All of us at Waterworks were deeply saddened to learn that our friend and long time collaborator, Peter Shelton, had died. In June he traveled to France with my husband, Robert, and several other members of our team to continue the development of the second phase of .25, a fittings line we first launched in collaboration with the firm Shelton Mindel & Associates in 2005. Peter with obsessed with the smallest details of a project looking for both design and technical innovation. Together Peter and Lee Mindel were great design communicators; Lee was expressive with his romantic descriptions of form and proportion while Peter was quietly working in the background blending the clean lines and less-is-more sensibility with engineering expertise.

The Opus line Shelton Mindel created for Waterworks was all about metal and crystal.  Two distinctly different materials were combined to create  fittings of  elegance and fluidity with a modern vocabulary. We all agreed that the more simplistic a design, the more difficult to make it perfect. And in the case of Opus, the spare crystal egg handle announces a fitting that is modern and cerebral.

The often published interiors of Shelton Mindel are what first drew our attention to their firm. Their taste was pared down, elegantly simple and sculptural.  This simplicity was merely a disguise;  the complexity of the design was well hidden in the perfectly proportioned spaces, unadorned forms, beautiful curves and sleek architecture in luxurious residences often with great city views and magnificent art.

Margaret Russell, Editor in Chief of Architectural Digest, was quoted in Peter’s obituary in the New York Times. She stated they had great appreciation for structure as well as materials and texture. They were always figuring out how to make something more minimal and streamlined. It was purity they were seeking. Their many awards attest to their leadership and success.

We will miss Peter and send our condolences to his wife, Laura Bennett, his partner, Lee Mindel, and his family.