Commission

The Commission Process

How a Commission Comes to Be

Attention, from the first conversation to the final placement.

A commission from Mel Ahlborn is not placed — it is developed, in close conversation with the people who know the space best: designers, architects, and the individuals who will live alongside the work.

01 — Listening I begin by understanding what is truly being asked of the piece — not just its dimensions, but its purpose in a room, a collection, a life. This is a conversation, not an intake form.

02 — Site & Light Where the work belongs matters as much as what it becomes. I visit the space when possible, studying how light moves through it across a day and across seasons, how color will behave against material that will remain for generations.

03 — Design Development From that understanding, I propose concept renderings and material studies — gold leaf application, patina, scale, finish — refined in dialogue with you and, where relevant, the designer or architect overseeing the space.

04 — Fabrication Each piece is hand-built in our studio, marrying traditional technique with contemporary fabrication methods. You receive documentation at key milestones — never left to wonder how the work is progressing.

05 — Delivery & Placement Packing, shipping, and installation are handled with the same care given to the piece itself, coordinated directly with your team or your designer to ensure the work is placed exactly as considered.
For Desigers & Architects: I see myself as a collaborator in your process, a listening partner. A single point of contact stays with your project from first sketch to final placement, with scheduling and communication built around the realities of a working design practice.

Timeline: Most commissions require 8–16 weeks depending on scale and finish. Accelerated timelines are considered for qualifying projects.
Mel Ahlborn Studio Commissions

Begin a Commission

Every commission begins with listening — careful consideration of what is truly being asked of the work. Share a little about what you have in mind, and a member of our studio will follow up personally.

  1. 01Your inquiry is read personally — never sorted into a queue.
  2. 02We schedule a conversation, and a site visit where distance allows.
  3. 03Design development begins once we understand the space and what it needs.

Most inquiries receive a personal response within two business days. Everything shared here is held in confidence.

All inquiries are held in confidence.
Mel Ahlborn — Art, Design & Fabrication melahlborn.com

Let the Beauty We Shape Be How We Live

Mel Ahlborn is the artist and head designer of Illumination Studio Carmel. She draws symbols and text from anthropology and history into direct conversation with new works created through careful study, listening, and innovation. For more than thirty years, that practice has served museums, churches, film companies, academic institutions, and private clients.