Free of corporate and client specifications, independent designers must be vigilant that their outputs match their studio’s aesthetic, even as they experiment with new materials and forms. This selection of artisan work features plays on convention that span novel uses for light and sound to innovative material combinations, resulting in striking pieces that build on their designers’ portfolios.
Abyss Table, Christopher Duffy
London-based designer Christopher Duffy melds earth and water in an eye-catching occasional table characterized by its exposed cross-section of geological forms. Layers of FSC-certified wood create the ridges and canyons of an underwater topographical map, which is filled with sculpted acrylic glass to create a rectangular shape. Its varied depths—viewed from the top and from the sides—create a vibrant blue gradient. The 160cm-long and 46cm-tall Abyss Table will be limited to 25 editions. (h/t Contemporist)
Monarch, Oswald Mills Audio
Inspired by early 20th century horn speakers used in theaters, Oswald Mills Audio’s Monarch offers a contemporary update on the two-way device. The piece’s wood wings function as baffles for woofers mounted on its central enclosure and a cast-aluminum-alloy horn tops the unit, giving it a butterfly shape. Several wood types and finishes are offered, including black walnut, shown. The speaker measures 71” tall and 51” at its widest point.
Shy 21, Bec Brittain
The slender geometric frame on New York–based designer Bec Brittain’s Shy 21 pendant directs LED light in multiple directions for ambient illumination. The luminaire offers 15,300 lumens at 120V and 240V. The brass frame is offered in several finishes, including oil-rubbed bronze, polished nickel, and dark pewter. The pendant joins the studio’s Shy series of luminaires whose connected LED tubes create conventional and abstract geometries.
Crushed, Philip Watts Design
The wrinkled metallic facing of the Nottingham, U.K.–based studio’s Crushed series of knobs and pulls adds texture to a small but pervasive interior finish detail. The series comprises a 485mm-tall-by-35mm-wide strip handle; a 30mm-square drawer knob; and an 80mm-square cabinet handle. Each is offered in solid, hand-cast bronze, aluminum, and brass.
Rod + Weave Chair, Eric Trine
Long Beach, Calif.–based designer Eric Trine revised one of his graduate school design projects to create his bespoke Rod+Weave Chair. A copper-plated or powdercoated (shown) hex-rod frame threads through a woven leather seat and back, resulting in a minimalist lounge with midcentury appeal. The chair measures 27” long, 25” wide, and 27” tall.
Houndstooth, New Ravenna Mosaics
New Ravenna Mosaics’ founder and creative director Sara Baldwin reinterprets the classic pattern in a new mosaic series. Houndstooth’s colorful, rectangular hand-cut glass tiles are arranged to replicate the design, with the grout between each piece adding dimension to installations in vertical interior and exterior floor and wall applications. Shown in red and gold.
