A COMPANY BUILT ON
Modfire is the dream of two friends from Indiana, Brandon Williams and Marty Young.
Although they grew up no more than 20 miles apart, Brandon and Marty met for the first time when they were living in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago in 2005. They bonded over their similar histories growing up in small town Indiana and shared dreams of building a business focused on beautiful design.
In those early days, Brandon worked on custom steel installations in upscale Chicago loft spaces and north side restaurants. He founded a steel studio in Bucktown and turned out amazing one of a kind works. Marty spent his days consulting – advising other people on how to build and grow their businesses – and evenings creating steel furniture in Brandon’s studio.
Lighting A Wildfire
Six years and several moves later their original dreams crystallized around a modern fireplace design and a warehouse studio in Phoenix, AZ. It was there that Brandon’s design and Marty’s business model joined to form Modfire.
That Phoenix studio was the incubator for the original the modern outdoor fireplace prototypes – a blend of Chicago urban loft style and Phoenix mid-century architecture. Each piece was for many years hand finished by Brandon.
Today, several steel artisans work alongside Brandon fabricating every fireplace created by Modfire at a new, larger studio/showroom in the historic Grand Ave. Arts and Design District in Downtown Phoenix AZ.
Although the company has grown in size and now has eight fireplace products in production (and many more on their design board), it remains a very hands-on labor of love, and while Marty has left the company to try a new adventure it still holds a special place in his heart. The heartbeat of Modfire is stronger than ever and It’s evident that Brandon has created something special, with each new design and every new client.
Says Brandon, “I feel a connection with each piece that we make. There is great joy in releasing something new into the world – and no matter how many we make, there is still a little sadness watching each one go.
There is something beautiful in giving people a reason to gather. Everyone just puts down their phone and connects with one another enamored by the flames. We laugh, share secrets, make memories and even toast the occasional marshmallow, life like this happens so rarely, it’s these simple moments that we will remember for a lifetime. In this day and age that’s a gift.
“There is something beautiful about giving people a reason to gather. Everyone just puts down their phone and connects with one another, enamored by the flames. We laugh, share secrets, make memories and even toast the occasional marshmallow, life like this happens so rarely, it’s these simple moments that we will remember for a lifetime. In this day and age that’s a gift. ”
MEET THE MAKER
Brandon Williams is a custom metal artist in downtown Phoenix AZ.
He started his journey in steel after taking a welding class that left him exhilarated and inspired. “I had been making small interior home accessories for 6 years and had just lost my passion as an artist. So while the business was successful, it became a never ending, mindless repetition.”
Metalworking however provided Brandon with a steep learning curve. It’s more about finding your path and enjoying the evolution. You will alway be challenged to find a better process, to put things together in uncommon ways or get the details just so. If artists came with tag lines, his would be “I like to grind”.
On The Craft
“Simply put, it’s difficult work, but this is what we do to make beautiful, compelling pieces…Weld, grind, sweat, repeat, I realize metalwork isn’t for everyone, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else and my clients are thrilled with the end result.”
On The Artistic Process
“I have a soft spot for beautiful things. I love order. Clean lines and great design compel me. I create with a minimalist perspective that has been shaped by years of distillation. The most useful lesson of my life was learning how to simplify. My execution, however, is always the opposite: thunderous, messy and highly charged. A cacophony of sounds and implements of creation being put to hard use. The howl of a grinder and sparks of steel start to fly. Talk about satisfying… It‘s that strange juxtaposition I find so interesting in what I do as an artist.”
“At the drawing table I’m a designer with great ideas and grand concepts that speak to me and fulfill my need to bring beauty onto this earth. But, when I’m in the shop, I’m a craftsman with metal in every pore of my being and the guy who regularly gets mistaken for homeless and offered change or a hot meal (true story).”