History
Schickel Design is a third generation family-owned business. Founded by William Schickel in 1948, the business focused on liturgical design and artwork. After working for her father for many years, Martha Schickel Dorff took over ownership in 2000. Under her leadership, Schickel Design expanded it’s specialization into historic adaptive reuse residential projects, as well as experiential design for institutions. After living and practicing architecture in New York City, Rebecca Dorff Cadena joined the team at Schickel Design in 2016. In 2019, ownership changed hands again, with Rebecca taking the helm.
A multi-generational design firm.
We stand on the shoulders of our past.
J. William Schickel (great-great-grandfather to Rebecca Dorff Cadena) was born January 29, 1850 in Wiesbaden, Germany. In 1870, at the age of twenty, he emigrated to the United States, and the next day started his New York architectural career in the offices of the renowned Richard Morris Hunt. In 1885 he formed William Schickel & Company in association with Isaac E. Ditmars and Hugo Kafka. Norbert Schickel (great grandfather to Rebecca Dorff Cadena) was one of J. William Schickel’s eleven children. Taking a break from the family lineage of artists and architects, Norbert started Schickel Motor Co. in 1911 and unveiled his first motorcycle at the Chicago Motorcycle Show. His company started producing motorcycles in 1912 from Stamford, CT.
A small piece of a big tradition.
