Leather, Tradition & a Splash of Chaos

Here at Tanné & Co., most of what I do is grounded in tradition. I’ve always had a deep appreciation for leather in its most natural state—the rich smell, the texture, the earthy tones that age beautifully over time. That’s what drew me into the craft. From hand-tooling to burnishing, I’ve spent countless hours learning and refining the classic techniques that give leather goods their soul.                

But like most real-life things, our story isn’t all tradition. My wife and I both have ADHD, which means we’re often balancing structure with spontaneity. We’re pretty classic in some areas, but in others, we can be a little quirky. And in our work, that mix shows.      

This cardholder is a perfect example of that balance. It actually started when we got our business cards. My wife said, laughing, “I need a cardholder now.” So I naturally asked her what style she wanted and had in mind, and she said, “Something bold.” That’s when she brought up an idea I’d casually mentioned a few days before—what would happen, and how would it look, if I splattered paint on the leather? That’s when she looked at me and said, “Do it with that paint thing you talked about.”      

 So I went down to the workshop and gave it a shot. There was no plan, no sketch. Just a spontaneous, creative nudge and a bit of curiosity. And what came out of it… honestly surprised both of us.      

This piece is still everything we care about—real leather, hand-stitched, carefully finished—but it pushes into a different space. It’s bold. Playful. A bit loud. It’s not what people usually expect from leatherwork, and that’s exactly why we love it.      

And honestly? This is just the beginning. Our ADHD brains are always on fire, thinking of the most random concepts. So we take note. We’ve got notebooks (and scraps of paper, and voice notes) filled with kooky, colorful, totally out-there leather ideas—many of which we haven’t seen anywhere else on the market. They might sound a little out of this world, but they’ve got us excited. And little by little, we’re going to start testing them out.      

We haven’t moved away from the classics. You’ll still find me tooling detailed florals or working with warm, natural dyes. But now and then, we like to try something unexpected. Because creativity doesn’t have to choose between timeless and experimental. Sometimes it’s both. And sometimes, that’s where the magic happens.