When I first saw the Shelton Metal brass shell cordial cup at my book party with Central Stem, I fell in love. Founder Colby Shelton Byrd has a focus on sculptural objects for the home that are as beautiful as they are functional and have a clear relationship to his work as a jewelry designer, as well. Here, he tells us the story of the brand, his vision, and why craft is still important to modern life.
“There is also a strong tradition of gathering and hospitality in the South. I grew up understanding that the objects surrounding a meal can carry memory and meaning.”
I am the founder, designer, and metalsmith behind Shelton Metal, a jewelry and home collection based in Wilmington, North Carolina. I often describe our objects for the home as “jewelry for the table.” Everything begins as an original sculpture, carved by hand before being cast and finished using traditional metalworking techniques.
Living along the North Carolina coast has profoundly shaped the visual language of my work. I am endlessly inspired by the mystery of the sea, from weathered shells and tangled rope to barnacles, shipwrecks, and objects transformed by years beneath the water. I am less interested in recreating these things perfectly than in capturing the feeling of discovering a treasure along the shoreline.
There is also a strong tradition of gathering and hospitality in the South. I grew up understanding that the objects surrounding a meal can carry memory and meaning. Shelton Metal brings those influences together through sculptural jewelry, serving pieces, candleholders, vessels, and other objects designed to be used, collected, and eventually passed down.
Craft creates a visible connection between an object and the person who made it. I studied architecture, art, and design before continuing my education in metalsmithing and jewelry in Italy, and I have always been drawn to the meeting point between structure and the evidence of the human hand.
Each Shelton Metal design begins as an original hand carving. I intentionally preserve subtle irregularities, textures, and tool marks because they give the finished object its character. Even when a piece is cast, polished, or reproduced, it still carries the history of that first sculpture.
We live in a world filled with objects designed to be quickly consumed and replaced. Craft asks us to slow down and form a relationship with the things we own. I want our pieces to become more beautiful through use, develop a patina, and hold the memory of the tables, celebrations, and people they have been part of. To me, that is what transforms an object into an heirloom.
Shelton Metal began with custom jewelry, working directly with clients to create engagement rings, wedding bands, and new pieces from inherited stones and metals. That deeply personal part of the studio remains very important to me.
Over time, the same sculptural language expanded beyond jewelry and into the home. Today, we share our work through our website, our appointment-only showroom in Wilmington, and a growing group of independent shops and larger retail partners across the country. Our pieces are now carried in more than 85 retail locations, including Anthropologie, Bloomingdale’s, Tuckernuck, East Fork, ABC Carpet & Home, and many wonderful independent stores.
Just as importantly, I share the work through relationships with other creatives. Collaborations like this one allow different art forms to meet and create a more complete story. Your writing connects food with culture, place, memory, and personal experience, which feels closely related to the ideas behind Shelton Metal. Central Stem brings another layer to that story through the way they thoughtfully curate objects and use entertaining to create a sense of place and occasion. Bringing those worlds together allows the pieces to be experienced not simply as individual objects, but as part of a larger conversation about food, art, craft, and gathering.
Social media also allows me to bring people into the process. I enjoy sharing the making of each piece and the creative direction behind it before an object reaches someone’s home. I think seeing that journey helps people understand the time, craftsmanship, and hands involved in creating something special.
One of our greatest recent challenges has also been one of our most exciting: learning how to grow without losing the soul of the work.
As interest in Shelton Metal has expanded, we have had to build the infrastructure needed to serve larger retailers while continuing to offer the quality and personal attention of a small studio. Of course, I could address increased material costs and tariffs, but I want to keep this more about the quality and soul of my work.
There is always a tension between making more and protecting what makes the work meaningful. I do not want growth to remove the irregularities, experimentation, or human touch that define Shelton Metal. We are learning how to create stronger systems around the business so the creative work can remain personal, intentional, and rooted in craft.
I am excited by the way Shelton Metal is growing into a more complete world. What began with jewelry has expanded into sculptural flatware, serving tools, candleholders, tabletop objects, and games, yet everything remains connected through material, storytelling, and the hand of the maker.
That is why creative partnerships like this one are so meaningful to me. When different forms of art and storytelling come together, each brings a new dimension to the other. I am honored to have Shelton Metal’s treasures included in this event and to share our story alongside the work of such thoughtful creatives.
I am also incredibly excited about two upcoming collaborations. We have created an exclusive holiday collection with Bloomingdale’s, and we are releasing a collection with East Fork this fall. Both have allowed me to explore new forms, reach a wider audience, and merge Shelton Metal’s sculptural language with the distinct worlds of these iconic brands.
More than anything, I am excited that people are connecting with the idea of living with objects that carry a story. It feels meaningful to create pieces that can become part of someone’s traditions today and, hopefully, treasured heirlooms for generations to come.
