Kate Shortall, Owner
As a child, Kate grew up in Door County WI. Her fondness for the outdoors and creativity stemmed from a young age where adventures on the peninsula exposed her to shapes, sounds and charmed moments of education between the landscapes and art. She had always presented an energized sense for life and imagination.
At the young age of 11, she visited the Gehard Miller studio in Sturgeon Bay where she was entranced by his beautiful works and his philosophies. It was Gerhard who introduced the concepts of imaginary realism, experimentation, and the love for beautiful Door County.
As a student at Lake Forest College in 1995-1999, Kate discovered her interest in architecture and the fine arts. She dedicated much of her time to photography and drawing which were great interests. It allowed her to capture all the beauty seen in her travels and visits back to Door County. Architecture did not fall to the wayside, although the rules and stress that came along with architecture were difficult for Kate to accept. It was during her junior year that she met a professor who introduced her to the concept of polite design & architecture. As the huge weight was lifted, Kate found herself comfortable in the notion that she and her theories can be a contrast to traditional vernacular architecture taught.
Kate’s design technique can best be described as one that goes beyond functional requirements. It is stylistic, unconventional at times, but streamline. Kate is a designer who proves time and time again that minimalist form can, in fact, generate a broad range of meaning. As a fabricator and designer of stone products this best suits Kate’s style and vision. Often you will find Kate’s work to have repetition, something she uses to intensify focus on her materials. Kate also closely ties her materials together with mindfulness, this way they can best present the truth about their history, structure and connection to how they have been manipulated to form the final product.
Email: bstonemm@gmail.com
Jamie Siehr, Design Assistant
A Lake Country native, Jamie has found a true home in the design industry. Her style has evolved over the years and has been molded by true onsite construction experience. Jamie, being such a rare gem in the design industry, has seen a house from the ground up countless times.
Rooting back from her communications background from Carroll University, her calmness and understanding of the construction process is a valuable attribute. Many clients and general contractors value this quality. In addition, Jamie’s assistance with much of the project material selections can help a client confidently pull all pieces together. Her fresh and generous nature allows clients to design at a comfortable pace.
As a long time jewelry designer and crafter, the tile industry proved to be a natural progression. For Jamie, layering unexpected elements is an effortless task. She found additional interest in keeping her pulse on new and upcoming creative artisans between the two industries.
Jamie believes a dream space means imbuing that space with personal touches. Her craving for an eclectic mix of materials and style allow for her to continually prove success beyond a projects initial intention.
Email: jbstonemm@gmail.com
“We had a fabulous experience with Kate & Greg at Blackstone International. They are humble, great listeners, unbelievably knowledgeable, and only make promises they can keep. Kate and Greg always follow up with answers and never shoot from the hip. They have worked really hard over the last 15 years and have earned the right to be trusted as they are industry experts. Blackstone will look out for your best interest and make sure that the job is done right. As we were building our house, I can say in complete honesty that Blackstone International was the ONLY vendor we used that did not have any issues! Exceeded my expectations, and are highly recommended.”