners, "What do you do with them?" and the owners would reply, "Nothing, we just throw them out." Rich felt something great could be done with them. Then it came to him. He saw the work of Erin Adams, a tile artisan in New Mexico, in a magazine and decided to blindly email her to talk about his recycled skateboard tile idea. After meeting with Erin at her studio, Rich began crafting mosaic tiles around mirrors and other home decor items.
After seeing the success of his home decor items, Rich took his recycled skateboard tiles to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York, where many Fortune 500 companies discovered his product.
Rich's tiles are produced very artisan. They're cut and thoughtfully pieced together for balance, avoiding concentrated areas of color. This process typically takes a few weeks, at which point Rich will provide the tiles to the contractors to install.
Rich is writing a book detailing his story of balance and progress as an artisan and entrepreneur. The book is scheduled to be out later this year.
Here are some photos from Rich's portfolio of work.
Because of a relationship Kim tapped into, Rich’s craftsmanship welcomes the parents and children at the front of the reception desk when entering Dr. Lesavoy’s office. We invite you to check it out!