Welcome to the dolop Parlor
A peek behind the counter, where ideas are baked fresh, ethics are local, and kindness is always on the menu
At dolop, we believe in the sweet power of thoughtful design. From how our products are made to the reasons behind each choice, the dolop Parlor is where we share what goes into every delightful drop.
About
Love, respect, and a little extra goodness
We're living through a quiet revolution in how things get made. For the first time in decades, a designer can oversee production from concept to shipping, creating beautiful objects at scale without massive factories or overseas supply chains.
dolop exists at the center of this shift.
Founded by industrial designer Michael Kritzer—whose work has earned Red Dot and iF awards for companies like Dell, Herman Miller, and Island—dolop represents what happens when 20+ years of design expertise meets breakthrough manufacturing technology.
Here's what that revolution means for you: Instead of choosing from five pre-made colorways, you get nearly 100 ways to customize each design. Instead of waiting months for "limited editions," you get fresh variations as soon as we dream them up. Instead of mass-produced sameness, you get something that feels genuinely personal—like working with your own designer, but without the custom price tag.
Each dolop is made fresh when you order it, using precision 3D printing that lets us stay nimble, sustainable, and surprisingly personal. We're not trying to fill every home in America. We're trying to create the perfect piece for yours.
Our approach sits in an exciting in-between moment: more personal than mass production, more accessible than full custom work. It's the future of American manufacturing—where technology brings production home, designers stay involved, and you get objects that feel truly yours.
Based in San Diego, we draw inspiration from the city's creative confidence and laid-back innovation. It's a place where serious craft meets approachable charm—exactly what we're after.
Our name captures the philosophy: a dolop is just the right amount of something good. Not too little, not too much. The perfect extra touch that makes everything better.
Design with intention. Made with technology. Delivered with a little extra goodness.
Made local
The future of American manufacturing is here
Something remarkable is happening: manufacturing is coming home to America. Not the way it used to be—with massive factories and endless assembly lines—but something entirely new. Smaller, smarter, and surprisingly powerful.
At dolop, we're part of this quiet revolution. Using precision 3D printing in our San Diego workshop, we can produce dozens of high-quality pieces daily with a small team. No overseas shipping. No six-month lead times. No wondering who made your lamp or under what conditions.
This approach changes everything:
- Faster response to what people actually want
- Lower environmental impact (no cargo ships, shorter supply chains)
- Complete transparency in how things are made
- Supporting local communities and neighbors
It's our version of "grown local"—but for thoughtful design objects. You know exactly where your dolop comes from, who made it, and how it got to you. In an age of global uncertainty, there's something powerful about products made by people you could actually meet.
We see this as the future: technology bringing production closer to home, designers staying involved in the process, and communities benefiting from the work happening in their backyards.
Always fresh
Made when you order it. Updated when inspiration strikes.
Every dolop starts its life the moment you place your order. No dusty warehouses. No month-old inventory. Just fresh production, designed specifically for you and made with care in our San Diego workshop.
This "always fresh" approach works on two levels:
Fresh Production: Your lamp is 3D printed, finished, and quality-checked before shipping. It's like getting a warm croissant straight from the oven—except it's a beautifully designed object that will light up your space for years.
Fresh Design: Because we're not locked into traditional manufacturing cycles, we can introduce new colors, textures, and even entirely new designs whenever inspiration strikes. No waiting 18 months for the next "collection." No being stuck with last season's options.
Traditional manufacturing requires huge upfront investments and long production runs. We've flipped that model entirely. When you have an idea for a new finish or discover a brilliant new material, you can test it immediately. When customers ask for something specific, we can often deliver it in weeks, not seasons.
The result? A constantly evolving catalog of possibilities, all made fresh when you need them.
You have options
Choose your own adventure, designed by a pro
Here's something that's never existed before: the ability to work with an award-winning designer to customize your lamp—without hiring an award-winning designer.
Each dolop design comes with nearly 100 different combinations of colors ("flavors") and textures ("finishes"). Every single option has been carefully considered and approved, so no matter which path you choose, you end up with something that looks intentional and sophisticated.
This is only possible because of how we make things. Traditional manufacturing would require us to produce minimum quantities of each variation—imagine warehousing 500 lamps in 100 different configurations. With 3D printing, we only need to stock the raw materials and print your exact combination when you order it.
What this means for you:
Browse through thoughtfully curated options, not overwhelming chaos
See exactly how your choices will look before ordering
Create something that feels uniquely yours while maintaining design integrity
Experience the luxury of custom work at accessible prices
It's like having a personal design consultation, except the designer has already done the hard work of ensuring every combination looks beautiful. You get to focus on the fun part: making it perfectly yours.
The Sweetest Slice
Kindness, served monthly
Every dolop purchase does double duty: lighting up your space and brightening someone else's life.
Through our Sweetest Slice initiative, a portion of every sale goes directly to organizations helping children, families, animals, and habitats that need support. We focus mostly on local needs because we believe kindness starts at home, and there are plenty of neighbors who could use a little extra help.
When you bring home a dolop, you're joining a family that believes in treating people the way we'd want to be treated—with love, respect, and a little extra kindness. Your flavor choice becomes part of your personal impact story.
Good design. Good intentions. Good together.
How it works
Your flavor (color) choice directs your impact
Each dolop color is paired with a specific cause, so your personal style creates personal meaning
Monthly giving based on sales
We tally up each flavor sold and donate accordingly to each charity
Complete transparency
We share exactly where the funds are going on our Instagram each month