Third time is a charm for resin artist and Marin resident Tina Fey.
After graduating from the University of Alberta in Canada with a major in biology and minors in chemistry and psychology, Frey embarked on a career in food science, but soon after, she pivoted and returned to the university to pursue a degree in business. Frey spent the next dozen or so years in finance, working at large companies like LVMH and the Gap before shifting to startups.
Eventually, however, she decided to embrace her own entrepreneurial spirit. In 2007, at age 40, she entered her third act, launching her eponymous San Francisco-based product design venture that specializes in resin goods for the home.
“Originally, I didn’t really know what I was going to do,” she recalls. “Looking at my bookshelf, I thought, ‘Wait a minute — I have all these books on resin.’ I just liked the material. It can look like ceramic, porcelain, stone or sea glass, and I knew that I wasn’t going to run out of ideas any time soon in terms of what I could make.”
Frey is mostly self-taught. Once she has a design in mind, Frey initially sculpts it in clay, usually from her San Francisco studio or Marin home. There are no stacks of drawings or sketchbooks in her workspace. “I find sketching very unsatisfying,” she says of her process. “I really prefer to get my hands on the clay.” Next, she makes silicone models of the completed clay models. Then, she pours a lead- and BPA-free resin mixture into the molds and allows it to cure, a process that can take up to a week for larger items. Upon removal from the molds, she sands and finishes the pieces by hand.
Today, TF Design is essentially the product arm of Frey’s business. Over the past 19 years, she’s expanded from table and bath collections to furniture and lighting, and her palette has grown too, from basic white, black, gray and nude to include such vibrant hues as ocean blue, emerald green and pink quartz.
In 2025, she added a section to her website called The Lab to showcase works that she describes as “more experimental, larger scale and limited edition.” The Orbit furniture collection, for example, encompasses a chair and an accent table, both featuring an organic silhouette — rendered in resin and, as of December, available in bronze as well, marking the latest evolution of her practice.
Across product launches, a personal need or desire is a through line. At the onset of the pandemic, Frey was “baking a lot and unearthed the ice-cream maker,” she recounts, explaining how the Sculpt cake server and Pedestal petite bowl (perfect for a scoop) came to be. About eight years ago, meditation became an important part of Frey’s life, prompting the launch of the 6.5-foot-high Meditation Orb.
While Frey is known for designs that are both sculptural and functional, some collections, like Noodle and Landscape, are more decorative in nature. “They were sculpted with the intention of appreciating the color and how the pieces look together,” she elaborates.
She also works with hospitality clients. At acclaimed chef Alain Ducasse’s restaurants, sauces flow from Frey’s creamers and chocolates are presented on her mini bread boards. Meanwhile, her champagne buckets are a favorite of wineries, including Napa Valley’s Realm Cellars. The Four Seasons and Edition properties use her collections at their rooftop and poolside restaurants, and at Posada Ayana, a hotel in Uruguay, custom translucent sage and pink bath products appear in guest rooms.
The journey to this point has ultimately provided Frey with a path to creative fulfillment. Now, she says, “I can really just create from my heart — things that I’m truly inspired to make.”
