Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion


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Text By Cathy Gordon • Photography Courtesy Of The Guild

For Toni Sikes, home is where the art is. “The objects I choose for my surroundings are, in a sense, my autobiography,” she says. “I think a lot of people feel that way.” Her Wisconsin-based company, The Guild Inc., is a leading source for original art and décor shipped directly from artist to buyer.

Are you looking for a floor-to-ceiling, stainless-steel sculpture? How about sterling silver dragonfly earrings set with Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls? “If you can think of it, there’s probably someone making it,” says Toni, who represents more than 1,200 top artisans in media from glass, sculpture, and print to furniture, lighting, and jewelry. Michael Monroe, former curator-in-charge of the Smithsonian Institution’s Renwick Gallery, heads a panel that juries and selects the pieces.
“I believe strongly that these creations make our lives richer and better in so many ways,” Toni says. “We try to take down the barriers that are sometimes associated with selecting art. It doesn’t have to be intimidating.”

(a) Toni puts ideas on paper at her Madison home, cat Nettie by her side. (b) A blown-glass paper dolls bowl, by Ann Alderson Cabezas, is always dressed for company.

(c) Toni (standing) reviews a catalog with artist service manager Susan Gardels. (d) A dramatic room vignette designed by architect Christine A. L. Restaino for The Artful Home show. (e) Ceramic mosaic by Sacramento artists Tom and Sara Post; (f) a graceful salon chair by Mary Lynn O’Shea.

Toni uses her home as a personal canvas for creativity. She comes by it naturally, having grown up in a family that believed in paying attention to life’s tiny details. “My mother taught me about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary,” she says. “When I grew up, certain items resonated with me, spoke to me. Without knowing when or why, I learned to cherish beauty, and to love a thing well made. I was attracted to the work of artists.”
In fact, she dated one for a while. She observed firsthand the difficulties her sculptor boyfriend faced in placing his large architectural pieces in hotels and malls. “Architects and interior designers are key gatekeepers for large commissioned pieces, but at the time there was no easy way for artists and trade professionals to find each other,” she recalls.
Determined to resolve this disconnect, Toni set her creative wheels spinning. After extensive market research, she launched The Guild in 1985 as a publisher of sourcebooks to bridge the gap between art and commerce.

To date, more than 350,000 guides have been printed in multiple languages, resulting in thousands of commissions for public and private spaces. In 1992, Toni’s coffee table and how-to books were added to the publishing line.

The launch of The Guild’s website and catalog in 1999 took the math major’s dream a bit further, cyber-connecting to the art-loving market. “I’m a bit of a geek, so I pounced on the internet like you wouldn’t believe,” she says.

Through its consumer brand, The Artful Home, the company offers catalogs and a web gallery featuring more than 12,000 works in every variety imaginable. Other career pinnacles? Toni’s book of the same name came out last fall, and her first ever Artful Home show in New York City wowed shoppers in November. “It was unbelievably fun,” she says.

Success is sweet, but lessons were learned along the way. “At first, managing people didn’t come naturally to me,” she admits. “Happy employees are your backbone.” She now gleefully leads a staff of 58. “There’s an art to that, too!”

(g) Telling time is fun with this quirky cup-and-saucer clock by Emi Ozawa. (h) Daniel Pohl’s hand-carved buffet in a kaleidoscope of colors topped by a Van Bankston abstract painting. (i) Prints by Rachel Paxton and (j) whimsical works like this pincushion teapot by Laura Peery are available through The Guild..

Toni’s Artful Advice
how to build the business of your dreams
Solicit feedback to test your ideas, especially with people in your desired field. After doing so, your thoughts will be much more developed when you pursue your goals.
Use the internet as a research library to learn about your profession.
Design a realistic budget. A rule of thumb? Double projected expenses and cut anticipated revenue in half.
Recognize that employees are your company’s most important asset and learn to manage wisely.

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