The boundary between furniture and fine art is blurred, with artists and designers transforming recognizable forms into objects of contemplation.
By Justine Amodeo
Most art pieces are not meant to be touched, just admired. But as artists increasingly create functional objects and designers make sculptural art, interiors are becoming more curated with collectable furniture for everyday use. Light it up on the ceiling, lounge in it, let it be the setting for a meal or listen to it tick out the time and you’ve got the kind of interactive art that has become coveted in the interior design world.
Available in eight flower-inspired colors, the BLOOM EASY ARMCHAIR designed by Kenneth Cobonpue brings the organic beauty of the garden indoors. Inspired by a delicate blossom, the chair is composed of hundreds of fine running stitches that radiate from the center of the seat. Handmade in microfiber that is stitched over a resin top, the bloom sprouts from a base made of steel. ($3,430; vertigohome.us)
This LENIS LINEAR PENDANT designed by Cerno’s Nick Sheridan was inspired by the designer’s appreciation for well-designed boats, with a form created by bending wood stringers over a series of bulkheads. “Ultimately, we were searching for that balance between the curved fluidity of its lines and the twisting movement,” Sheridan says of the design. “Thanks to our team’s determination, after countless studies and prototypes, we found the balance we were looking for.” ($3,600; flashmandesign.com)
Resembling a small chain of islands, the CUTE CUT XXM COCKTAIL TABLE designed by Cédric Ragot is the designer’s first collaboration with Roche Bobois, where his innovative projects often combine biomorphic forms of inspiration and technologically advanced materials. His ability to blend creative imagination with technical solutions led to the creation of furniture and accessory designs that will bear the imprint of his talent long into the future. ($2,290; roche-bobois.com)
Coming from a fine furniture making background, sculpture always intrigued artist Micha von Doring, allowing him to let go of function in order to fully appreciate the beauty and imperfections of the wood in reclaimed trees. Von Doring’s one-of-a-kind, contemplative SACRED SPACE ARMOIRES reach beyond aesthetic form and practical function and embrace a sense of spirituality as well. Handcrafted from the highest-grade timbers available, the armoires “serve as a protective vault with its circular handle providing a powerful focal point,” von Doring says. “When opened, [it] transforms to create a warm, inviting environment that prompts interaction with the very personal items placed inside. It is a very personal and intimate ritual to connect with one’s higher self.” ($11,000-27,000; vondoring.com)
Randy Bader’s SCULPTURAL CLOCKS, ROCKING CHAIRS AND FURNITURE—extraordinary household objects reimagined as art pieces—have been displayed at the Sawdust Festival and Festival of the Arts for over 40 years. Bader started making kinetic clocks out of his Laguna Canyon studio after recognizing how quickly potters were able to start and finish pieces and decided to utilize scraps of wood left over from his rocking chairs. “I don’t think of them as clocks,” he says, “just sculptures that have a set of hands and almost tell you the time.” A watch, he explains, is a statement of wealth. “You wear it because it’s beautiful, it’s not about the time. Your stove has a clock. Your microwave has a clock. Your computer has a clock. Your phone. You’re surrounded by clocks.” ($595-$2,000; randybaderwoodworking.com)
