London Bridge: English Design in America

In 2001, Londoner Sweetu Patel met Brooklynite Nicole Gonzalez when he was in New York City showing his furniture designs. They got married, and in 2004 opened Citizen:Citizen in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; the store features the works of emerging English designers they thought would be popular in the arty New York neighborhood. Artists include Patrik Fredrikson, who uses conventional materials like glass, wire and wax in unconventional ways; for instance, his functional and whimsical Candle #1 is both candle and candlestick and comes in black and white ($55). Fellow Brit Ian Stallard favors the same colors for his bold ceramic vases (from $950). In September, the Patels are scheduled to open a Citizen:Citizen in San Francisco's Mission District, and next year they plan to debut a space in London where they'll show off American designs. DETAILS 284 N. 8th St., Brooklyn; 718-387-1296. 3435 Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco; 415-695-7748.

Published June 2005