Paul Pavlak

Paul Pavlak is an architect and designer who co-founded SkLO, a design and manufacturing company specializing in handblown glass lighting and accessories.14 He serves as a partner and designer at SkLO, which he established in 2009 along with his wife Karen Gilbert and Pavel Hanousek.12

Pavlak's background as an architect contributes to SkLO's design philosophy, bringing insights on proportion, scale, and how they relate to the human body.1 His approach emphasizes the honesty of materials, the importance of expressing process in design, and a minimal aesthetic.2 Together with Gilbert, Pavlak creates the LIT and OBJECT collections for SkLO, drawing inspiration from architecture, ceramics, and natural forms.1

In addition to his role at SkLO, Pavlak also operates his own architectural practice under the name Paul Pavlak Architect.5 The couple resides in a cabin-style home outside Sebastopol, California, which they renovated with a focus on simplicity and essential beauty.3

SkLO's headquarters are located in both Healdsburg, California, and Prague, with their products being handblown in the Czech Republic.12 Pavlak and Gilbert's design philosophy for SkLO emphasizes the beauty of imperfection in handmade work and seeks to express the materials and process of making in their modern designs.1