“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Thursday February 20th — —

I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Thursday February 20th — —

The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Thursday February 20th — —

Juglans Chest of Drawers

Larkbeck is a London-based studio collaboration between two furniture makers: Rafe Mullarkey and Laszlo Beckett. Their central London workshop focuses on traditional cabinet making techniques, combined with contemporary technologies. The two designers celebrate the development of practical art within the design of fine furniture. Their furniture is produced in limited editions, constructed from solid hardwood, and explore the decorative possibilities of domestic objects reaching back to a more classical aesthetic. Larkbeck’s furniture consist of sculptural elements of contrasting surfaces and planes, which is incorporated in to forms derived by purpose. We particularly love the beautiful Juglans Chest of Drawers designed by Rafe Mullarkey, which is the third piece within the Fold Editions series and will be presented to the public at Design Shanghai 2014. Constructed from American Black Walnut, the piece is shaped to accentuate sculptural elements consisting of contrasting surface planes, presented in an overall form derived by purpose.

The multi-faceted forms one finds in the work of Mullarkey and Beckett reference both contemporary architecture and a wider influence of geometry to generate and model shapes for manufacture. As in architecture, folding is used to amplify the sense of volume and structure, whilst simultaneously celebrating the inherent qualities of the physical material: “The purpose, aesthetic and how it is made are of equal significance. The use of traditional cabinet making skills allow the piece of furniture to be durable and capable of adapting to its environment overtime.” In the use of the Larkbeck furniture, the geometric designs can be explored as with the Juglans Chest of Drawers different shapes will come apparent.

Larkbeck’s design ethic stems from the understanding and respect of materials and the skills needed to transform them.

We love how in the work of Larkbeck the history of fine furniture is combined with computed aided design. From their practice comes unique work, which is balanced in both context and form, which in our eyes is exemplified in the Juglans Chest of Drawers.

For more information visit here.