The first time Corey invited Leanne to visit the hotshop, he planned to maybe spend 30 minutes watching the glassblowers in action; five hours later, he was still perched on the concrete floor, rapt.

Fast forward 18 years: Corey, who formally trained as a glass artist at Alfred University in New York, and Leanne, with a long history working in small independent businesses, are co-owners of The Furnace, an art glass studio and hotshop located in Colorado. Everything produced at The Furnace is designed in-house and handcrafted using age-old tools and techniques. Embracing both beauty and function, their lines include truly functional art—items that lovers of fine craft can make use of every single day as well as decorative pieces that upend the “typical” by employing distinctive color layering and unique not-quite-glassy finishes.

“It’s an amazing moment, as an artist, to find the material that speaks to you loudest of all. When I first encountered hot glass, I was struck: The physical nature of creating blown glass. The rush from the heat and the adrenaline of manipulating such a fluid, molten material, and while it is possible to work hot glass on your own, I’ve found that working with a team often yields the most interesting and exciting results.”