Everyday we walk into our studio surrounded by a rich mosaic of bits and bobs loosely composed on open shelves - objects that have caught our eyes by speaking to our souls:

a weather-worn brick found on a Brooklyn street.
a finely machined piece of solid metal.
a shiny piece of handmade art glass.
an elegantly-shaped tree bough found in the woods.
etc.

At once mundane and magical, such matters are the building blocks of our products and a core part of our design approach. Our practice is built on a commitment to elevating the elemental beauty of materials independent of their perceived values. For this reason, our eclectic shelves are a critical instigator of our creative process.

While our shelves are often the starting point, the real magical moment is when a material's voice collides with ours. When pondering what made it 'speak' to us in the first place, we often find ourselves with more questions:

Where did it come from?
How was it made?
What makes it special?

This inquiry begins to reveal clues on how we might be able to amplify, celebrate, or give function to the materials' inherent quality. The inevitable question:

How can this magical material become a magical object?

One recent exploration has delved into the simple but poetic possibilities of thin sheet materials. Working from flat elemental shapes in metal and glass, we experimented with subtle manipulations that add structure and dimensionality to once 2D shapes. Our Myrna shade was born from this process wherein an ellipse is given form by a single broad bend along a diagonal axis. The result is a strikingly elegant gesture that defines space through form and light.

Furthering this exploration, the Moire Mobile takes a similar formal approach with perforated aluminum to reveal the simple magic of the perforation's semi-transparent characteristics.

Another moment all together, we created an entire immersive material garden for Muji - an experience that allowed us to share the beauty of raw materials with the general public.

There's a story to every product and project we make - and we could go on and on. However, we believe that such stories are best experienced in the process and outcome themselves, so we invite you to browse our collections while taking an extra minute to reflect on how material richness can enhance your particular space or life. We're always happy to help advise on how best to optimize our products for your project's unique character.

On Materiality