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Like many successful small companies, Dee Antil Designs was built on the passion of one individual. In the mid nineteen-nineties, Denise Antil, mother of three small boys and full-time nurse anesthetist, suffered a sudden and dramatic hearing loss. The disability forced her to give up a career she loved, and turned her into a full-time mother.
But as her boys grew to school-age, and she was left with more time on her hands, Denise discovered she had both talent and a desire to create unique, high-quality jewelry. As she learned more about her craft she came to discover the wonders of semi-precious gems, Austrian Swarovski crystal, Balinese sterling and, in particular, artisan-quality lampwork beads. What she found was that the attention to detail and desire for perfection that marked her work in the operating room, had found a new outlet.
In her second career, Denise Antil has been transformed from a woman who made jewelry at her kitchen table between trips to the soccer field, into one of the most respected jewelry makers on the east coast. Her jewelry is now in the private collections of notable people across the country, including ABC news anchor Robin Roberts and Syracuse (NY) news anchor Maureen Green.
And while Denise admits to enjoying the fruits of her success and watching people’s eyes when they try on one of her pieces, two things have not changed about her. Even with assistants now helping her market herself, Denise still makes her incredible jewelry in her home studio, one piece at a time, and she still taxis her boys to a lot of soccer games.
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