As if offering an antidote to the ills of modern life, some designers and manufacturers exhibiting at this year’s ICFF showcased wares that brought the outdoors in by drawing inspiration from the natural world. Here are five products that incorporate parts of Mother Nature—and one that encourages users to do so.
Canopy Table, Redivivus
Panels of preserved lichen, or reindeer moss—which offers a maintenance-free way of introducing flora into an interior—were popular at the show, but Canopy Table takes a different tact. The table, by Brooklyn, N.Y.–based Redivivus and designer Ivan Stojakovic, features moss inside a watertight channel under low-iron tempered glass. Away from daylight, the moss will retain its brilliant green color. The wood is 150-year-old reclaimed white pine that underwent a proprietary 17-step process and then was coated with a UV-resistant resin to create a durable, but silky finish. Shown in a 72”-by-36” size, it can be customized. redivivusart.com
Glaciacast, McGuire Glass
Glaciacast by Ireland-based McGuire Glass is a flora-themed series of cast glass panels. Each panel is made by melting glass over botanical matter, such as oak and olive tree branches, or strawberry vines. Because the glass is heated to a temperature of 800 C, the plant material is burned off, leaving its unique imprint. The glass then cools for 30 hours. Panels are made to order in custom sizes up to 40" by 32", with a satin, silver, or bronze finish, and framed in an array of materials. The panels can also be assembled into a coffee table. mcguireglass.ie
Brunelle Side Table, Double Noir
Quebec-based Double Noir manufactures clear acrylic tables containing actual tree trunk sections and cuts. Catherine Bolduc founded the company less than a year ago and makes the tables in a factory owned by her family, which has been in the acrylic manufacturing business for 61 years. The wood is locally sourced from mill overruns or trees felled by storms. The Brunelle side table, one of three designs at the show, features seven birch tree trunks in an 18”-tall by 10”-square acrylic block. It weighs 75 pounds. doublenoir.com
Ango Collection, Angus Hutcheson
Bangkok, Thailand–based designer Angus Hutcheson created the Ango collection of pendant lighting by weaving together unconventional local and natural materials, such as rattan, mulberry bark, and silk cocoons, by hand. The silk cocoon pendants come in two designs—Moon and Unit-C—each available in a natural color, as well as in a saturated black or red hue produced with a non-toxic, water-based dye. Unit-C (shown) measures 9.5” by 12” and requires one 8W filament-type A17 LED bulb. angoworld.com
Lauhala Collection, Nest Studio
Nest Studio’s Lauhala Collection offers contemporary-style pulls accented with woven pandan, or screw pine, leaves. The result of a collaboration with Hawaiian jewelry brand Kū + Moe, it comprises six rectangular handles, ranging in length from 4” to 12”, and two 2”-square knobs from the company’s existing Mod line. Hand-wrapped in Hawaii, each is available in polished nickel, satin brass, oil-rubbed bronze, and polished brass unlacquered with light- or dark-leaf accents. neststudiocollection.com
Vagabond, Materia
Although elements from nature are not visibly predominant in Vagabond, a versatile table that can be used for meetings or as a desk, Swedish furniture manufacturer Materia topped it with several accessory boxes potted with plants. Equipped with casters, the movable table comes with magnets to attach notice boards on its side ends and an overhead rod for hanging lights or more plants. The desktop is available in white high-pressure laminate, white ash veneer, or oak veneer, and the frame is offered with a white or black powdercoat finish. materia.se
Note: This article has been update since first publication.
