Shibumi Gallery

The Longivity of Love

InspirationApril Higashi

I marvel at couples who have managed to make long-term relationships work or still seem happy after years of marriage. I have a few solid long-term coupled friends but many of us, including myself, are separated or divorced and happy with that decision too.  Much of my work is with couples designing rings or helping select special gifts for a partner. And I’ve noticed that some of these longer term couples sometimes seem exceptionally happy, light, supportive of each other… and still have that spark of love and excitement, almost as if they’ve only just met. 

Natalie and Thomas are one of these couples. We met last year after they had been on a search for a jeweler to design and make her their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary gift. Thomas had traveled to Antwerp and brought her back some black diamonds. I was honored they selected me to work with them on their custom pieces.  We started with a cuff and when they came to the studio for Natalie’s sizing, Thomas regaled me with stories that were filled with admiration and love for Natalie.  He beamed as he spoke about her, her design work and her talents.

They left a lasting impression on me.  I saw that this was a couple who truly supported each other. Thomas had wanted Natalie to have what she loved and trusted her design choices. He never flinched as she selected the perfect white metal for the piece, which also happened to be the most expensive.  He saw she was creating her dream piece and supported and encouraged her choices all along during the design process.

I realized from working with them, isn’t this what we all need - love, support and someone who believes in our vision? 

So thank you Thomas and Natalie, not only for the wonderful commission, but also for the beautiful reminder of what love can look like.  Congratulations on twenty five years! It’s an honor to be part of your celebration.

~ April

Thomas
What is the one thing you still love about Natalie?

  • There’s more than one thing, but one worth mentioning here is Natalie’s independent and driven nature. Natalie jumps full-on into everything she does and whether it’s her relationships, design work, or community efforts.  She doesn’t do anything halfway. 

What is your secret to a long-term lasting relationship? 

  • Natalie and I just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We have lived in multiple states, embraced various careers, and are raising our daughter. There has been a lot of change over the years, and we adapt and take-on challenges as a team.

Natalie
What is the one thing you still love about Thomas?

  • Thomas was incredibly fun to be around when we met; humorous, spontaneous and ready to enjoy any situation regardless of his stress level.  That zeal has not changed and I love that he has this approach to all aspects of life.  It’s contagious. 

What is your secret to a long-term lasting relationship? 

  • My initial thought was immediately, communication and humor.  With marrying so young in life, we recognized early that we would not be the exact same person when we got older.  We acknowledged that we needed to attempt to change in parallel or appreciate that the other was changing instead of trying to keep them as they were.

NATALIE ENGELS is an Interior Designer at Gensler and her favorite pieces at Shibumi are featured in this month’s CURATED ☆ PICKS.