Noir Sculptural Objects Create a Lyrical Effect

Call it the new noir. Black finishes are bringing sculptural furniture into focus as never before. In porcelain, bronze, walnut and other natural materials, well-designed objects are coming out of the shadows to shine in every room of the house. “There is something powerful about the serenity and mystery of these essential shapes,” says Belgian-born designer Pieter Maes, who works with a bronze foundry in Ghent, Belgium, on his organic, softly curving tables and stools. “I became obsessed with making simple, unfussy work that triggers something very old and dormant in people, no matter where or when someone comes from.” Blackening a surface is as old as fire itself, points out woodworker Vince Skelly. He uses the Japanese method of shou sugi ban to char the surface of his small furnishings, carved from wood salvaged in the Pacific Northwest. These pieces and others spotlight the force of dark beauty.

As though shaped by time and memory, design objects in shades of black have a transcendent, otherworldly quality.

Fired Up

Vince Skelly carves each of his compact tables and stools from a single block of wood, taking inspiration from prehistoric sites and megalithic temples across the British Isles and the Mediterranean. To give this suite a modern cast, the Portland, Oregon–based designer experimented with the Japanese practice of “shou sugi ban,” charring the wood to prolong its life. Kuro Collection Tower, $3,000, Table, $5,000, and Stool, $2,200, by Vince Skelly, adamsandollman.com

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