Meet the Design Duo Behind the Rope-Wrapped Lighting Experts Can’t Get Enough of
Words by Gabrielle Savoie
Photography by Ori Harpaz
In a world where mass production and next-day delivery are the norm, Wendy Schwartz and Kristi Bender are taking their sweet time.
Since founding Cuff Studio in 2008, this design duo has built something rare: a completely women-run operation locally producing handcrafted pieces made to feel like they've been carefully collected over the years by someone with impeccable taste and infinite patience.
What sets Wendy and Kristi apart isn't just their eye-catching furniture and lighting (though their rope-wrapped globe pendants have become iconic). Their secret? A refusal to compromise on the good stuff: obsessive craftsmanship, generosity that extends to everyone they work with, and boundless creativity.
After 17 years of creative partnership, Wendy and Kristi have cracked the code on something most duos never figure out: how to amplify each other's genius without losing their individual spark. Here, we dive into their world as Kristi walks us through everything from the most important piece they’ve ever designed to their idea of “good taste”.
Brand: Cuff Studio
Founders: Wendy Schwartz and Kristi Bender
Established in: 2008
Home Base: Los Angeles
Your specialty: Handcrafted furniture and lighting produced in California.
Photography courtesy of Studio LIFE/STYLE
Your morning routine
Matcha all the way. I'm off coffee but never caffeine—it's my non-negotiable morning ritual. Wendy also makes a matcha for her husband and warms up some bone broth for herself. It's a gentler way to start the day.
Early bird or night owl
Early birds. We both tuck in early for a minimum of 8 hours of sleep—it's essential for our creativity.
If your creative process had a soundtrack
"It Takes Two" by Rob Base. We have been business partners for 17 years now… Our partnership is our secret sauce.
The most important thing you've ever designed
Our Rope Wrapped Globe Pendants.
The material you could spend a lifetime working with
Rope cording, without question. And of course, beautiful woods and shearlings—they never get old.
Your most unexpected source of inspiration
Geometry class!
The most unconventional tool in your studio
A huge industrial ladder on wheels.
Your design mantra
Curiosity drives creativity.
Photography courtesy of Maison Trouvaille
The instant heirloom in your collection
We consider most of our pieces instant heirlooms, but if we had to pick one, it would be the U Bench.
The first thing you notice when you enter someone's home
It depends on the home, honestly. If it's spectacular, we're discreetly scanning all the details: the architecture, furnishings, lighting, objects, and art. Otherwise, we're focused entirely on the host!
Your definition of "good taste"
Authentic to one's self.
The piece from your collection you would give as a housewarming present
Our Track Surface Mount, though it's more suited for a wedding gift or a big birthday milestone.
Natural light or mood lighting
Is both too much to ask for?
An object in your home you could never part with
Cuff Studio original pieces—they're not just furniture, they're part of our story.
Vintage or bespoke
Both is the only answer here—as you can see in our new New York showroom, which we share with vintage dealers Past Lives and Studio Nordic.
The color combo you're currently obsessed with
Olive green, deep raisin, and putty. There's something so rich and grounding about that palette.
Photography courtesy of Anne-Marie Barton
Your perfect escape
Solana Beach in North County San Diego—it's so special to us that we named our Solana Chaise after it.
True luxury is...
Time. It's the one thing you can never buy more of.
Artist's loft or creative country retreat
Artist's lofts—separate ones, of course. We work a lot together, but we each need our own creative space.
Your greatest indulgence
Buying and eating the most beautiful, farm-fresh and highest quality foods, and investing in beautiful art or objects for our homes.
Your dream career if you weren't doing what you're doing
A career that would allow for lots of travel and meaningful connections. Wendy would be a ceramic artist or a social scientist.
The best advice another designer ever gave you
Follow the momentum. When something feels right and the energy is there, lean into it.
What's next
We just presented our latest collection, Within, at NYCxDesign in May! It marks our first solo exhibition—a presentation that was California-infused, full of color, texture, and layers of rich materiality. Now we're getting started on our next collection—this one focused outward, and we’re inviting designers to help drive the concepts.
Photography courtesy of Cuff Studio